Rogerborg

Which is why it falls foul of the Bus to Clapham Comicon definition of FA Section 19 / 57 (4). IIRC, we had a bloke on here intending to open carry a Snow Wolf M41A on a bus because "not real gnu". 🤦‍♂️ But VCRA S36 is a different and narrow definition. Parliament chose not to use the same broad definition, and they considered historical guns, so they could have considered future ones as well. As careful as I am (now) to sail on the safe side of the law, inventing offences where they don't exist is doing Nanny State's job for her.

The handle, or the mechanism? The handle, eh, they all do that. Easily enough bodged with a bolt or whatever you have lying around. If it's the mechanism, a knock off + replacement Odin internals costs less than an Odin.

Its appearance readily distinguishes it from that real firearm (the Thompson). I can't fathom a situation where you'd actually be convicted under S36 for selling one, even if someone does go full Hudson with it. This is in sharp contrast to S19 public possession, which I agree is a bigger, broader issue both for us and for wizards-and-hobbits types. Having skirted round the edges of that community, there does seem to be a high quotient of people who are desperate to be seen, but can't grasp how they're going to be perceived. They will keep getting caught doing it... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-45994558 ... resulting in some some knee jerk reactions from cons, gating the problem once it's already arrived at their door ... https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/fake-guns-are-confiscated-londons-mcm-comic-con-n451386 Hmm. "While Britain’s 2003 Anti-Social Behaviour Act means most replicas of guns must be concealed when in a public place" I've seen this repeated a few times, but it says no such thing, it only matters if you have it with you. Of course you should conceal any IF or RIF so that it's less likely to be an issue, but if you are caught, you're going to need a reasonable excuse.

Confused because: didn't you get mugged for VAT? Did it just sail straight through?

They've only recently come back into stock after he bought up a bundle of them and then the rest sold out in short order when he recommended them.

It depends on your site's chrono policies, and everyone's got their own ideas of the One True Way. If they chrono with the weight that you're intending to use, with hop on, sure. Some sites are still using 0.2g, some apparently even want the hop turned right off. If you're unlucky enough to play at once of those, you'll have to tune to their quirks. There's a notional legal consideration that if it's capable of auto, and shooting "any missile" at over 1.3J, then it's not legally speaking an airsoft gun. You'd be hard pressed to find any tool of the State who knows this, let alone cares about it though.

UPS and HMRC after trying to hold back the flood of orders for a full calendar year.

Ahoy and welcome. Looks like you've got a couple of options round there. I'd emphasise that it's just fine to go to airsoft solo, it's super easy to get talking to people, and most folk at most sites will be very happy to show you the ropes.

The £10 plastic ones work just fine. I can't see why you'd get any more accuracy out of a tin version.

Kid: "Mum, I want Hi-Capa racegun". Mum: "We have Hi-Capa racegun at home." The HiCapa racegun at home...

Thank you for letting us know, and I'm sorry to hear that. To be honest, I'd got the impression that FRV was some one-man bedroom operation being done on the side. It's both surprising and disappointing to hear that employees are losing out as well as customers. It does smack rather of moribund thinking from the owner, and I hope things improve for you.

(1) In sections 36 and 37 “realistic imitation firearm” means an imitation firearm which— (a) has an appearance that is so realistic as to make it indistinguishable, for all practical purposes, from a real firearm; “real firearm” means— (a) a firearm of an actual make or model of modern firearm (whether existing or discontinued) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/section/38 This is as distinct from the much broader Firearms Act definition of "imitation firearm". Public possession may be an offence, but I can see no problem with selling these.

Going straight for a GHK package makes you king of the adult babies. (On many sites this would be an insult rather than a compliment)

Expensive old technology, comically under-powered, and over-rated by their owners to the point of cult fetishism, you say?

Ahoy and welcome. Should be a few sites down there, I'll let the locals chime in. If you don't find anyone looking for love, I'd encourage you to just book a rental day at any of the local sites and go along solo. Airsoft is a very welcoming hobby, it's super easy to get talking to people. All you have to do is ask someone about their gun and then your problem is getting them to stop talking to you. 😆

Think? Dunno. Want? Obviously. Thought prompted by the campaign to get Gun Jesus a cameo.

Mmm, it does seem that GHKs are out of stock everywhere in the UK. Sad times ahead if anything a bit off the beaten AEG track becomes direct import only, with the current state of imports.

I'll go in slow and lubed. New as in "rented, played, loved it", or new as in "saw it on YouTube, found my new hobby for life"? I ask because if you're looking at dropping $900 plus magazines, shipping, VAT, duty and courier fees on something that will come essentially without warranty, you'll want to be sure that both airsoft and gas blowbacks are right for you. We generally recommend buying a cheaper AEG as a first gun, until you're sure that you really enjoy the hobby once the buzz has worn off. It's always good to have a robust backup or loaner around, you're unlikely to stop at one gun (or two, or three, or...) And you never will. It's a defence - one of many - not a licence, and it's a UK retailer scheme which only incidentally benefits players. In practice, this works out much the same, but it's a significant difference during import where it may or may not suffice depending on the courier and the mood of HMRC on the day. We've seen some folk recently having to fill out import declarations rather than just having it come through on a UKARA number, and some even having visits from the police afterwards to ask them what they're doing importing RIFs. The tl;dr version is: you need to be sure that importation is worth the risk, even with a defence. Nope. Purchase or attempt to purchase is fine if you're 18+. The offences are sale, manufacture, modification (of a non-realistic firearm into a realistic firearm) or importation, including causing it to be imported. So, yes, it does apply to this situation, but you're fine to try and persuade someone to sell you a RIF within the UK, without any legal problems - they're the one committing any offence, and some UK retailers sellers (and many private ones) either don't care or will accept other (or spurious) defences. Ownership is fine, no offence is being committed. Public possession needs a reasonable excuse every time - there is no licence or general defence to that, it's case by case. Yup, I'm surprised they're not more up-front about it. You'd have to be very, very lucky to get anything past customs now without it being caught. First I've heard of them. I know it's tempting because of UK stock levels at the moment. But you'll get hit with 20% VAT, plus some duty, plus a courier fee for paying it, and people are seeing lonnnng delays on deliveries from the EU let alone Taiwan. I've given up on importation for the moment (other than low value non-RIF stuff from AliExpress that's coming in with VAT pre-paid), it's just too big a gamble for the meagre cost benefits. It's up to you, and the more that gets imported into the UK the better for all of us, but I wouldn't bet my money on it.

Should be fine from an reputable shop, if it's done by an experienced tech rather than some trainee, and if they've done loads of the same upgrades before, and if the wholesaler hasn't changed the spec on the base toy, and if the OEM hasn't changed their quality control, and if they're able to get the usual parts, and if the spec on those parts hasn't changed, and if those parts don't have defects, and if everything goes together smoothly, and if they actually test if, and if they take it apart to remedy any issues after they test it, and if they have the parts and ability to do so, and if they repeat that process until everything works as intended, I don't see what the problem could be.

Harley were fined bigly for flogging so many not-road-legal tuning kits for their potato bikes that it was clear that they were effectively viewed as necessary equipment by owners. There's a reasonable analogy there to the number of airsoft owners who ask "wut upgrayedds need b4 play?" while their new toy is still in transit to them. I've upgrayedded my toys for the personal pleasure of the process, not because I believe that it substantially increases my winr8. I realise that other opinions are available and that this explains why Tier 3 toys are offered for, and sometimes bought at, a significant premium over the stock examples. It does continue to baffle me though. I suspect this is a big factor. The thrill is more about the buy and unboxing than the ownership or play experience. The bigger the number, the bigger the buzz. #NotAllBigSpenders, obviously.

Oh, to clarify, what I really meant is that we tend to buy a private seller's claim about what they're selling. Even if they provide a real, legitimate receipt for work that was done, and parts that were fitted to something, unless you strip the toy down, how would you be sure that what you've been sent is actually the thing that's described in that receipt? Honesty among BB-bros? Well, the BT33 postcode is a thing. And some sellers might be flogging on a pig in a poke that was mis-sold to them, or genuinely forgotten what's in there, or got one of their dozen or so spare toys mixed up. I mean, we see some sellers list what they think they're probably selling, which I find refreshingly honest. If you're happy with what you receive, great, that's the whole point of airsoft. I just wonder how much stuff gets sold as "Tier 3" when it never was, or isn't still.

The Inquisition would like to know their location. Huh, actually more than I thought still open. Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth up here. Mostly independents though, and I doubt they give so much of a stuff about purging the heretic as long as they're turning a few £££ on the occasional Codex or piece of plastic crack. As I understand it, GW are still hugely profitable, although it'll be interesting to see how long that continues if they don't keep getting Little Johnny hooked with starter packs.

I'd consider myself one, but wouldn't pay extra for it, for the simple reason that with the mileage that I do, it's not worth my money to pay for it on a low value car that's already done enough miles to warrant it. I'd rather just save the money and take the risk. Likewise with airsoft guns. Consider how little use a typical airsoft gun gets, and how much difference expensive work makes, using an honest self audit. You can upgrade it to Tier Eleventy, and that might buy you an an extra few dozen hits out of the thousands of rounds that you'll put through it in a year. Meanwhile Hicap Harry is having just as much fun hosing BBs downrange making very close to the same hits per shot, game or hour. I might pay more for one that shoots empirically better when I try it. Based on a claimed parts list, not so much. This is why we test drive cars, especially used and Barried examples to see if they live up to the claims of Real Ultimate Power. What's amazing to me is that so many airsofters are prepared to pay a premium to be sent a gun shaped shell, that could, de facto, have pretty much anything or nothing inside it.

Good to hear you got it sorted, and M95 sounds about right with o-ringed and lubed airseal. Was the stock spring noticeably short? The one in my CYMA M4 had clearly been cut down, it was only just barely under tension with the piston forward.

If you can find someone who understands that, and they're choosing between two otherwise equivalent cars, and they think that the extra you're asking is worth it. Trying to flog a 10 year old car for essentially the same price as a new one because half the parts on it are under 10 years old and it's got a dustbin exhaust is... optimistic. But you do have to find one. I don't grudge people trying to find their unicorn buyer, but while they wait and wait and wait I'm going to 🍿 it out.