Rogerborg

Sadly, it appears that we'd have to be Responsible Persons.

I'd be (randomly) fascinated to know what it is, given the name, the type of business, and the debts its run up. [Concern intensifies]

Scam as in "seller doesn't really have it", or scam as in "I wouldn't pay that much for it" ?

Curious, since used sales are in direct competition with new sales, and retailers pay for the UKARA scheme. I don't think there's much of a GDPR (as was) compliance issue with a yes/no confirmation of details provided. That's the very purpose that the person who provided them wanted them used for. Notionally, you could use this to confirm that Joe Bloggs lives at 62 West Wallaby Street for purposes other than flogging them a RIF, but since you also need the UKARA number then it's almost certain that Joe has given it to you specifically to allow you to do this. One thing: if UKARA did leak your data, who would you go after? The site provides no contact details for whoever is running it, no address, no company number, only the ICO number of ZA031959. https://ico.org.uk/ESDWebPages/Entry/ZA031959 This (as a matter of public record) give the address of a farmhouse in Cornwall nowhere near any airsoft site or retailer, but not the name of an individual or business. Data controller: UNITED KINGDOM AIRSOFT RETAILERS ASSOCIATION Address: Hollygrove Woodford BUDE CORNWALL EX23 9JL Companies House has an entry for a "UKARA LIMITED", involved in "94120 - Activities of professional membership organisations" https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12865652 This was incorporated on 8 September 2020 by one Mr Haroon Al-Rashid Dawood Atchia of 20 Eversley Road, Bexhill-On-Sea, East Sussex, England, TN40 1HE, but it claimed to have gone dormant in 2021, then filed accounts for FY 2022 showing £15,000+ of debt. All somewhat opaque. I mean, how can you trust someone with your details if you don't know theirs?

Isn't airsoft predicated on honouring both the letter and spirit of the rules, even if that results in personal disadvantage? 🤔

Birmingham does seem to attract them.

If we're being technically correct - the best kind of correct - then simple public possession is "illegal in and of itself". I'd like us to be very clear on that. It's not for the State to prove (or even suspect) that we're "doing something stupid with it." It's up to us to show that we're not. As you say, this isn't generally going to be a problem for actual airsofters. However, in the context of a thread asking "How 2 get RIF without play airsoft tho?" I feel it's worth mentioning.

Border Farce have been getting very touchy about anything remotely assault-toy related, even parts, so it's likely that you'll be required to complete an import declaration for it.

I'd say masking tape, plus Greggs sausage-roll grease. Either way, a very optimistic ask for an obviously well used pistol with zero working mags.

In public? It is. Sorry to bang on about it, but this is a far bigger concern for us than obtaining a RIF. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/27/section/19 19 Carrying firearm in a public place. A person commits an offence if, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse (the proof whereof lies on him) he has with him in a public place [...] an imitation firearm. Realistic or otherwise. See this conviction for possession of a £4 bright orange springer pistol which even the prosecution described as a toy. The Sheriff set the bar for "reasonable excuse" very low, for example "children playing cowboys and Indians", which would presumably cover our infantile antics, but the proof whereof lies with us. Whether having a RIF/IF inside your car counts as having it in a public place is less obviously clear, but coppers think that it is. PACE 1984 Section 1 makes a distinction between a vehicle that's in a public place versus the grounds of a dwelling, which implies that the vehicle itself does not create a private place in public. In this case, for example, a chap (who comes across as a prize wanker) was arrested and charged for having a baton in his car. I can't find details of how the case went - some commenters suggest that he was acquitted - but the process is enough of a punishment. tl;dr version - yes, it's illegal, and we have to prove otherwise. I keep details of the site to hand, and ideally booking emails, when travelling to or from it.

Yarp. We (if 18+) don't need a defence to purchase a RIF. The seller needs one to flog it to us. Amusingly, the same retailer that's pretending that this is a defence for them (it's not) used to have a stern warning about snitching on buyers for attempting to purchase without a defence. They appear to have knocked that silliness off, at least. Where it might conceivably help is if you're tugged by the fuzz for Firearms Act 1968 S19, public possession of a shooty-shaped-object. While the "reasonable excuse" would still have to be based on the instant conduct, it probably couldn't hurt to be able to flash a policy and say "liability insurance" as a way to bamboozle a copper or CPS apparatchik who thinks that might matter. By the way, I do accept that JustCos was set up with the sincere intention to create a cosplayer advocacy group, but that's clearly long since been abandoned.

Ruffians and rapscallions, the lot of you. Be more dapper.

Let's be serious. Just Cos is a side gig of one Scotch airsoft retailer that's now nothing more than a fraudulent way for them to (not) claim a defence for selling RIFs to anyone who wants one for any reason. While it may have been set up in good faith in 2017 or so, it's a pointless service for cosplayers as there are no realistic 3rd party risks that it could indemnify. Its only purpose now is to add £20 to the cost of buying a RIF. I'd prefer that retailer didn't do this, but the risk is on them, and it's as close to zero as makes no difference.

"What Parliament meant to legislate was..."

Which actual make and model of pistol? Replies needs to be read in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/section/38 “real firearm” [in the context of a realistic imitation firearm] means — (a) a firearm of an actual make or model of modern firearm (whether existing or discontinued); or (b) something falling within a description which could be used for identifying, by reference to their appearance, the firearms falling within a category of actual modern firearms which, even though they include firearms of different makes or models (whether existing or discontinued) or both, all have the same or a similar appearance. So I'd argue that (e.g.) a Pulse Rifle or an XR-5 is not strictly speaking a RIF, although all retailers treat them as such, even the BBgnuz4u ones. The APS UAR is an interesting case, as it's not a replica of a specific bullpup, but it's got so many features from the L85, AUG and Tavor that I think it would fall into (b). Contrast with the much broader Firearms Act 1968 definition: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/27/section/57 “imitation firearm” means any thing which has the appearance of being a firearm (other than such a weapon as is mentioned in section 5(1)(b) of this Act) whether or not it is capable of discharging any shot, bullet or other missile; Which is why how we get our toys should be far less of a concern than what we actually do with them. For example, that chap here who was determined to open-carry a Pulse Rifle on a bus because it wasn't technically a RIF... but would very much be an IF for FA purposes.

Or: it probably wouldn't, should it ever actually come to court, but: 1) It won't 2) It's the retailer's problem if it did. 2.1) Which it won't.

UKARA records site membership, there's no reason to just have a single one. I've had three on the go at once.

Cool story, but I don't see an offence there. It's a long stretch to show intent beyond a reasonable doubt, and it's not like rapscallions can't figure out that they can apply some best Poundland spray paint to their day-glos, for fair purposes or foul. I very much doubt there's any policing of RIFs now, at least within the UK's borders. There are retailers openly flaunting the VCRA with joke non-defences like JustCos, or techs posting videos documenting that they're building Section 5 firearms. Nobody is bothered... until some cause célèbre will inevitably result in the State getting very bothered.

... acorns...

The fifth time you desperately try to persuade us how much you don't care is when we'll believe you.

Good for them for actually delivering, I hope they turn turn it into a successful product like ExFog.

Surely all these problems can be avoided by employing a trusty bearer/loader to handle such mundane duties, while you focus on the important business of engaging with a typical airsoft opponent?

I figured it was hand forged by blind Tibetan monks.