Rogerborg

This is a forum for airsoft, using 6mm plastic BBs. Nothing else.

I'm very sorry to hear this. We've had a few members who've had Dibble show up to look into their importation of an assault-style-toy. However, nobody's been prosecuted or convicted for it (absent some chancers with CO2 powered 'self defence' .50 cal paintball guns). So, deep breaths. It's a long, lonnnng way from here to any real consequences. What I'd suggest that you do is to contact https://www.ukapu.org.uk/ and ask for advice. Someone there will be able to talk you through the legislation, the airsoft defence that applies, and how you can demonstrate it, should you need to. If it were me, I'd print off several copies of an information pack listing the offence (VCRA 2006, S36 causing a realistic imitation firearm to be imported), the defence (S37 as amended, permitted activity, airsoft use) and your defence (membership of an airsoft skirmish site with 3rd party liability insurance, I hope), plus contact details for anyone who can confirm that. Keep this handy, get in some decent tea and a nice biscuit selection (Garibaldis!), and welcome in any coppers sent out to investigate your criminal empire - they won't have any real clue why they've been sent out. It almost certainly won't come to that, but better to have the information and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

UCP has one acceptable use.

What brand of pies?

Mmm. I do feel compelled to note that if you're airsofting while dressed any differently to how you'd shop in Tesco[*], then you are, by any meaningful definition, cosplaying. [*] Excepting supportive footwear instead of Uggs.

If by that you mean that he sneaks out before game-on and camps 20 yard from spawn points, or out-of-bounds, then adds fake hit makers, sure. As above: do you think he's been banned by most UK sites for excessive awesomeness? Into the what? 😕

I'm confused by what exactly this is meant to achieve. I mean, what is going to happen differently because of it? And how does it apply to anything without a muzzle device? It feels like one of those "Because shut up, that's why" things.

Ahoy and welcome.

Go on, skip to the spam.

It is, I've narced on the advert.

My locals seem to be consistent with: Under 18 = full face covered, which can be separate eye and lower face protection, or a single piece full face mask. Under 16 = single piece full face mask only. It's entirely up to your local site(s) and their insurer(s) though. Something I'd flag up is that Amazon and eBay have a plethora of £20-ish full face masks being sold for airsoft use which then fess up in the details that they are not rated for even ~1.1J impacts. I'd stick to actual paintball brand-names like Dye or Valken when buying a mask.

Well, it's a tech thread. As above, first get a chrono so you know what energy - and variation - you currently have. Otherwise you'll have no idea whether anything you swap in is an upgrade, sidegrade, or downgrade.

Hmm, I seem to recall that nimh AEP batteries aren't an exact fit in some AEP-based SMGs, but I don't recall the details. Reviews say they work in Mac10s and Škorpions so I'd be optimistic. Lipo does transform AEP response and ROF. Glue or tape the end cap on though!

Mmm, the 51X series work OK, but the plastic is made of recycled Battlefield Earth action figures. One to keep in the bottom of the bag as a backup-backup-backup-backup gun.

You don't need to set anything, so I wouldn't sweat it. Burst mode is fun. Active-braking is handy if you experience overspin. Pre-cock gives you a snappier trigger response (but at the cost of keeping the spring partly tensioned, so remember to unset it at the end of the day). You almost certainly won't need rate-of-fire reduction unless you run 11.1V and an upgraded motor. Binary triggers are heretical.

Magnets, magnets, magnets.

Legally, probably not much. The Firearms Act 1968 Section 19 distinguishes between private and public places, but it's not as clear as you might image. A private venue can be a "public place": “public place” includes any [...] any other premises or place to which at the material time the public have or are permitted to have access, whether on payment or otherwise; I'm struggling to think of a clear distinction between a con venue and an airsoft site. Both admit the public on payment, both have exclusions and rules on that admission, both regularly turn a blind(ed) eye to their own rules. Practically, it's likely more of an issue where cosplayers twirl outside of, or to and from the venue, including parading their gats through airports, of all places. But note the lack of real consequences - all you need is a "reasonable excuse", and the bar for that is very low. We've seen a Sheriff opining that "playing cowboys and Indians" would count, and there's case law on selling otherwise prohibited police gear for "fancy dress" purposes. Just don't argue the toss when you hear "Armed police, drop the gun." You'll be calling that hit.

Yes, it's common (although not universal) for sites to require under 16s to wear a paintball style mask - Dye, Valken or similar - whether CQB or woodland. I prefer one for CQB anyway. The risk I flagged above isn't so much you shooting someone in the eye, you seem pretty sensible. It's your mates getting their grubby mitts on your gun(s) and showing less restraint. One incident we know of where a lad did lose an eye was when his friend picked up his gun in a safe zone and shot him in the face with it. The mag was out, but it hadn't been cleared. Even if Stifler's Mom is minded to buy and "gift" you a RIF, I'd check with your own parents how they feel about it. They may quite reasonably point out that if you only need to use it at an airsoft site then it should only be in your possession at the site, and not on your bedroom wall.

Not really. Boneyard guns are one-offs, always a gamble, and retailers tend to over-value them. Asking around at your local sites, or hoping for an honest classifieds listing, is where I'd be looking.

I'd argue that asking if they can is a better sign than not asking at all.

Well, you could have checked his activity and found out that he's 14. Nothing wrong with that, we've all been 14. The trigger doesn't care, and anyone who calls their hits is welcome. Just be circumspect about how the RIF/IF gets to site, and be very aware that having any imitation firearm (realistic or otherwise) in a public place is an offence that needs a reasonable excuse, the proof whereof lies with you. Going to or from an airsoft site is reasonable, showing it off to your mates isn't. It's not so much how you get it as what you do with it that matters.

The legal position: You're 14. It's an offence for you to buy any imitation firearm, realistic or otherwise, or for anyone to sell one to you. The only way you can get one without an offence being committed is to be gifted it. At the point of transfer to you, it doesn't matter if it's realistic or not (because of your age), only that nothing changes hands from you to the person gifting it. The practical position: Once a realistic imitation firearm has been sold by a retailer, the State won't take any interest in where it's transferred later, as long as it's used sensibly. If it never gets taken outside to show off to your mates, no problem. If it's taken in a bag, in a private vehicle, to and from an airsoft site, nobody will ever care, and nobody at the site will ask how you got it. The dad position: Talk to your parents about owning and using an airsoft gun, and getting to and from sites. Whether you can get a gun, and whether you should get one, is really down to them. I'd repeat the advice to go and play airsoft as a rental at least once before thinking about buying anything. It's a great hobby, but it's not cheap, and YouTube videos can give a false impression of the reality. The classifieds are full of guns that were bought on a whim and then never actually used to play. Don't be that person.

Ah, have you played at all? We'd always recommend playing at least once and renting to find out if it's for you. And ideally, get site membership / a UKARA number before committing, so that you can buy a RIF rather than a two-tone. That said, I played once, loved it, and bought a cheap M4 and never regretted it. It's now a cut-down backup-backup-backup-backup gun. If you are intending to purchase now (despite any advice to the contrary) I'd snap that up. It's a genuine bargain. Any differences in construction and performance between the FLEX and CORE will be minimal, and down to the QC on the actual example that you buy. If you don't stick with airsoft, they won't matter. If you do stick with airsoft... they won't matter.

Vorsk seem to be trying to go upmarket with this "race gun". £146 + postage new, or thereabouts. Of course, there's a reason it's being sold.

I would definitely prefer to buy the one that I could buy. The FLEX will be fine, it's got a rotary hop and quick change spring, the two features that I'd look for in a basic M4. Specna change their branding so often that it's hard to keep up. The CORE used to have an X-ASR mosfet that was pretty much a gimmick rather than a feature. It also had bearings rather than bushings, now the FLEX has those (personally I'd prefer bushings, but the bearings in my CORE haven't given up even though I'm running it at 1.8J as a DMR). At that price point it's really not worth worrying too much about it, just bag whatever's in stock and deal with the reality of what you actually receive.