Longshot

It's airsoft. Don't use sights.

Waaaaaaaaaaaay more than I should.

I'm enjoying this thread waaaay more than I should. Just to keep it going, I don't actually have a Smith and Wesson 4500 series (which I assume the semi-auto was based on) but here is a picture of my 6" Tanaka Colt Python and the 4" Colt Python water pistol/acid spraying death machine. I've also added a piece of 'wild fruit.'

Right, I just got an email back from Rebekah Brooks. She said: "we need more to go on if we're finally going to shut airsoft down." I prepared this for her: Airsofters Try to 'Snuff' Out 'Risk to Children' - by Constance Curtaintwitcher Following on from our damning story about the supermarket that sold firearms to schoolchildren for pocket money, we approached the 'airsoft' community, who approve of such activities, to gauge their opinion. Airsoft is a form of paintball, but unlike paintball it's not 'just a laugh.' In this dark world of make-believe grown men lure younger players to hidden 'sites' across the country where they're told to act out various fantasy 'scenarios' in the hope of one day earning the right to buy ever more deadly and realistic looking guns. One lead spokesman for this shockingly large and growing trade spoke to us, but would only be identified by his evil sounding moniker 'Snuff.' We told him about how the industry had been exposed by a concerned insider with a message of hope for change and better regulation and he nonchalantly replied that the message should be "ignored." During a frankly shocking confessional interview he went on to discuss "buggering" and how he had personally been involved with "tennis ball hand grenades." Will these be the latest tools to drag our innocent children from their safe and snug beds and into a world of terrorist training? (See our editorial. The answer is; yes, yes they will. That and immigrants.)

Balls. I emailed it literally a minute before your post.

Some of you know how passionate I am about the VCRA, so I was shocked to find these in one of their stores today: I've already prepared this news story for publication in the Daily Mail: Morrisons Super Black Market - by Victorya Ukipy The well known UK supermarket 'Morrisons' has introduced a new line: deadly firearms for children. For just £3 our reporter was able to purchase these two replica firearms. The guns are exact models of the powerful Glock 19mm that is used by police armed response teams and the MP5 assault rifle machine gun that was famously used by Osama bin Laden. Most shockingly of all our reporter was not even asked for a UKARA license to purchase these guns, which is a legal requirement in the UK. Outside he asked one of the Morrisons employees to explain how this was the case, however the employee failed to answer questions such as: 'don't you think there's a risk that kids might fill these with acid and shoot each other? Or that they might fill them with petrol and then fire them into the engines of cars that are only supposed to be filled with diesel?' The employee's comment was simply: "I don't know mate, I just get paid to push the trolleys." Well, as our investigation has shown, that's not all they're pushing. They're also pushing death on our kids. They may also have something to do with the rise in illegal immigration. Our investigation continues.

I'd say that from that list the mag pouches and a dump pouch (where empty mags go) are a good idea. I'm a fan of quite lights rigs, like an RRV, but if you want to go really light you could try something like a molle 'battle belt.' A holster for a pistol is a good idea if you get one, but consider a belt or chest mounted holster if you're planning on running anywhere - you'd be surprised how much a gun jumps around in a leg holster, especially if it's a metal one! Holding water somewhere is a good idea, personally I have a small bottle that fits in one of my mag pouches. Some people might recommend a big hydration pouch, but it might depend on where you play. Where I usually play you're never out for more than about an hour in a game, so I just drink when I come back in. I wouldn't worry about a back pack; what would you need it for? Knee pads and elbow pads aren't really necessary either, elbow pads in particular. If you do go with knee pads you'll find most tend to fall down a lot and just get annoying. Especially, again, if you're running a lot. You could try finding the trousers that you stick knee pad inserts into. As to what clothing to wear, just wear whatever you want; screw anyone who tells you you're 'not doing it right.' Finally to the Glock. I just can't get on with Glocks! They're too small for my hands (and I don't have massive hands!) and they just feel too light. ThIs might be why I own five 1911s. As I've said before, best thing is to try a few things in your hands and see what suits you personally. Also as I've said before, if you're looking at pistols everyone will tell you to buy TM.

No worries. It's also good to see a new guy (especially an under 18) doing some research. As I say though, best thing to do is establish what model of gun you like first, then go from there. Good luck!

Zeroone Fire Support Landwarrior Wolf Armouries Those are probably the biggest retailers, but are also the most expensive. Still perhaps worth looking there first. Best thing to do is establish what sort of gun you'd like first (M4, AK, G36, etc.) then find out what brand in best (you'll usually get told TM - Tokyo Marui). Once you know what you want ask for advice of the different brands that make that gun on the forums (and wait for 10 people to give you 11 different answers!). As Monty has said though, it's worth saving up to get a good one.

Long story short, you CAN sell it, the easiest way would be on a sales forum like on this fine site! If you leave it as a RIF (in other words it's in realistic colours) legally you need to feel sure that the person you are selling it to is going to be using it for airsoft at a proper airsoft site so that you have a defence against prosecution. How you establish this is up to you; you could get someone's name and details and call the site they play at to check on them, if you think that's good enough, or you could ask them for a UKARA number (the UKARA database holds details of people who have proven to be regular airsoft players at proper sites) and then call an airsoft retailer and ask them to check if the UKARA number matches the person's details and is still in date. However you do it, just make sure that you can show you checked and established that the person is an up to date legitimate airsofter (or reenactor or in the film/TV/theatre business for that matter). If, on the other hand, you want to avoid this hassle, you could paint over 50% of the gun in a bright shade of red, orange, yellow, green, purple or blue. At that point it becomes an IF (or 'two tone') and you can legally sell it to anyone who is over 18. Again, on you to establish that this is the case. Hope this essay helps!

I'll give you the same advice that I think most people here will. Best bet is to play a few games while renting (and in your case when your dad is with you too!) so that you get a feel for what sort of gun you want (ask people nicely if they don't mind you having a look/hold/shoot of their guns between games too). That way you don't just buy a two tone that ends up looking and performing crap just so you can say "I has my own gunz!" Once your dad has played three games in over two months he's eligible to get on the UKARA database (your site should be able to help you with this). He doesn't NEED to be on there, but it's by far the easiest way if providing a defence for sellers (and some online companies basically insist on it). Once your dad is registered with UKARA (or has another way to provide a defence) then you can point at any gun you like, IF or RIF, and he can buy it and give it to you there and then as a gift (but legally you can't give him any money, or other goods and services) in exchange for it. If your dad doesn't end up playing any airsoft he can still buy any IF ('two tone') legally and hand it over to you as a gift just as legally. As long as you're not a dick with it nobody should ever feel the need to ask you how or where you got your IF or RIF. There is nothing illegal about you owning either. If someone like the police demands to know just ensure that you have acquired it or modified it in a legal way and explain how. Hope this essay helps!

Hi Reece, well done for putting in the work and doing some research. Any time you look into the VCRA you'll find how messed up and confusing it is! Long story short, as you're under 18 you can't legally buy any sort of airsoft weapon, so you'll be relying on an over 18 to get you one, and unless they can provide a legal defence for the seller (e.g. they're on the UKARA database) then it will have to be a two tone for now. They also can't legally sell it to you, so would have to buy it for you and give you it as a present. If, however, you then start playing airsoft at a proper site you can legally paint over the two tone bits. That was the short story, and here's the long; all the VCRA stuff you might want to know in one handy package to save you some research time!: Laws Regarding Buying and Selling Imitation Firearms Relevant to Airsoft As the law currently stands (and it stands on the whim of the Home Secretary): In relation to UNDER 18s: - it is legal to own an IF or a RIF - it is illegal to buy an IF or a RIF if you are under 18 - it is illegal to sell an IF or a RIF to an under 18 From VCRA 2006 Section 40 - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/section/40 In relation to OVER 18s: - it is legal to own an IF or a RIF - it is legal to buy an IF or a RIF if you are over 18 - it is legal to sell an IF to an over 18 - it is illegal to sell a RIF to an over 18 - it is illegal to manufacture a RIF - it is illegal to import a RIF From 'VCRA 2006' Section 36 - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/section/36 NOTE 1: if you wish to import a RIF, manufacture a RIF or sell a RIF to an over 18 you can avail yourself of a 'defence against prosecution' if you can show that you believed that you were intending to provide the RIF for "the acting out of military or law enforcement scenarios for the purposes of recreation" (an example of which is 'airsoft skirmishing') at a site with third party liability insurance. One way for a seller to do this is to establish that the buyer is registered with the UKARA database, though this is by no means a legal requirement or the only way for the seller to establish a defence for themselves. From 'VCRA 2006 (Realistic Imitation Firearms) Regulations 2007' - http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20072606.htm With further notes specific to airsoft in 'VCRA 2006 (Commencement No 3) Order 2007' - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-violent-crime-reduction-act-2006-commencement-no-3-order-2007-firearms-measures NOTE 2: any attempt to commit one of the offences listed as illegal above is also illegal in itself. From 'Criminal Attempts Act 1981' Section 1 - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/47/section/1 NOTE 3: the defence required to manufacture a RIF is not age specific, so an under 18 should be able to do so legally as long as they can prove their defence. Acronym Glossary: IF: Imitation Firearm (in relation to airsoft this is generally recognised as an airsoft gun which is painted over 50% in an 'unrealistic' colour - this is generally referred to as 'two tone') RIF: Realistic Imitation Firearm (in relation to airsoft this is generally recognised as an airsoft gun which is 'realistically' coloured so as not be easily distinguishable from a real firearm) VCRA: Violent Crime Reduction Act (the most recent law which directly affects the buying and selling of imitation firearms) UKARA: United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association (a group created by leading UK airsoft retailers to easily establish a defence against prosecution for themselves when selling imitation firearms - they maintain a database of airsoft players for this purpose; to be entered on the database a player must play three games in over a two month period at a registered airsoft site)

To be fair to them, most people were giving their advice in good faith and it took a while for the OP to mention that this 14 year old actually plays.

I don't think it 'needs' to be made, but after watching some of '24: Live Another Day' I'm really like the HK P30: I know it's fairly similar to the HK45, but something about it is just nicer.

No, it's another one of those weird anomalies. You can't buy a RIF if you're under 18, and it's illegal to sell to someone who is under 18, but the law against importing and manufacturing is non age specific; it only explains what will count as a defence against prosecution for the crime (section 37 and commencement No 3).

Well wait, I take back what has been said; no crime has been committed. If he has "played there some weekends" as you've said, and it is a legitimate airsoft site, then he is entitled to spray his two tone black and manufacture a RIF. He has a legal defence for doing so.

Again, I see your point, but if he resprays the thing into two tone that doesn't change the fact that he has already broken the law. The crime has been committed. Also, the law is so vague that even if he did return it to two tone all he'd have to do to legitimately be able to legally spray it back into a RIF is to book an airsoft game, since it is a legal defence against prosecution for the manufacture of a RIF if you manufactured it for the purpose of playing airsoft at a site. This is just another reason why a site questioning someone over how they have a recently painted RIF makes no sense. Gotta love the VCRA.

^ I see your thinking Bright, and it's certainly sensible advice, but surely if a kid went to your local site with a RIF and someone said "where did you get that RIF?" They could just say "my dad's mate who used to airsoft gave it to me."

To be fair I imagine nothing will happen unless he takes it out and waves it around in public, thus proving the aforementioned dickness. It's illegal to sell, import or manufacture a RIF. It's the latter that he's done, and it doesn't sound like he has any defence should the police wish to prosecute him for doing so. Again though, will they ever know or care?

No such thing as a "UKARA license." Painting a two tone and turning it into a RIF is not illegal for a 14 year old per se, but if he has done so without being someone who plays at a proper airsoft site then he has broken the law and has no defence against prosecution. More to the point: who's going to know? In relation to him taking it to sites, theoretically nobody should even ask him why he has a RIF; it's not illegal for him to own it after all. But if someone does happen to ask and he tells them what he has done they might decide he is a dick. If it's someone who runs the site they might think that he's not only a dick but a liability, and then they may choose to not let him play, as is their right.

I think what he means is that in real steel the performance of a gun can we judged on its looks; a longer barrelled specialised gun like an SR25 will outrange an M4. But in airsoft terms that length and 'looking like a DMR' does not mean it will be any better than a shorter rifle at all. People who have 'true' airsoft DMRs have put a lot of work into the internals to get that effect, and frankly they could just drop the same internal set-up into a much shorter gun and get roughly the same result.

As in you Dremelled the glass itself?

I think what you're discovering Forest is just how confusing and confused the VCRA is! I'd suggest that the implication is that the 51% or more of the 'visible gun' must be one of the approved bright colours; after all if we start considering it as meaning that 51% of the gun should "be" the bright colour then no two tone out there is an IF unless the internal parts of the gun are also painted a bright colour. It's like people saying that 66% of the world is water when it's actually much less than 1%, it's just the surface that is covered in water. If that makes sense! Either way, you're wise enough to play it safe if you really don't want any possible problems.

^ I've totally missed that story Bright. Have you got a link?

This is one of those situations where there's the law and then there's what is realistically going to happen. Firstly if you only play at home and have not attended an airsoft game (or could show that you are going to some time soon) then you are technically breaking the law by taping an IF in such a way that it becomes a RIF. The concept of it being 'temporary' is about as legit as saying you painted it temporarily since paint is also relatively easy to remove. Temporarily breaking a law is still breaking a law! That said, as others have pointed out, if you did commit this crime in your house and then don't act a dick with your newly manufactured RIF nobody is going to know. Even so, if you do act dickish (that's a totes legit word by the way) it will be for that the police are talking to you or arresting you; the issue of it being an IF or a RIF probably won't come up as most police have no idea that there is a difference. So long story short: would you be breaking the law? Yes. Are you likely to get in trouble for the 'manufacturing of a RIF' specifically? No (though obviously I'm not endorsing breaking the law!).