boskee

For a short time I worked on the Kent Police instance of the national firearms management system, nothing in there about Air-gun ownership.  Certainly nothing at county level.

I know retailers have to record sales, but are they habitually collated by Central Services?
 
Genuine question, I have no idea how it works.

Yes. Also you have to be 18+ to be able to buy pellets. There are other laws regarding the sale and use of airguns which aren't relevant to this discussion so I won't go into them. 

There are post-conviction laws regarding airguns too.   If you've a criminal record, possession can be a serious offence.   

I don't think legal questions are dumb, especially given potential consequences if you get it wrong. It's worth getting second opinion from more experienced people. I'm not a lawyer.
 
Ah, so unlike with airsoft there is a central (government-run) database of air rifle owners? 

There are other laws regarding the sale of airguns. IIRC all sales must be face to face at a registered firearms dealer (you can still buy via mail order but the gun must be sent to a RFD for you to collect). Also you need to provide your name and address to be recorded as the buyer

Erm, yes? I never claimed you can "run around in the street shooting shit without the same outcome as the rif scenario"
 
  
Again, I never claimed otherwise, but thanks for your input. 

Oh, we've had some great rants and handbag spats about that, and particularly whether something can be both a Firearms Act 1968 firearm (airgun are a sub-category of firearm) and an imitation firearm (FA 1968 definition) or realistic imitation firearm (VCRA 2006 definition) at the same time.  It's all as clear as mud, but essentially you're correct: it's easier to walk out of a shop with something shooting metal at multiple Joules than plastic at 1.1J, despite them looking identical to anyone but a hands-on observer.
 
Airgun, airsoft, and bang-gun.
 

 
 
 
Aaaand welcome to the handbagging.

Erm, yes? I never claimed you can "run around in the street shooting shit without the same outcome as the rif scenario"
 
  
Again, I never claimed otherwise, but thanks for your input. 

Yup 🤪
 
The law really stupid in relation to air-rifles (and pistols) vs airsoft

Eh, he's a good friend, but he's stubborn, especially whenever someone questions his knowledge of the things he's been interested in for years. I know next to nothing about technical parameters of RIFs etc, while he seems to have a good grasp on all that. I'm not going to ditch a mate over his poor understanding of the British laws. It's not like he slept with my wife  
 
That doesn't sound right, especially given GDPR and what's posted on UKARA's website. Surely you need a valid reason to access their database.

Those guns are some sort of M4 , M4 mags should fit. Whilst most are not model specific there are some that are , but you should be ok with any generic M4 mag.
 
Can you not take a bottle or bag os BB's out with you during the game and then just refill the mag that comes with the rental ?

I'd do that , save buying mags untill you get your UKARA and order your first RIF, then get mags to match,

Those are Dboys M4s (also known as Specna Arms, Lancer Tactical, Saigo Defense, Evolution Airsoft), solid starter guns.
 
I would advise against buying mags before you get a replica, while it's true that in theory A brand mag will fit B brand gun, it's Airsoft we're talking about and most "guns" want certain brand magazines.
 
I'll tell you this, if you don't mind high caps, Lonex Flash Mags are essentially the best and the ones that, in my experience, feed in most guns.
 
Midcaps are cooler but they're a lot more fussy.

I'm very happy with my Lonex mags, but even they sometimes partly unwind when I slide 'em in to my DE and the Tippmann.  Any idea if there's something I can tweak to prevent that?


With regard to mags / ammo carrying ... you could buy one of these:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132131973156
 
Stick it in a pocket, it doesn't rattle, and it pours into a high-cap reasonably well if you're careful.  I've got enough mags that mine is relegated to 'emergencies only' in a pouch on the back of my belt, it's good to know it's there, so not a wasted investment.
(If you do buy one, and it's going in a pocket or somewhere hidden from view, don't necessarily buy the camo that matches the ground you're on - you'll never find it if you drop it :D) 

He used invisible ink. Hold it up to a flame.😂😉

I did in a way. I asked him "What if an UKARA member had a real firearm. According to your logic they wouldn't bother responding because he was UKARA registered". He ignored my question. 

Yup. Unfortunately he's a "know it all" type, telling me he's learned about airsoft "for years". He thinks UKARA is a magic ticket that allows you to own RIFs. His idiotic take about the Armed Police and their access to the UKARA database was too much for me. 

I guess I could. I didn't need additional mags for most of the games except the D-Day scenario where I emptied my magazine fairly quickly. 

I did in a way. I asked him "What if an UKARA member had a real firearm. According to your logic they wouldn't bother responding because he was UKARA registered". He ignored my question. 

Yup. Unfortunately he's a "know it all" type, telling me he's learned about airsoft "for years". He thinks UKARA is a magic ticket that allows you to own RIFs. His idiotic take about the Armed Police and their access to the UKARA database was too much for me. 

Hi guys,
 
My mate seems to think police across the UK have an access to the UKARA database, which they check before sending Armed Police to an address at which someone saw you "through a window" (his words) holding an RIF.
 
My understanding of the law is as follows:
 
UKARA is a non-governmental database It is only accessible by retailers, UK Border Agency (when checking imports) and Hampshire Police (also when it concerns imports), as per UKARA website Its purpose is to protect Airsoft sellers from prosecution in case they sell a gun to an idiot who's going to use it outside of the Airsoft game Armed Police doesn't have access to UKARA, and waving your RIF anywhere is a bad idea. He seems to think "Armed Police will check UKARA database first, because it's cheaper and logical". Well, it doesn't sound very logical to me, since UKARA holder can also have an actual, illegal firearm they're waving, and not a replica.  You can purchase RIF without UKARA number (eg. from a private seller, as online retailers seem to require UKARA number), as long as you're 18+ and you have a valid defence. You can also legally obtain RIF as a gift.   
Am I correct here? 
 

I did in a way. I asked him "What if an UKARA member had a real firearm. According to your logic they wouldn't bother responding because he was UKARA registered". He ignored my question. 

Yup. Unfortunately he's a "know it all" type, telling me he's learned about airsoft "for years". He thinks UKARA is a magic ticket that allows you to own RIFs. His idiotic take about the Armed Police and their access to the UKARA database was too much for me. 

Yup. Unfortunately he's a "know it all" type, telling me he's learned about airsoft "for years". He thinks UKARA is a magic ticket that allows you to own RIFs. His idiotic take about the Armed Police and their access to the UKARA database was too much for me.