Richie Boyle

i had a scrim when i was in service and that is exactly what i had planned on getting for my neck. thanks for the advice guys. i have started buying now

thanks for the correction and heads up Ian

Thanks for the warm welcome I've been told on another forum, that this idea of raising awareness has been tried many times before, and failed. But trust me, this page is going to be worth it

Yeah, but while we're on the subject of shooting glasses and/or workwear with kite marks coming out of their arses, let's just remember that someone got hit in the eye not long ago wearing this type of eyepro. Fortunately it seems he will be ok: fucking fortunately. It happened because these are not designed for airsoft. If they were there would be no/next to no gap between the frame and the wearer's face no matter from which direction a projectile approaches, because, as happened in this case, a ricochet can come at you from a direction which a direct shot cannot, such as directly below the frame if the BB bounces off a mask or, depending on the shape and angle of your head, off your gun or rig.
 
£900... well, I'm another one who thinks the better part of valour lies in not adding up how much I actually spend on airsoft, since that way I cannot be asked to justify a figure which I do not have by any significant other/s. Although last week or so I attempted to buy a 3" piece of 1.6-ish mm stamped mild steel with literally no other redeeming features than its shape for over £30 posted and was not relieved but gutted when it turned out to be out of stock after all. I did have the good grace to know and fully admit that it was the kind of extravagance at which whatever passes for my snook is habitually cocked however and i'm here to echo other's advice regarding trying the sport before you spank your wallet and to tell you that if you plan to spend that much money in/around the time it takes to get UKARA registered and not long thereafter, you had best budget for a lot more as your annual spend because a good deal of what you get will turn out to have been stuff which is good, but not so much for airsoft, good for airsoft but not good for you, or entirely inappropriate and/or just shit.
 
We've all done it, some more egregiously than others, and no doubt you will too*... thought something looks brilliant and how could it possibly not be good, only to discover that actually what works in films, or on real gunfighters in Afghan or wherever, is either not much use for airsoft or actively a pain in the arse...
 
I'll take gloves as a glaring example. In ordinary airsoft they have 3 functions: keeping your hands warm; protecting your fingers from hits, which sting there a lot more than you'd imagine and girly screams go a long way towards ruining function 3 of looking cool. A lot of us wear hard knuckle gloves, because we want to look like the kind of operator who may decide that, rules of engagement with weapons being what they are, punching someone is on the agenda. I have a pair myself, although mine are clones and, since 1 thumb got shredded by being between me and an exploding BFG which I incautiously leant on, are also heavily modified to cushion my fingers when cocking my spring sniper rifle and take some of the following experience into account:
 
Most of them are made for the kind of places soldiers are currently likely to go - hot and/or dry environments and so breathability is far more important than waterproof... not so on a cold wet Sunday in some muddy hole in Yorkshire.
 
If a soldier gets shot in the hand, a piece of flexible moulded plastic held by its shape a few mm's away from his fingers will not save them, but this design is far and away the most effective protection from BB hits, beating even Pyrohide & Kevlar despite costing only a fiver, however even worse, for most of us, than looking a bit namby pamby, they look a bit paintball-ish!
 
Military kit tends to be made with tough situations in mind, made to be operable just as well when roughly grabbed by desperate hands caked in shite as when being demonstrated calmly on a range, so anything a soldier may need to get hold of in a hurry will not have its operation hampered by the wearing of gloves through which the wearer can feel 3/5ths of fuck all... not so in airsoft: things that spring to mind are the flap/slide which keeps the BB's inside a hicap mag, speedloaders for mid/lo caps, blanks and loading tools for BFG's, the striker tabs/caps of pyros, and everyone who has ever paid £6+P&P to replace a lost one's favourite... AEG body pins of which some designs require the removal in order to change batteries.
 
Now imagine if you had just spanked £65 on a pair of Southcombe Bros'? No matter how unsuitable they turned out to be, how much would your unconscious need to justify the expense to yourself, and others if we know about it, goad you to take issue with what I have just written? Ah but these ones are special... yeah whatever; tell it to yer missus when you next see her eyeing up shoes.
 
I wrote this guide mainly for people who want to get into the sport/hobby but do not have your resources with which to proceed, but I reckon there's a lot to be said for starting out with forum and fleabay fifth hand specials while you rent guns, then buying a wombat machine and doing your best to make them work for you - you will know what features of expensive kit you want most ie the solutions to actual problems that you personally have had, what are not so important, and what don't matter at all, despite hiking the price up. Like many of us who bought cheap but good guns to start off, you will probably find that you will want to keep it even when you have plenty of more expensive options to pull out of your arsenal.
 
 
*However we can but hope that, whatever your particular style of Nobheadery© and/or flavour of Emperor's New Clothes™, it doesn't cost you more than a month's enjoyment of the sport due to lack of funds for something which would have done the trick cheaper/better/with less anxiety over whether you will lose or break some part of it/etc. and in the absence of that, that someone lurking may read this thread and take note.

boogie regulators will steam up the second you stand still, they're not really designed for airsoft, more parachuting, driving offroad, etc etc.
 
£17 for a decent set of specs is a decent price.

i haven't even started on this stuff yet but it sounds like the easy option is to rent a site gun for 3 skirmishes to get the AKURA membership then use any gun you like in any colour. Would that be my best option? This also allows me to see how I get on before putting serious cash into something i may not like after the novelty wears off

These are taken straight from the UKARA website Q&A section/news feed.
 
Use the find function of your browser (CTRL+F) to find what you are looking for if you do not wish to read this in it's entirety, but we would appreciate it if you did. This is to stop repeat questions appearing on the forum
 
This guide has been compiled over a number of months, some of the information may no longer be valid or accurate, though we do try and update regularly. Please read thoroughly.
 
A RIF or in other words a black gun requires you to be 18+ and have a valid defence.
An IF or in other words a two-tone requires you to be 18+ only.
 
I am a member of the Armed Forces can I buy a RiF?
There are no exceptions to the legislation for members of any of the services, the crown servant section refers to purchase for the crown by crown servants not individuals. Service personnel are still required to become a member of an insured Airsoft Site or Club to be eligible to purchase RIF's. The same can be said for shotgun licences etc. they are not a valid defence.
 
Due to service commitments I cannot play enough times when at home on leave to qualify/how quickly must I play the 3 games?
The time period over which you have to play your 3 games is at the discretion of the participating game site providing the 3 games are not played in a time that is less than 2 months, the maximum time period is 12 months.
 
I am under 18, can my parents buy me a RIF?
Not unless they are members of one the approved purchasing groups, it would appear that there is no problem of a gift from an eligible purchaser to a minor.
 
I am under 18 can, I buy an Imitation Firearm or "Two Tone"?
No you cannot, an IF cannot be purchased by a person under 18 years of age.
 
Who are UKARA?
UKARA are a group of Airsoft retailers who have formed an association to protect their businesses and enable the sale of Realistic Imitation Firearms (RIF's), to the newly restricted recognised and approved customers resulting from the Violent Crime Reduction Act (VCRA).
 
Why have they set up the UKARA Scheme?
Under the new act it is the responsibility of the seller to verify that the purchaser is approved, and they may be prosecuted if they fail to do this with due diligence.
 
How will the UKARA scheme do this?
UKARA has set up an Independent Data Base which will be used to list eligible purchasers and allow UKARA retailer members to check sale recipients are bona fidi.
 
Who are the eligible purchasers?
The only groups of persons now allowed to purchase RIF's are Film, TV, Museums, Theatres, Crown Servants, and persons engaged in Re-enactement activities, and airsoft skirmishing. All these purchasers must be over 18 years of age.
 
What must Re-enactment people and Airsoft players do to show the are bona fidi?
Both these groups must show that their activities are covered by third party liability insurance and that they are over 18, in the case of Airsoft Players they must also show that they are regular players at an accredited game site. Which means they must be a member of a game site with the appropriate Airsoft Insurance cover.
 
How do players become members of an approved game site and eligible to buy RIF's?
The games site has to record you as a member and preferably issue you with a membership card.
To qualify as an airsoft skirmisher you must be a regular player at that game site having attended not less than 3 times in not less than 2 months and no more than 12 months.
 
Why the UKARA scheme?
The UKARA scheme allows certified game sites to join a list on the UKARA web site to show they are participating in the UKARA scheme, this then means that they can approve UKARA player application forms, the game site having been registered and issued with a validating stamp and recognised signature.
 
Why is this an advantage?
If the player downloads a Player application form from the UKARA web site he can have this confirmed by his UKARA registered game site and then send it to any UKARA retailer with his first order, who will then enter the players details on the UKARA Data base. This then means that he can then order from any UKARA member retailer and providing he includes his UKARA game site numbers he can be verified and thus sold to.
 
My game site is not on the UKARA game site list, can I still register with UKARA?
No, if your game site is not on the UKARA list then you cannot get your player form validated, you would need to wait till your site joins, or go to a UKARA approved game site.
 
Will UKARA use my personal information for other purposes?
No, your information is protected under the DATA protection Act and may not be divulged to any third party unless authorised by you, if you are at any time unhappy you may have your details expunged from the record. It is only there to allow retailers to confirm you are eligible to purchase.
 
Can I have my RIF sent to a different address?
No, RIF's must be sent to the registered postal address of the player.
 
How do I purchase from a UKARA dealer at their shop premises?
If you take suitable ID such as a drivers license passport etc. along with your UKARA Players number the retailer can check that you are the registered buyer by checking the Data system.
 
What do I do with my players application form?
Once you are a member of a UKARA game site and have been a regular there for more than two months, having played at least 3 times, you can get your form verified and then send it off with your next order to a UKARA retailer.
You will have to do this by post, and if your actual order is via the net or phone make sure you reference the two together, posting a day in advance of your order would probably also help. Your form can also be sent to a Core or Associate retailer as it makes no difference, though please do not post directly to the UKARA Admin.
When they process your order they can add you to the Database, and once this has been done you can order from any UKARA retailer quoting your UKARA site membership number. Please remember RIF's can only be sent to your registered address.
 
Why don't UKARA change the law concerning painting and purchasing of Imitation and Realistic airsoft guns?
UKARA is a retailers association and although we did put forward our views to the Government of the day when the Violent Crime Reduction Bill was being drafted we did not get all our ideas accepted and ultimately we did not draft the bill nor have any ability to change the current Act only Government can make and revise UK law.
 
I am under 18 can I own an Airsoft gun and play airsoft?
There is no legal restriction to the ownership or use of an airsoft gun whether RiF or IF related to age you may not purchase a RiF or an IF if you are under the age of 18.
There is no restriction other than game site own rules and insurance cover as to the age of a player of Airsoft.
 
Can my parent buy me an airsoft gun?
They can buy an IF but not a RiF unless they are a member of an insured game site, although if you are under 18 you can be given or win a RIF or IF.
 
Is a red tipped, or camo painted gun legal to import as an IF?
No to class as an IF a gun must be 51% government approved bright colour or clear see through plastic.
Accepted bright colours are:
- Bright red
- Bright orange
- Bright blue
- Bright yellow
- Bright green
- Bright pink
- Bright purple
 
Could you give me more information on how to obtain a Airsoft licence?
There is no such thing as an Airsoft License (or A "UKARA") you can become a member of an insured game site and if appropriate register through that game site onto the UKARA database.
 
If I/I have/I am going to, import from Hong Kong, USA, etc will Customs impound my gun?
If you cannot prove that you are an eligible importer the Boarder Agency will impound and destroy your import without compensation, if you are an eligible importer e.g. a member of an insured airsoft game site, (and UKARA registration helps a great deal) make sure that you have clear information put on/with your import proving your eligibility.
 
I want to buy RiFs not to play Airsoft but to use in my back garden or hang on the wall?
The VCRA was expressly designed to eliminate RiFs from the UK, Airsoft players only got a "Special Defence" because they proved that they needed them for the realistic element in playing Airsoft.
 
I have changed my registration details e.g. moved or a different email address what should I do?
Your first course of action is to contact the game site that you are registered with as a member, tell them of your change of address or other details and ask them to update you on their own records and on the database, to which they should have access through their own players section.
 
 
Hopefully this answers some of the questions that keep coming up.

Yep. That's the easiest and by far the best way to find out if you enjoy it before sinking a wad of cash!