Deek

If anybody is really interested I could knock something together regarding suggested first aid equipment to carry?

Combat tourniquets (as the Combat Application Tourniquet - CAT is one such device) do have relevance in the realm of pre-hospital care for the rapid arrest of catastrophic haemorrhage, and the standard approach to any trauma patient is now <C>ABC where <C> is Catastrophic Haemorrhage. However, this is assuming the responder is trained appropriately and has the right equipment with them and can identify what is a catastrophic haemorrhage. As Mr Monkey Nuts pointed out there are complications, but evidence has suggested they are not as severe as once thought and most evidence regarding tourniquet complications are not from the use of the combat tourniquet but from the use of pressure tourniquets in theatre. In fact, there has been one reported case of a combat tourniquet being in situ for 16 hours with the patient regaining almost full function of their limb. If you are interested in a little bit of light reading regarding tourniquets this is quite good: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660095/ I am always cautious when saying a particular injury won't occur in a particular environment as there will always be that one exception... it is easier to deal with what the most common injuries are rather than complicating it with the "what ifs".

Tourniquets are 'back in' following some quite interesting data and research to come out of Iraq and Afghanistan. That said, you do need to have some training to be able to apply one properly, but this doesn't take much time at all. Defibs are very easy to use these days as well, and you are right in saying that the machine tells you exactly what to do. The recommendation of their use now suggests that if you are competent at CPR then you don't need specific training on their use. Sadly, I doubt any airsoft site will have one as a decent second hand machine will cost in excess of £1000.

The problem with a lot of first aid courses is they don't really cover the injuries you would expect to find whilst airsofting, and the average cost of the 1 day course is about £80 as well... Many years ago I wrote an article for a website on first aid, also had some bits printed in the now defunct Safe Zone magazine about first aid as well, but when it all comes down to it you are better off attending a course than reading about it

The old Mosquito Moulds ones used to have a bad reputation as they have 8 very small bearings in them, which have to be compressed when you put the grenade back together. One of mine stopped working so I stripped it and worked out how to reassemble them. Once you know how it is fairly straight forward (a lot easier then tackling a gearbox!) - not sure if the ones you have are made the same way, but the MM ones have an O ring inside the mechanism which was the one that always went (or got nipped when resetting).

Are you talking about the old-fashioned 168 round moscart shells? If so, I tended to just replace the O seals when they were playing up... found it a lot more reliable than trying to keep them 'hydrated'.

I suspect they were seized under Sec 19 PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/60/section/19 ). There is a tenuous offence under the Firearms Act 1968 regarding possession with intent to cause fear of violence, but that may have been tricky to prove. Most Police forces have a policy to try and reduce the amount of weapons available to criminals, hence why they have amnesties and get people to sign over items they believe could be used for crime. As for the Police needing to establish ownership, not sure how that stands, especially as I have pointed out they were found during a search in relation to the cultivation of cannabis. Talking of ownership, do you still retain proof of ownership? If you were to take civil action against you dad then I am pretty sure one of the first things they will want you to prove is that you are the owner of the items, and the best way is for receipts in you name. It may be worth talking to somebody like Citizens Advice Bureau first to see if you have a claim and if you have a chance of actually getting the cost back.

Not really - some officers do act like they are a god but usually fall foul of internal investigations following complaints. Police officers are not above the law, and if they have acted outside of the law then they face very serious consequences. Whilst there have been many high profile cases of apparent corruption in the Police it is few and far between, and as these high profile cases have proved they generally pay the ultimate price when found out - i.e. loss of job and pension. Some people confuse 'doing what they like' with actual compliance with law and legislation, such as seizure of an uninsured motor vehicle under S165 (a) and ( of the Road Traffic Act 1988. People are never happy when their vehicle is seized (watch any Road Wars episode and you are likely to see this) but it doesn't make it wrong in the eyes of the law.

For CQB, expect to get hit, a lot, at very, very close range - that is what CQB is all about. Make sure you dress appropriately; full facemask is a must at CQB as you will get shot in the face. Wear a jacket with full sleeves to protect your arms. Headwear may be an idea as well, because of the above. As Sitting Duck said, make sure you take food and drink - if you are running around a lot make sure you keep hydrated, even if it doesn't seem that hot outside. Don't stress about what camo to use - you can almost wear what you want at CQB... I have seen players in jeans and leather jackets, suits and even bright yellow hoodies at CQB - they all had a good time (and we even managed to fail to find the guy in the bright yellow hoodie in one game... ) Sensible footwear is a must! No trainers otherwise you are inviting an ankle injury - a reasonable pair of boots won't be too expensive. Have fun. Play to enjoy the game and let the other people play to win... I always say, at the end of the day you get the same prize for coming second as you do for coming first at a skirmish... nothing

I thought you may have been trained Ian, just by the way you worded things

I have used my kit on a couple of occasions at skirmishes - it is handy just to deal with the quick and easy stuff in the field if it means keeping a player 'in play', and then get them sorted out in the safe zone afterwards. Since the deregulation of first aid training there has been an influx of people offering various first aid courses, so it shouldn't be too hard to find one if you need one. Just a quick disclaimer on kit - just remember, you should only be using stuff you have been trained to use (sorry - had to slip that in there... you know, just to make sure )

Of course If you want to see the real benefits of Celox then have a quick look at this video showing how quick this works... it is a promo video for the company, but it is a real-life demonstration of how effective the stuff is. I have used the stuff in anger and it really does work. Video (Warning: Graphic images - you have been warned!) The best place to buy haemostatic agents is one of the big two ambulance suppliers; SPServices and Bound Tree Medical; SPServices: http://www.spservices.co.uk/browse/MilitaryDressings_23_0_0_de_12.html Bound Tree: http://boundtree.co.uk/first-aid/haemorrhage-control/haemostats

Interesting responses, thank you. First Aid is a tricky subject, especially as the HSE have deregulated first aid training so there are less hoops for a training company to jump through before they can offer training, and the content of the courses can vary to cover just the basic recommended syllabus to whatever the course provider wants to throw in. The HSE recommendations for first aid cover actually states that a company is under no legal obligation to provide first aid for non-employees. Not sure if insurance companies stipulate minimum levels of first aid cover either - it would be nice if they did though. Personally, I have three 'kits' with me when I go out skirmishing - I have a small kit with a few wipes, some plasters and a small ambulance dressing and a Celox bandage. A larger first aid bag with lots of dressings, SAM splints, a few airways and some other bits, and then in my car I have my bigger kit with other bits and pieces in that I might need (assessment kit, more dressing, advance airway management, access kit and major haemorrhage control items). Ian - I can understand your concern about life threatening arterial bleeds, but they are very rare these days. That said, if you are really concerned have you considered the new haemostatic dressings such as Celox, Hemcon or QuickClot? They are expensive but a lot safer and easier to use than a cut down and ligature, and you will probably get less skill fade with using something like this

Typically at my site it is generally the older lot that are still running around at the end of the day and the younger 'kids' sitting back because they are tired! (makes them a nice easy target as well ) I'm 41 but not new to airsoft, but nevertheless welcome and enjoy!

OK - a subject close to my heart and just curious to other people's thoughts on this subject when it comes to airsoft. What are people's thoughts when it comes to first aid at airsoft events? Is it something that really bothers you or have you never really paid it any attention? Are you the kind of player who makes sure they have some first aid training and carry your own first aid kit 'just in case' or do you rely on the site proving first aid facilities? Just curious - you don't have to answer any of this if you don't want to, but just wanted to know what people think

I have been known to skirmish is midnight urban camo before... was completely invisible in a bluebell patch, but I digress... I would personally say wear whatever you like the look of

Leaerning point - have a read around the prospective forum before you start to post... will save you a load of aggro in the long run (and avoid unfortunate experiences like ARRSE). Sadly, there will always be people who think they are better than you... Hopefully the reaction received on that forum will allow anybody with a modicum of intelligence to draw their own conclusions regarding the types of people who spend their time on there.

Many years ago there was no real choice in face protection, so nearly everybody had to rely on paintball masks - as Lozard said, they are bulky and make aiming neigh-on impossible, and unless you get some good anti-fog on to the lens you will have trouble seeing after a while, especially on a hot day! If you want full face protection then paintball masks are normally the best way to go, as the power from a paintball is a lot higher than a BB; just make sure the vent holes in the mask won't let a BB through though

From how I read it an air weapon isn't classed as a firearm under the Firearms Act 1968; The CPS have an interesting document regarding definitions: http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/d_to_g/firearms/ - according to the CPS an air weapon is not a firearm. Again, I think it is down to the interpretation of the various parts of the law. For instance, Thames Valley Police have issued a document through the multi-agency group StayWise ( www.staywise.co.uk ) called "Worlds Collide" ( http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/worlds-collide-pack.pdf ) where on the last page they consider anything that falls under the definition of an RIF will be classed as an RIF; [quoteThe Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 introduces the term 'a realistic imitation firearm'. It defines this as 'an imitation firearm whose appearance is so realistic as to make it indistinguishable, for all practical purposes, from a firearm of an existing make or model...’ This means that if you can only tell it is a replica firearm by examining it closely, attempting to load or fire it or asking an expert then it is a realistic imitation firearm. So, anything that looks like a real firearm will no longer be legally sold, imported or manufactured. It does not matter whether the gun fires a pellet, a capsule of paint, a ball bearing or nothing at all. If a court finds that a BB gun or air pistol looks like a realistic firearm then it may not be manufactured, bought or sold. This is the problem airsofters, paintballers, and air weapons shooters face with the law with the items we use for our hobby / sport, and would probably only really be settled by a Judge in a Court of Law, which would be dark day for any hobby / sport.

Ah, I see what you mean... The worry of the complete ban and the loss of airsoft was very real when the VCR Bill was first discussed, especially when airsoft was very fragmented, there were some very dodgy sites and things got very unpleasant between 'airsofters'. Thankfully now sites are better organised and players have a better attitude towards safety and the law

All is explained here: http://www.ukara.org.uk/

My step-son has a RIF (MP5) which I bought and gave it to him for his birthday as a gift. I don't have UKARA currently but my local retailer knows I skirmish and skirmish on a regular basis. Have I satisfied the law? Yes - the retailer has satisfied himself that I am a regular skirmisher and I have given my step-son the RIF as a gift. No sale has taken place and the RIF wasn't manufactured by either of us. It really isn't that complicated if you do things right. As for having a bright coloured gun... some people like bright two-tone weapons as when they get a kill with them it is twice as embarrassing for the person that was hit... psychological you see...

I know, it is really crazy how the British legal system works (or sometimes doesn't!) and how some people interpret the law... and as I have said it relies on the people in authority knowing the law as well...

Not really... If you ban the sale and import of RIFs then people would not legally be able to acquire them. The legislation is already in place regarding having RIFs in a public place, so the only place you would be able to have an RIF is private property where the public have no access. That said if we take collective responsibility for the sport, including safety and following the law, there would be no reason for it to be banned, especially given the Home Office has issued the "The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (Commencement No 3) Order 2007: firearms measures" covering the defence for airsofters

Imagine this... you go to a skirmish and you brag about what you have just done. The guy stood next to you in old-school DPM hears what you have been talking about, takes you to one side and shows you his warrant card because he is a serving Police officer and knows the law. I know at least one Police officer who skirmishes on a regular basis and knows a bit about the VCRA, and he might not take kindly to somebody risking the hobby he enjoys indulging in...