Buying in the UK

[Guest]

I import a lot of accessories but not many RIF’s, solely due to a lot of the parts I want just aren’t available in the UK. When I occasionallly buy gear “cheaper” and import it, it never is.

As has been universally acknowledged above, you buy private from outside the EU, 50% of the time you get hit for import, apart from DHgate & Aliexpress, who seem to get get around it somehow.

Then, on top of import and/or VAT, you will get a similar amount in handling charges.

A quick example, I’ve recently bought ten Vector mags in two batches from Rainbow8. Basic cost about £33 each, by the time shipping, VAT, import and handling costs have been added, they each stand me at £49 lol

 

[CES_williamson]

Its partly due to importing and VAT really, if you import RIF's you can get them cheaper but you have to pay import duty, so then you go to a UK wholesaler, oh and they simply add the import duty to the price. But even if you exclude the taxes, manufacturers will still give different companies different prices and exchange rates will also affect this.

But to really answer your question, a lot of UK retailers are quite greedy (or have massive overheads) why do you think most combat machines out there are like £130+ and ours are below £120 ? 

 

[emilianoksa]

Just normal rip off Britain.

Look at how much more we pay for cars.

We are supposed to be in common market and yet a German made HW77 air rifle costs slmost a hundred quid more in the UK than on the Continent.

I have often tried to find out whether the money is going to the government or to greedy importers or retailers.

Nobody has been prepared to tell me.

I do know that with anything made in America, they simply change the dollar symbol to a pound symbol.

 

[Asomodai]

I have not deleted any comment. 

An email from the staff told me that £9.00 was the cheapest option. So that is the basis of my rant tbh. 

I'd be happy to pay the 4-5 pounds it would cost me to post similar. Charging double is just putting off casual buyers like myself. 

I don't need to lend out eye pro, but would have been happy to lend out a pair of Bolle glasses if I had a pair in my kit bag. User's decision then. 

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Interesting. I can't seem to find it anymore. I think its to do with the recent forum shenanigans. I remember providing a detailed response which I can't find either. 

 

[Rogerborg]

I honestly fear for UK airsoft retailers obtaining their stock.

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It all comes from China-China-China or surrounds anyway.

Do you know how much duty the EU charges on airsoft gear imported from there?

Do you know how much duty WTO rules say should be charged on airsoft gear imported from there?

If no to either of the above, what's the rational basis to be so a-feared?

They want to sell, we want to buy. Trade happens despite governments, politicians, and treaties, not because of them.

 

[Sitting Duck]

If you buy from GF or other EU places on WTO they they have sell it zero VAT to a "third country"

Gunfire charges aprox 23% VAT, UK is 20%, so the EU/Polish purse suffers getting zilch

(and UK purse swells in private purchases from EU)

yes there is a POSSIBLE tariff that COULD be implemented

but UK does NOT have to apply tariffs even if EU does

It is not doom & gloom like many would have us believe

and businesses will find a way - they will

EG: Tata steel merger with German steel company Thyssenkrupp.

4,000 jobs may need to go though they are playing this down a bit

odd that is the exact number at Port Talbot, so guess most of the 4k redundancies will disappear in UK I guess.

Now UK leaves the EU, so won't be subject to 25% US tariffs and the German Thyssenkrupp will be over the moon

to shift their stuff into USA without being hit by Trump's tariffs. Absolute BS, them Germans ain't stupid, and bet our

own jobs will go before Germany whilst they are able to make a nice little deal to avoid being stung by Trump.

is the news, unions, politicians, public - anybody not able to join up the dots and see just wtf is going on....

(as said business will always find a way)

We have a £28 or £30 gift allowance which has never really increased

I fully expect this donkeys year old limit to be reviewed if we end up going to WTO

It is a more complex matter as businesses reclaim some/most of VAT from other states

plus service sector are automatically charged back the VAT

but personal purchases like what many of us buy the VAT is paid & stays in Poland's purse

Not going to get into politics too much or world trade but don't believe all the doom gloom being pushed

I only really joined this thread to point out we DO PAY POLISH VAT on our peew peew from GunFire etc...

 

[MisterG]

I only really joined this thread to point out we DO PAY POLISH VAT on our peew peew from GunFire etc...

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Hopefully they will sell to the UK ex-Vat, rather than some complicated scenario where we pay the price inc VAT and then have to claim it back, while still being stung with UK VAT and RMT (Royal Mail Tax, not the trains union ?)

 

[Sitting Duck]

Hopefully they will sell to the UK ex-Vat, rather than some complicated scenario where we pay the price inc VAT and then have to claim it back, while still being stung with UK VAT and RMT (Royal Mail Tax, not the trains union ?)

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EU exports VAT free or zero rated to a third country  - which is what UK will be if it leaves on WTO

as long as records and procedures are followed....

VAT on exports to non-EU countries


VAT is a tax on goods used in the EU, so if goods are exported outside the EU, you do not charge VAT. You can zero rate the sale, as long as you get and keep evidence of the export, and comply with all other laws. You must also make sure the goods are exported, and you must get the evidence within 3 months from the time of sale.

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As said not getting into this WTO thingy tbh, just saying you will have paid 23% VAT to Poland/Gunfire

if you check your invoice carefully, log in, check orders, view the pdf invoice and you will see the VAT

sigh - pic to demonstrate...

 

[Blobby]

With the issues of apparent downgrades for the UK market and the laws surrounding RIFs, it seems to be that generally you pay more money for a comparatively lower quality RIF. 

Its actually quite an obvious issue if you only look at RIFs in other countries and compare them with their clones sold in the uk - a 270fps RIF sold in uk compared with the exact same product sold in europe which has 350+ fps for example is a clear giveaway that the item probably has been swapped with lower quality parts to match the energy output of the RIF.

 

[Wo1f]

I’m not convinced about lower FPS guns coming to the UK. I bought a scar from zeroone. Advertised as 365 FPS (conveniently under the max limit for an auto gun) chrono’d at 410fps? 

 

[Polluxtroy69]

I've just bought part from Taiwan for $19. After postage and charges £19. ?

 

[BigStew]

With the issues of apparent downgrades for the UK market and the laws surrounding RIFs, it seems to be that generally you pay more money for a comparatively lower quality RIF. 

Its actually quite an obvious issue if you only look at RIFs in other countries and compare them with their clones sold in the uk - a 270fps RIF sold in uk compared with the exact same product sold in europe which has 350+ fps for example is a clear giveaway that the item probably has been swapped with lower quality parts to match the energy output of the RIF.

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Do you have any facts to back this claim? the forums are a wash with people buying new guns in the uk that are hot.

The Airsoft industry is not huge most factories are low volume and switch from one product line at a time to another hence why guns and parts go through periods of not being available . It is extremely unlikely they will have different production lines of varying quality for such a small market as the UK. If they do bother to make the guns meet UK limits They put in a lower powered spring orlower powered motor and just to state lower powered doesn't mean lower quality. 

This thread and pretty much every thread like this since 1st airsoft forum 20 odd years ago is full of people stating their opinions when it's obvious they have no clue what they are talking about.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

This thread and pretty much every thread like this since the dawn of the internet is full of people stating their opinions when it's obvious they have no clue what they are talking about.

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Ftfy

Also brand new hot kit is easily available, hell our limit is 1j in ni (and if you take it literally anything above that is legally speaking a firearm) and yet you can get guns that are hot.

Hell i accidentally ended up running the m4 hot when i bought a drop in gearbox and just assumed it'd have a 1j spring in it, was chrono'ing 420fps on .2's, and there's plenty of folk out there who have suspiciously long range to be firing at 1j.

Of course you can make guns hot easily anyway, which is why i suspect it why its not that heavily regulated, springs are easy obtained on their own, gbb's just need a longer barrel in most cases and hpa's just need a little twiddle on the regulator.

 

[Sitting Duck]

With the issues of apparent downgrades for the UK market and the laws surrounding RIFs, it seems to be that generally you pay more money for a comparatively lower quality RIF. 

Its actually quite an obvious issue if you only look at RIFs in other countries and compare them with their clones sold in the uk - a 270fps RIF sold in uk compared with the exact same product sold in europe which has 350+ fps for example is a clear giveaway that the item probably has been swapped with lower quality parts to match the energy output of the RIF.

Click to shrink...

nnnaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh

no offense but you need to stop buying from JBBG

as that is the sort of stuff he sells and tries to pass off as the same spec as high end guns

Most decent retailers sell decent 330fps UK spec guns or the odd hot import might slip through

Some manufacturers though make low power kiddy aeg's though

The respectful Cyma AK's also have a ultra $hit version the Cyma 022

Yup it is a Cyma AK for sure

BUT is shoots 240fps, plastic gearbox and odd qwirky magazine - complete pile of $hit

It is how it is made by Cyma - no swapping of bits, it is engineered to be $hit

and $hit is truly is

other variations are Cyma ZM93 or Cyma P1093

Think JG do a low fps pile of $hit range of guns too

Umarex make a few variations of the ARX160

a $hit 260fps

a reg 350 fps with metal box

a longer version with blowback

Umarex also make low fps G36's & reg 350+fps G36's

I don't think anybody is downgrading UK guns that much

just some places are buying the kiddy $hit ultra low end nerf bb guns

& then trying to sell these bargain low $hit guns onto young new players who don't know better

Personally I think manufacturers should stop bothering to make these piles of crap

but they do sell so as long as mugs/kids buy them they will keep knocking out these nerf bb guns

 

[Adolf Hamster]

nnnaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh

no offense but you need to stop buying from JBBG

as that is the sort of stuff he sells and tries to pass off as the same spec as high end guns

Most decent retailers sell decent 330fps UK spec guns or the odd hot import might slip through

Some manufacturers though make low power kiddy aeg's though

The respectful Cyma AK's also have a ultra $hit version the Cyma 022

Yup it is a Cyma AK for sure

BUT is shoots 240fps, plastic gearbox and odd qwirky magazine - complete pile of $hit

It is how it is made by Cyma - no swapping of bits, it is engineered to be $hit

and $hit is truly is

other variations are Cyma ZM93 or Cyma P1093

Think JG do a low fps pile of $hit range of guns too

Umarex make a few variations of the ARX160

a $hit 260fps

a reg 350 fps with metal box

a longer version with blowback

Umarex also make low fps G36's & reg 350+fps G36's

I don't think anybody is downgrading UK guns that much

just some places are buying the kiddy $hit ultra low end nerf bb guns

& then trying to sell these bargain low $hit guns onto young new players who don't know better

Personally I think manufacturers should stop bothering to make these piles of crap

but they do sell so as long as mugs/kids buy them they will keep knocking out these nerf bb guns

Click to shrink...

amen brother, local shop brought in a line of ultra low end stuff on the request of one of the site's a while back.

they'd brought in a couple more to sell themselves, but they decided to send them back because in their words "it's not worth the hassle of warrantying this ****", i saw them and they were truly dire, and unsurprisingly the ones the site bought are regular denizens on their rack of guns for fixing.

of course there's a divide in airsoft between performance and overall quality. for example the we luger is no more bargain basement than any of their other pistols and yet it's performance is really sub-par, for the same money you could grab one of their sig's and spend your days trolling the hell out of people by countersniping them.

 

[Sitting Duck]

If people are really screwed for money then the Cyma 5xx M4's at a push

The 517 Raider clone is one of my favourites but they are good for price at a push

(I'd still advise them to try for a Combat Machine as they are better if they can afford it)

Try to avoid the Cyma 5xx AK's though as the dust cover is plastic, the charging handle too

by the time they break and you replace them you'd be better off buying the 028 or 037

(time you buy a metal dust cover etc.... you would have been better off buying the decent budget 028)

You are likely needing to spend about £100 for anything decent-ish to get started with

you can scrape by on a £70~£85 Cyma 5xx

but I'd be tempted to go for a bit more or maybe a JG G36 or something if £100 is your max budget

Trying to push it on a £45 or so gun is not going to end well, you do get what you pay for in most cases

(Don't matter what them liars at JBBG or BBGuns4Less try to tell/sell ya)

 

[Nick G]

A mate just got a Specna arms M4 , couldn't tell you which one as I don't do M4's, and it was shooting very hot out of the box. It came with a lower power spring and as it's a quick change box it took all of 10 minutes to sort. But no sign there of the manufacturer passing inferior quality to the UK. 

 

[Blobby]

Do you have any facts to back this claim? the forums are a wash with people buying new guns in the uk that are hot.

The Airsoft industry is not huge most factories are low volume and switch from one product line at a time to another hence why guns and parts go through periods of not being available . It is extremely unlikely they will have different production lines of varying quality for such a small market as the UK. If they do bother to make the guns meet UK limits They put in a lower powered spring orlower powered motor and just to state lower powered doesn't mean lower quality. 

This thread and pretty much every thread like this since 1st airsoft forum 20 odd years ago is full of people stating their opinions when it's obvious they have no clue what they are talking about.

Click to shrink...

Just to clear things up, yes, I am fairly new to airsoft so I am aware I might be speaking out of my rear. So yes, you're right I don't have a clue what I am talking about. I was simply wanting some feedback/info on something that seemed to be apparent to me in my own (limited) experience. 

This was spurred on after I went to an event and spoke to some more hardcore looking guys about their gear and advice they could give on buying a new RIF. Rather than getting all the dos and don'ts, I just heard don'ts.

nnnaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh

no offense but you need to stop buying from JBBG

as that is the sort of stuff he sells and tries to pass off as the same spec as high end guns

Most decent retailers sell decent 330fps UK spec guns or the odd hot import might slip through

Some manufacturers though make low power kiddy aeg's though

The respectful Cyma AK's also have a ultra $hit version the Cyma 022

Yup it is a Cyma AK for sure

BUT is shoots 240fps, plastic gearbox and odd qwirky magazine - complete pile of $hit

It is how it is made by Cyma - no swapping of bits, it is engineered to be $hit

and $hit is truly is

other variations are Cyma ZM93 or Cyma P1093

Think JG do a low fps pile of $hit range of guns too

Umarex make a few variations of the ARX160

a $hit 260fps

a reg 350 fps with metal box

a longer version with blowback

Umarex also make low fps G36's & reg 350+fps G36's

I don't think anybody is downgrading UK guns that much

just some places are buying the kiddy $hit ultra low end nerf bb guns

& then trying to sell these bargain low $hit guns onto young new players who don't know better

Personally I think manufacturers should stop bothering to make these piles of crap

but they do sell so as long as mugs/kids buy them they will keep knocking out these nerf bb guns

Click to shrink...

haha, jbbg? I'm new, but I'm not 'that' new.

 

[BigStew]

Just to clear things up, yes, I am fairly new to airsoft so I am aware I might be speaking out of my rear. So yes, you're right I don't have a clue what I am talking about. I was simply wanting some feedback/info on something that seemed to be apparent to me in my own (limited) experience. 

This was spurred on after I went to an event and spoke to some more hardcore looking guys about their gear and advice they could give on buying a new RIF. Rather than getting all the dos and don'ts, I just heard don'ts.

Click to shrink...

Fair enough.

truth of the matter is nothing is brilliant quality in airsoft as its all relatively cheap for whats expected to do( it's a very small industry and the production lines are small scale with a lot of manual labor involved). The closest you'll get to guaranteed reliability that is not hot is to buy Tokyo Marui as they do serious R&D and production quality control( they still have duff stuff from time to time). The vast majority of airsoft is a copy of  TM systems. quality wise next is the Taiwanese stuff  hit and miss whether it will hot or not but the quality is good. finally you have Chinese stuff which will be all over the place quality wise. manufacturing rifs on the main land is illegal  and requires the right bribes to keep going. Their quality is all over the place but has been getting a lot better in the last few years.