Few questions about UKARA and related stuff

[Scottish]

1. If I owned a IF and removed the spray paint/covered it with camo (because it looks cooler) would I be breaking any laws?

2. being under 18, would my parents be able to gift me a RIF or only an IF?

3. Do you need a UKARA to use an RIF/bring it onto a site? (Bringing it onto a site may vary site too site now I think about it but a general answer is helpful)

Sorry if these are 'easily' answerable with google but i have been searching for answers for days and can't seem to find them. Also a link to laws/rules would be appreciated

 

[Tommikka]

1.   Removing paint from an IF would be modifying it (section 39.2.b) but temporarily covering one to play would not be modification.  

39.2.b.    ........modifies an imitation firearm so that it ceases to conform to the specifications so required of it;

2.   They can gift you either an IF or RIF.

It would be an offence if you bought an IF or RIF, were sold an IF or RIF or paid for someone to purchase on your behalf 

40 Supplying imitation firearms to minors

(1)After section 24 of the 1968 Act insert—


“24ASupplying imitation firearms to minors


(1)It is an offence for a person under the age of eighteen to purchase an imitation firearm.

(2)It is an offence to sell an imitation firearm to a person under the age of eighteen.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/part/2

3.  There is no need to be UKARA registered to own or use a RIF.  The VCRA covers manufacture, sale and modification.  The UKARA is an industry scheme to establish a defence for retailers.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/part/2/crossheading/imitation-firearms

 

[GeorgePlaysAirsoft]

^ he is spot on. Reading this before the actual legislation will help:https://www.ukapu.org.uk/resources/legislation/

If i was you id book a skirmish online, ask my parents to gift me an IF and then paint/replace as required.

^ he is spot on. Reading this before the actual legislation will help:https://www.ukapu.org.uk/resources/legislation/

If i was you id book a skirmish online, ask my parents to gift me an IF and then paint/replace as required.

 

[Rogerborg]

temporarily covering one to play would not be modification

Why's that then?  If it looks like a RIF, it is axiomatically a RIF.

What I'd argue is that it is modification, but the defence is right to hand.

Pragmatically speaking, I agree that it's the safest way.  Parents buy an IF (how would they get a RIF anyway?), gift it, transport it as a RIF [Oops, typo correction, "an IF"], bit of camo tape on site.

Not that the BB cares. I got mashed up a treat multiple times today by a chap with a blue two-tone.

 

[Tommikka]

Why's that then?  If it looks like a RIF, it is axiomatically a RIF.

What I'd argue is that it is modification, but the defence is right to hand.

Pragmatically speaking, I agree that it's the safest way.  Parents buy an IF (how would they get a RIF anyway?), gift it, transport it as a RIF, bit of camo tape on site.

Not that the BB cares. I got mashed up a treat multiple times today by a chap with a blue two-tone.

It would be an IF with some tape or fabric etc on it...... but of course a RIF is always a RIF if anybody thinks it looks real

 

[Monkeywrencher]

It would be an IF with some tape or fabric etc on it...... but of course a RIF is always a RIF if anybody thinks it looks real

The legislation makes no mention of the permanance of the modification though.

 

[Tommikka]

The legislation makes no mention of the permanance of the modification though.

That leads into is covering something temporarily modifying it

If yes then an offence is committed

If no then no offence is committed

However if the purpose of a covering that qualifies as a modification is for the playing of airsoft skirmishing at a suitable insured site then the airsoft skirmish Defence applies

 

[Musica]

We all try to justify it "well I can buy RIFs so I can paint my IFs" etc etc etc. 

There is no legally defined way to modify a IF to a RIF. You rely on a defence for the crime if your caught. No one has had tested and no one wants to have tested as a court ruling can go both ways. 

For the sake of paint on a toy is it worth the risks?  The laws and legislation might be dumb but they exist and we can either abide by them or risk worse ones being implemented if we are shown to ignore them and give advice like "who will know?". 

Best to way up the risks yourself and know if you do so you are committing a offence no matter what way you try to justify it. That offence might might covered by being an airsofter but I'd rather not find out myself. 

We think we have it bad in the UK but in the US some of them have to have an orange tip! 

In Portugal your gun looks like the below 

Wait till you see their "tazer" glocks 

 

[Rogerborg]

That leads into is covering something temporarily modifying it

"Yeahbut, I only covered up the dayglo while I was robbing the bank, it wasn't a permanent modification"...

If that sounds trite because it's trivial compared to that you were doing with it, then see below[*].

For the sake of paint on a toy is it worth the risks? 

I thought it was.

But that's not a recommendation that anyone else should do it.  And certainly not without making an informed decision based on knowing that it is an offence.

[*]However, I will continue to note that the only time it's likely to be an issue is when the RIF or IF is out in public, at which point you'd better have your "reasonable excuse, the proof whereof likes with [you]" to hand anyway, for the Firearms Act S19 offence.

 

[Tommikka]

We think we have it bad in the UK but in the US some of them have to have an orange tip! 

It’s not some of them in the US that need an orange tip, it’s all of them.  If it’s not a real gun then it legally should have an orange tip.  People just remove the tip

There was a UK magfed Paintball youtuber who went through importation dramas when US customs decided his custom build sniper rifle was illegal. He opted for arguing that US customs were wrong and that it was impossible any where in the world to buy the underlying base gun with an orange tip.  Entirely false.  They were supplied in the UK and rest of the world with a plastic tip that everybody removes 

There is also proposed legislation in the US that is going down the VCRA two tone route.  Facebook is a bit dramatic over it 

 

[Philby21]

Facebook is a bit dramatic over it everything

FTFY