FNG from South Africa

[Bat74]

Morning all,

I recently took up the sport of Airsoft here in South Africa as a alternative to Golf and to see if I still "have it", must say I was pleasantly surprised. I have been transferred to my company’s facility in the UK and would like to continue with the sport once I'm settled in the UK - Mold, Flintshire. I own a M4, SR25 and M9 pistol - M4 & SR25 is electric and the pistol is gas.

Can anyone please direct me to the legal processes of bringing my "weapons" with me (See Freight)?

Much appreciated and I hope to see you all soon on the field of battle

 

[M_P]

Welcome to afuk

Im not sure in regards to bringing the guns with you, im sure you can but i dont know the procedures etc- im sure someone else will be able to help though

 

[Deva]

Welcome to the forums

The best thing would be to speak to the carrier. If they are in with other personal belongings and what not, it is probably OK, but no one can really say as we haven't had any members needing to do such a thing.

 

[TheFull9]

To import a RIF (realistic imitation firearm, i.e. airsoft guns with a normal paintjob) you'll need the same site membership that'd you'd need if you just wanted to buy airsoft guns in this country.

You'll need to find a skirmish site hear to you with Public liability insurance that offers some kind of membership scheme. You'll then need to play 3 games at said site in a period longer than 2 months, any time between 2 months and 1 year basically. This makes you 'an airsoft skirmisher' in the eyes of the law, and you're then entitled to purchase/import/manufacture RIFs.

Most skirmish sites will add your name to something known as the UKARA database once you're a member. Every person in this database has an individual code, you don't strictly need one to import your weapons, but it's probably the easiest and quickest way. Once you have one of these codes, you just ask whoever's boxing up your weapons for shipment to write it on the outside of the box with the other customs paperwork.

 

[Deva]

Out of interest, can you actually confirm that this is the case if someone is moving over here? If they have a container full of personal belongings and perhaps original proof of purchase it would seem a little fussy to class them in the same way that newly purchased RIF's straight from the shops.

Obviously it isn't practical to leave stuff behind with someone you know, to gain a defence and then get them sent over. It adds cost and if enough items had restrictions on their movement then it would become a right PITA to move about the world.

 

[Nickona]

Welcome

I would suggest send it by courrier or similar with lots of paperwork attached explaining they are airsoft and you play at a site etc.

 

[TheFull9]

The law's the law. Copy pasting from the VCRA rulings online at legislation.gov.uk:

"(7)A realistic imitation firearm brought into Great Britain shall be liable to forfeiture under the customs and excise Acts."

----

"Specific defences applying to the offence under s. 36

(1)It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under section 36 in respect of any conduct to show that the conduct was for the purpose only of making the imitation firearm in question available for one or more of the purposes specified in subsection (2).

(2)Those purposes are—

(a)the purposes of a museum or gallery;

(b)the purposes of theatrical performances and of rehearsals for such performances;

©the production of films (within the meaning of Part 1 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48)_see section 5B of that Act);

(d)the production of television programmes (within the meaning of the Communications Act 2003 (c. 21)_see section 405(1) of that Act);

(e)the organisation and holding of historical re-enactments organised and held by persons specified or described for the purposes of this section by regulations made by the Secretary of State;

(f)the purposes of functions that a person has in his capacity as a person in the service of Her Majesty."

Don't see any defence there for people to import RIFs just because they're moving to the UK.