Import RIF

[RHKR]

Hello everyone,

I am moving to UK later this year, together with my 30+ RIF (hopefully).  I have been reading laws and regulations but I’m getting no where.  I am looking to get all my RIF into UK legally, expected some procedure that’s why I want to start preparing.

Here’s what I know:

1. All semi auto/bolt action has to be below 2.5 joules
   
2. All auto/shotgun has to be below 1.3 Joules
   
3. HKARA membership number present on custom clearance (assume I ship them)
   
4. Anything else?
   

Since i haven’t played on any air soft site so obviously I wouldn’t have any membership number.  Is there an alternative defence accepted by custom that justify the procession of my RIF.  Say if I have an orange tip, will I be considered as non-RIF?

thank you guys, really painful to let go of my babes.?

 

[BigStew]

Hello everyone,

I am moving to UK later this year, together with my 30+ RIF (hopefully).  I have been reading laws and regulations but I’m getting no where.  I am looking to get all my RIF into UK legally, expected some procedure that’s why I want to start preparing.

Here’s what I know:

1. All semi auto/bolt action has to be below 2.5 joules
   
2. All auto/shotgun has to be below 1.3 Joules
   
3. HKARA membership number present on custom clearance (assume I ship them)
   
4. Anything else?
   

Since i haven’t played on any air soft site so obviously I wouldn’t have any membership number.  Is there an alternative defense accepted by custom that justify the procession of my RIF.  Say if I have an organ he tip, will I be considered as non-RIF?

thank you guys, really painful to let go of my babes.?

Click to shrink...

orange tip has no legal standing in the UK. for a RIF to consider an IF it needs to be painted at least 51% a specified colour. there are other legal methods to importing but they all require being a member of UK based organisations. unless you want to paint your guns your best bet is to come over rent from a site get your UKARA and then import your guns.

 

[Tommikka]

This is a question that has been asked a few times but then they don’t come back to tell us what happened

An orange tip is no good, that’s the American system for ‘toy’

(Back in the 70s here it used to be for toys that could not shoot anything, and only had a dummy barrel)

In the UK to prevent it being a RIF it would have to be painted one of a set list of bright colours, covering more than 50% of the body

The law here covering whether or not you can import (or buy) a RIF is the VCRA

To do so you require a ‘defence’ which is the intended purpose - the applicable purpose is ‘airsoft skirmishing on insured sites’ or in other words ‘playing airsoft’

The UKARA is a retailers trade scheme that counts players attendance at member sites then grants UKARA membership for a year.  This is not a legal requirement, but is the best known scheme to ‘prove’ you are an airsoft skirmisher

You therefore need to convince customs when it comes through, whether that is by courier or packed in your luggage 

Options are:

Try to convince them that you are an airsoft skirmisher 

Paint it, and you can then later clean off the paint as long as you aren’t damaging any current finish

Package your RIFs and leave them behind, come here, play some games, get UKARA membership, then get someone to post them with the relevant info 

 

[RHKR]

Thank you guys, so far I think the most promising solution is to have it send to someone with UKARA or come to play few games.

I have dropped a message to the custom to confirm the requirements, how to indicate/label the shipments and other shipping declarations that may need, haven’t had any reply yet, I will update the community once I have an answer.

 

[EDcase]

Yes, sending to someone else who is registered with UKARA is a good option too.

Make sure you send to their address otherwise it won't match the UKARA registration info and will be seized.

Sorry, no idea on shipping declarations.

We usually put them down as 'sports equipment' for posting nationally but don't know if that's officially correct.