need some advice on airsoft gun found ??

[naf1]

hi all not really sure on this but found this air soft gun in a skip at my work its just round the corner from a shop that sells them. my guess is some one taken it in for repairs and the shops said no for what ever reason so they have just chucked it in the skip now the gun looks like a LMG and its black and dark green so i know that i couldn't buy this kind of thing with out a license to own one but i should be able to buy it if it was painted in bright colours? now the gun dont work i have taken it apart and the motor is seized up i would like to try and fix it but if i cant i would like to keep the gun for when i have a man cave would be cool to have some ware . i dont mind if i have to paint it so it dont look like a real one but i have had a google and find the laws a little confusing but with this time at night i cant get paint to paint it now so where does the law stand on my having it atm??. i have taken the pin out the back that holds the spring in and the motor so it couldn't be fired if you tried im thinking about taken it to pieces so its as small as it can be and looks far from a gun as possible till i can paint it bright colours? or is it completely illegal for me to own it thanks in advance

 

[naf1]

Here's a photo of it

View attachment 20073

 

[Alpha.s1]

Absolutely nothing wrong with you owning it, just dont take it out in public or anything like that, as that is illegal no matter the colour

 

[menphis]

basically it was sort of gifted to you i guess so within the UKARA rules I would have thought

 

[jcheeseright]

hi all not really sure on this but found this air soft gun in a skip at my work its just round the corner from a shop that sells them. my guess is some one taken it in for repairs and the shops said no for what ever reason so they have just chucked it in the skip now the gun looks like a LMG and its black and dark green so i know that i couldn't buy this kind of thing with out a license to own one but i should be able to buy it if it was painted in bright colours? now the gun dont work i have taken it apart and the motor is seized up i would like to try and fix it but if i cant i would like to keep the gun for when i have a man cave would be cool to have some ware . i dont mind if i have to paint it so it dont look like a real one but i have had a google and find the laws a little confusing but with this time at night i cant get paint to paint it now so where does the law stand on my having it atm??. i have taken the pin out the back that holds the spring in and the motor so it couldn't be fired if you tried im thinking about taken it to pieces so its as small as it can be and looks far from a gun as possible till i can paint it bright colours? or is it completely illegal for me to own it thanks in advance

100% legal to own, the VCRA covers Sale, Manufacture and Import.

It being able to shoot or not is irrelevant, it being a RIF is just down to how it looks. You could carve a realistic looking machine gun out of wood and it would be covered by the same rules as an airsoft gun, ridiculous but true!

 

[Careless]

I wouldn't of thought that was thrown out, even if its broken its still of use as a spares or even fixable or sold as spares, it may have been stolen from the shop and then ditched when they realised it don't work!, idd go and see the shop and ask if they have had anything stolen , if no then don't mention it....

 

[Dechande]

If you find something, the law requires you to take reasonable steps to return it to the owner otherwise you could be committing 'theft by finding'. If no one claims it after a reasonable period of time, you may then become its new owner.

Given there is an airsoft shop nearby, I'd ask there first.

As to owning it, you don't have to paint it, as said above, you didn't buy it so it doesn't need to be at least 50% a bright colour. Would be the same as being gifted it.

It looks like it's an A&K M249.

If someone did bin it, it seems very irresponsible to have done so in such a visible manner, which makes me suspect it may well have not been the intention of its owner. Of course, that is speculation on my part, but something I think may be worth pointing out.

- Edit - Just noticed the other parts in the pic, looks like an A&K M249.

 

[Sacarathe]

As to owning it, you don't have to paint it, as said above, you didn't buy it so it doesn't need to be at least 50% a bright colour. Would be the same as being gifted it.

Might consider rephrasing this, even if he did buy it, he does not need to paint it on that basis.

OP might just visit the police (don't take the gun) and ask if an airsoft gun has been reported stolen, and leave a phone number, not much more needed.

 

[Dechande]

Might consider rephrasing this, even if he did buy it, he does not need to paint it on that basis.

OP might just visit the police (don't take the gun) and ask if an airsoft gun has been reported stolen, and leave a phone number, not much more needed.

"i dont mind if i have to paint it so it dont look like a real one but i have had a google and find the laws a little confusing"

I was responding to this bit specifically.

I'd contact the police, certainly, but I meant it may well be easier to contact the shop first to see what they know (if anything).