Osprey MK4 - Legal?

[E21A]

You can buy armour plates for warrior kit on uktactical, so don’t see how it would be unless, as stated above, it’s been stolen 

 

[AshOnSnow]

You can buy armour plates for warrior kit on uktactical, so don’t see how it would be unless, as stated above, it’s been stolen 

The ballistic plates themselves I don’t believe are sold off by MoD, for the obvious reason that you shouldn’t be buying used balllistic plates that you don’t know how they’ve been treated. Of course for airsoft it doesn’t really matter.

Level IV Armour is *technically* illegal to possess, at least for the next month and a bit. There’s EU legislation banning civilians from having it, but no UK prohibitions.

 

[Prisce]

The ballistic plates themselves I don’t believe are sold off by MoD, for the obvious reason that you shouldn’t be buying used balllistic plates that you don’t know how they’ve been treated. Of course for airsoft it doesn’t really matter.

Level IV Armour is *technically* illegal to possess, at least for the next month and a bit. There’s EU legislation banning civilians from having it, but no UK prohibitions.

A friend of ours purchased Russian plate carriers and the like in a big job lot(direct from russia) they came into the UK with no issue. 

Included in the package(unexpected) were the plates, complete with hole through the carrier. 

The numpty still plays in the whole gear, even though it weighs a feck-ton.

 

[AshOnSnow]

A friend of ours purchased Russian plate carriers and the like in a big job lot(direct from russia) they came into the UK with no issue. 

Included in the package(unexpected) were the plates, complete with hole through the carrier. 

The numpty still plays in the whole gear, even though it weighs a feck-ton.

I play with simulated Level 4 plates when it’s not too hot - plastic sapi ones filled with sand. fun way to up the realism and cardio at once.

 

[jcheeseright]

Level IV Armour is *technically* illegal to possess, at least for the next month and a bit. There’s EU legislation banning civilians from having it, but no UK prohibitions.

Erm, care to state a source for that?  I believe it to be complete horse turd!

https://www.vestguard.co.uk/hard-armour-plate-nij-level-iiiiv-34.html

https://protectiongroup.dk/ballistic-side-plate-nij-level-4-ceramic-stand-alone

https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/cpe-diamond-armour-plate-nij-iv-stand-alone/29952

https://www.uktactical.com/p-4993-nexus-level-iv-monolithic-hard-plate.aspx

For something that is illegal to own there seem to be an awful lot of retailers willing to sell it. 

**edit, did some research, armour rated ABOVE Level IV is classed as armament materials and is illegal to own.  

 

[Immortal]

When I started I used to wear an Osprey MK4 vest with AEGIS soft kevlar. Label on the kevlar says it'll stop a 44 magnum.

Fun stuff as it could take the beating leaving you feeling fine. Hot as hell when out of shape (may not be the armours fault though :lol: )

Comfy though and not too heavy but heavy enough for me. I would say I couldn't feel the hits but I could still tell when I was hit. Either by noise or a slight vibration. Never had an issue. If in doubt I'd just call a hit. No biggy. Appreciated the break tbh. :lol:

 

[AshOnSnow]

When I started I used to wear an Osprey MK4 vest with AEGIS soft kevlar. Label on the kevlar says it'll stop a 44 magnum.

Fun stuff as it could take the beating leaving you feeling fine. Hot as hell when out of shape (may not be the armours fault though :lol: )

Comfy though and not too heavy but heavy enough for me. I would say I couldn't feel the hits but I could still tell when I was hit. Either by noise or a slight vibration. Never had an issue. If in doubt I'd just call a hit. No biggy. Appreciated the break tbh. :lol:

Yeah IIIa armour copes well with Airsoft BBs ?

 

[Immortal]

Yeah IIIa armour copes well with Airsoft BBs ?

LOL :lol: Yeah, the beating was me bouncing off walls to stop rather than the BBs. Then again this was in Croydon, you need armour round there.

 

[amzeo]

hi there, ive been collecting military surplus for the best part of 3 years now and i can say with certainty if its on Ebay its likely surplus. what surplus is is when the military or police decides they either have too much of a particular piece of gear or if that gear is old and needs replacing (may not even be used but typically stuff gets cycled out every 5 years or so) they will decommission it. when an item is decommissioned they are often auctioned by the MOD. if its on ebay its decommissioned and no longer fit for military service, but will typically be brand new. additionally MK4 osprey is no longer standard issue so its likely deemed as obsolete. the exception to this rule is the kevlar filler and ceramic plates for the osprey vest. those are very rare because when soldiers take home their vests they arent allowed to take body armour components with them. 

TLDR: the stuffs decommissioned and not stolen from the military so its fine.

 

[amzeo]

hi there, ive been collecting military surplus for the best part of 3 years now and i can say with certainty if its on Ebay its likely surplus. what surplus is is when the military or police decides they either have too much of a particular piece of gear or if that gear is old and needs replacing (may not even be used but typically stuff gets cycled out every 5 years or so) they will decommission it. when an item is decommissioned they are often auctioned by the MOD. if its on ebay its decommissioned and no longer fit for military service, but will typically be brand new. additionally MK4 osprey is no longer standard issue so its likely deemed as obsolete. the exception to this rule is the kevlar filler and ceramic plates for the osprey vest. those are very rare because when soldiers take home their vests they arent allowed to take body armour components with them. 

TLDR: the stuffs decommissioned and not stolen from the military so its fine.

 

[RonLancs]

It’s easy enough to get hold of out of service body armours - BA now uses virtus as you probably already know. It wouldn’t shock me that a few QM’s out there will flog them off, especially if a unit / battalion is handing / taking over. When I was de-kitted they only checked virtus equipment, training plates and respirator  as you have to sign the real plates out from the CQM. 
 

I don’t see why you’d even want full plates for airsoft. Especially Osprey, them things are heavy and uncomfortable! Haha 

 

[Rogerborg]

I don’t see why you’d even want full plates for airsoft

 

[RonLancs]

Wahahahaha - no, no I do not. I’ve had enough of that. + where’s all the good MilSim at? (North West England)

 

[Apoch]

So plates (whether it be ECBA, Osprey or Virtus) are classed as ACTO and you will find the bizzys get extremely twitchy about civvy's owning it. 

The plate carriers are not.

 

[Tackle]

  Otherwise this is a very silly thread fretting over nothing.

Seem to be quite a few of these popping up lately, along with a big influx of new members (I'm aware the op isn't a new member, but neither is his question, it relates to every bit of kit used by the military  that at one time was restricted for sale, & then later on wasn't), obviously new members is good, but I wish they'd take some time to read through the forums before posting up droll threads that have been asked too many times before, or overpriced classifieds ?

 

[Rogerborg]

So: can anyone find relevant UK legislation?  We need primary legislation (an Act) that contains the word "offence", plus possibly secondary legislation (Regulations) that define what's prohibited.

 

[Tackle]

So: can anyone find relevant UK legislation?  We need primary legislation (an Act) that contains the word "offence", plus possibly secondary legislation (Regulations) that define what's prohibited.

I don't think there's a UK legislation, just the fact that unless the mod releases kit for financial disposal, it remains first line current generation issue kit & shouldn't be finding itself on civvy street, any that does is obviously stolen in some way, hence why the mp have been cracking down on outlets.

Pretty black & white generally ?

 

[GeorgePlaysAirsoft]

So: can anyone find relevant UK legislation?  We need primary legislation (an Act) that contains the word "offence", plus possibly secondary legislation (Regulations) that define what's prohibited.

If you get caught with MOD property that wasn't properly disposed of (I do not know what that actually means) you risk becoming familiar with the Theft Act 1968 and if you are really playing silly buggers the Export Control Act 2002 may also be relevant. 

Edit: should clarify this isnt so much about a specific item but rather how you came to posess said item. For example the only legislation relevant to night vision equipment is with regards to exports, but owning stolen MOD night vision has gotten, and probably will continue to get, people in trouble. 

Edit again: scotland does not allow you to use 'light intensifying, heat-sensitive or other special sighting device' with refence to shooting deer. But you get my point, i hope.

 

[Tommikka]

If you get caught with MOD property that wasn't properly disposed of (I do not know what that actually means) 

There is only one route out of the MoD for surplus items, and that’s via Defence Equipment Sales Authority contracts - formerly know as the Disposal Sales Agency/Authority) 

These ranges from basic waste disposal / recycling to tanks, helicopters and warships etc.  

One example is:

http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/

Officially anything issued is to be returned to the QM, and the items you keep when you leave are meant to be retained for your reserve commitment.

If appropriate it’s reissued, if not appropriate such as skin contact clothing it’s meant to go in the magic QMs box and backloaded when full.

In reality items are not exchanged, or they are pulled straight back from the magic box.

When someone leaves they either hand back everything they can possibly get the QM to take or they take it straight to the local car boot / eBay.

The RMP monitor eBay etc but do so on a common sense basis ignoring the odd bit of uniform.  But sell unusal items or regularly sell what’s clearly coming out of the QMs back door and you’ll be attracting attention.

 

[Rogerborg]

owning stolen MOD night vision has gotten, and probably will continue to get, people in trouble

Which people, when, and how much trouble?