Policing and Crime Bill 2015-16 - This is now (mostly) the law as part of the Policing and Crime Act 2017

[Tommikka]

why isnt an Airsort gun classed a  "gallery Gun" then?

they share the same characteristics as a painball gun.

definition of gallery gun:  a type of firearm designed for indoor shooting.

I'm not entirely sure.  Strictly speaking paintball is too large a calibre at 0.68" (and airsoft would be right at 6mm for a small calibre)

I believe that paintball crept into the legal definition of gallery gun as a smooth bore and got away with being over calibre and being able to shoot at people through frangibility

Airsoft could possibly make those claims, but has since been exposed with a seperate definition in legislation, and may have stumbled with shooting people with a solid ball, albeit at a non lethal power

 

[Tommikka]

Please elaborate on this insanity, I fail to understand what the projectile fired has to do with something being a RIF - deactivated firearms are RIF and they don't fire anything..

Deactivate firearms aren't RIFs because they are real and aren't 'realistic imitations'

I'm not entirely convinced on lethality/frangibility bypassing the vcra myself either.  But the ukpsf do posess a letter from the home office which will assist any retailers if they need to defend themselves in court

The home office argument in the letter is to classify a paintball gun as a firearm under the firearms act, which then means it isn't an IF or a RIF if it's already a firearm.  But then classify it as non lethal due to frangibility 

https://m.facebook.com/UKPSF/posts/532643633518379

I have been asked several questions over the past 6 weeks about the increase in the number of “more realistic” paintball markers being used. Just to clarify this is NOT a UKPSF quest against the Magfed style of play as has been suggested on some forums – I have a Magfed group who regularly use my site.Please feel free to check this with Alex Munroe to see if I support his style of play. – These are questions raised by members who have expressed concern over “realistic type markers”.The last thing the world of paintball needs is for a marker to be confiscated and possible legal action pursued against a paintballer for possession of a Realistic Imitation Firearm (RIF). What is needed is to clarify the law and have in the possession of the UKPSF a letter that should support a player in case of legal action.These are extracts from the letter I recently received from the Firearms section at the Home Office.“I appreciate your concerns with the status of the items and the need to clarity on the application of the law in relation to paintball markersI thought it would be helpful if I outline that the definition of a firearm is any lethal barrelled weapon. Most air weapons, despite being below the 6 and 12 ft/lb limit are still lethal, but are exempt from certificate procedure. It therefore seems appropriate that any paintball gun that is an air weapon, and providing it discharges a paintball with energy of less than 12ft/lbs would be exempt from firearms certificate procedures.The test to establish whether a weapon is Realistic Imitation Firearm (RIF) is based on lethality. Using the Home Office advice of 2.3 Joules for a single shot and 1 Joule for a multi shot, we believe that it is more than likely that they would be regarded as potentially lethal. However, the weapons would still be exempt as air weapons (assuming they are less than 12 ft/lbs as covered above) but are actually firearms rather than RIFs”From several communications I have had over the years with the Firearms section they have always pointed out that “The Forensic Science Service’s view is that, as long as the muzzle energy of the projectiles fired from a paintball marker are below 6 ft/lbs for a pistol and 12 ft/lbs for a rifle, they do not meet this definitions (this is reference to Section 57 of the Firearms Act 1968) This is because the frangible nature of the projectile means that it will break up on impact rather than penetrate the skin. It cannot therefore be regarded as lethal.”From these communications I believe that the “Realistic” paintball markers if fired below the levels mentioned above and firing a frangible paintball will not be classed as “Realistic Imitation Firearm”.As with all advice offered by the Home Office “Only a court of law can make a definitive judgement on the legality but in the absence of a judgement we will maintain our view”

 

[Sacarathe]

The test to establish whether a weapon is Realistic Imitation Firearm (RIF) is based on lethality.

I don't know where you got this as it's completely untrue.

A RIF can be as dangerous as a baseball bat and still be a RIF.

 

[Tommikka]

I don't know where you got this as it's completely untrue.

A RIF can be as dangerous as a baseball bat and still be a RIF.

As I said, I'm not convinced by the interpretation and I don't feel that lethality is within the VCRA.  (Lethality is within the firearms act). It makes more sense when they are refering to paintball guns as an air weapon under the firearms act which would classify paintball as a form of firearm and thus not a RIF.

The link is the source, which is the UKPSF (national recognised body for paintball) making a statement and providing the quote from the Home Office which was in response to the UKPSFs query on RIFs in paintball. 

 

[Sacarathe]

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/3/part/6/enacted

s.57(1)(c)

I hope it airsoft suppressors are not prohibited by this.

Hopefully it's saved by PCA2017 S.57B.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/3/part/6/enacted

 

[DarkAssassin]

Oh that is good news then, thanks for keeping us informed.

I would say suppressor's will be fine because an airsoft weapon doesn't emit a flash of any kind anyway.

 

[Sacarathe]

Oh that is good news then, thanks for keeping us informed.

I would say suppressor's will be fine because an airsoft weapon doesn't emit a flash of any kind anyway.

But they DO reduce noise.

 

[DarkAssassin]

I see what you are saying but it is a rarity for it to reduce noise on a airsoft weapon because of the mechanical clunking.

 

[Andyraven]

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/3/part/6/enacted

s.57(1)(c)

I hope it airsoft suppressors are not prohibited by this.

Hopefully it's saved by PCA2017 S.57B.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/3/part/6/enacted

any chance you can dumb that down for simple folk? ^_^  

 

[Sacarathe]

There's been an update!

In short - it all amounts to nothing.

 

[Jedi_Master]

It would be useful for reference if @Devastator can pin and lock the 2017_04_19 PCA2017 firearms provision Home Office circular in the UK Law section.

 

[Sacarathe]