Theoretically you could have a legitimate defence for owning a RIF without having a UKARA (UKARA is merely a scheme organised by retailers and airsoft sites to enable retailers to check if you are a regular attendee at airsoft skirmishes, and thus have a defence, enabling them to sell it to you). But there is no law which says you have to apply for a UKARA if you go airsofting.
In practice however, a UKARA registration is the most efficient way to prove you have a defensible reason for owning a RIF, and that is particularly true when it comes to importing RIFs, since UK Customs have access to the UKARA database, so it is common practice for retailers on airsoft websites abroad to have a bit on their order form which allows you to put additional comments, so most people put, 'please put this UKARA number - XXXXX - on the packaging'. You'll also see that most foreign airsoft retailers put stuff like: 'it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with your country's rules on the importation of firearms.' on their sites. And they are right to call them firearms, because as far as the EU is concerned, a plastic AK or M4 or Luger or Tommy Gun or whatever, which is in relatively realistic colours, is regarded as a 'Class D firearm'.
Thus if Mr Customs X-Rays your parcel with a shiny new airsoft AK74 in it, and sees a gun shape in there, he will open it up to check it ain't a real AK, and will then check if there is anything on the packaging which relates to the legitimacy of one being purchased by you, and if he does not find something like that, such as a UKARA number, or the name of a film production company on the package or whatever, then that parcel will be going in the crusher (or more seriously, be subm,itted as evidence for a prosecution), and you may indeed also be prosecuted, since it absolutely is illegal to import a RIF without a legitimate defence. You can get sentenced to several years in prison for doing so, and/or get a massive fine as well.
This is particularly true right now in light of the recent terrorist activities in France and Belgium, where in both cases, the terrorists had AKs. Any package which has a gun shape in it is going to light up the Customs checking process like a Christmas Tree at the moment, and if there's no UKARA or similar easily checkable defence on the package, you could not blame them for destroying your package, and most people would be glad they were vigilant about that, so there's practically no chance that you'd have any comeback on it in terms of compensation for your loss. More importantly, right now, with anti-terrorist measures at a peak, Customs and the CPS would probably like nothing better than to prosecute someone for importing a RIF without legal clearance to do so, because it would make them look good in the eyes of the public.
Do not chance it without a UKARA or some other easily checkable defence, or you absolutely will be risking going to prison, and it ain't worth doing time for a toy gun.
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h34r: is it illegal to own that rif without a valid defence? Some users are saying that you need an actual skirmish license where as some are saying that the sole airsoft reason is enough.
