^ I think you need to understand the timeline of events (and silly decisions) that have led to the present day situation in order to answer a lot of that. Essentially it went something like this:
- 2006: The government decides (probably after a long consultative process that included reading a lot of the Daily Mail) that they can 'reduce violent crime' by banning toy guns that look 'realistic.' They decide that they can't really force everyone to give back the toy guns they already have, so they don't make owning them illegal. They also realise that nobody is probably going to realise or care if they made buying them illegal, so they don't do that either. Instead they just make it illegal to sell, import or manufacture them. They also seem to think nobody needs them for anything useful at all, though another quick consultation (this one seems to effectively been a brainstorm they made on a piece of A4) leads them to the conclusion that some people might need them, but the only people who might possibly have any decent use for realistic toy guns are people working in film, TV or stage, re-enactors or people who the Queen asked to go and buy them as part of their job. So they give these guys a 'pass,' and essentially add in to the new law that these guys will be breaking the law like everyone else, but they can't be prosecuted for doing so. The Violent Crime Reduction Act (VCRA) 2006 is passed. Job done, everyone's happy. Or so they think.
- Early 2007: Airsoft retailers kick off. "Oh my days blud!" They shout. "What dem man gone done?" They (leading retailers like Zeroone, Airsoft World, Landwarrior, etc.) form a group: The United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association (UKARA), because forming a group and getting an acronym instantly makes you feel like you've got big boy pants on. They get a sit-down with the lawmakers and explain what airsoft is and how their livelihoods will be severely affected when the new law comes into play in October. The lawmakers pretend they know what UKARA are talking about whilst they're actually saying to each other: "Oh, I say! 'Airsoft?' How ridiculously absurd!" They show their confusion (and the fact that they seem to think that these UKARA chaps are some sort of tribal lords who have complete control over all airsoft events and retail in the UK) by getting the Home Secretary to add another 'defence' to the list. By the time they get round to this they've actually forgotten what airsoft is, so they just write it down as something to do with "military and law enforcement scenarios." They then reassure themselves that it's all going to be cool because the UKARA tribal council has agreed to set up a database of people they trust and they're only going to sell to them. Obviously, since the UKARA are the only people who are ever going to sell anyone realistic looking toy guns, there will never be any problems ever.
- October 2007: Virtually all violent crime in the UK is ended thanks to the VCRA.
- 2007-Present: 99% of airsofters have literally no clue what the VCRA and UKARA are all about. They keep arguing about what 'defences you need to buy' without realising that this makes no sense whatsoever. They quote stuff that the UKARA has made up, like "regular skirmisher," as if it was something to do with the actual law. Additionally, 99.9% of UK politicians and police also have no idea what the VCRA and UKARA are all about, however most people on airsoft forums are convinced that 'we're being watched,' 'our sport in under threat,' 'the Home Secretary has us under scrutiny,' etc. This is all true. Teresa May does nothing all day but read airsoft forums in the hope of gathering enough evidence to finally shut us down.
I hope that helps.
