Classifieds sellers wanting UKARA numbers

[halfsack2691]

Just a little confused by some of the law stuff. Provided I'm selling an airsoft weapon and I'm fairly confident it won't end up in the hands of some hoodlum that just wants to shoot at old ladies, do I really need to request UKARA?

 

By the sounds of the law as long as I'm not a retailer (I take that as anyone owning a registered shop to the random selling springers from a car boot at the sunday market) is it really necessary for me to request someones UKARA? I don't understand the necessity for a one on one personal sale of an airsoft weapon to need checking.

Or am I just being daft?

[Russe11]

The law says that you need to be reasonably sure that the gun will be used for airsofting/re-enactment etc. A UKARA number covers you, but then I suppose selling to a long term forum member who you can tell is an airsofter from posts might be enough to cover you.

[NickM]

Its you that would be seen as doing something dodgy in the eyes of the law. The buyer provides you with a defence as long as you are happy with it then sell but you have to make sure your arse is covered in the eyes of the law.

 

Its a weird legal grey area, and the defences are varied,

 

Site membership (call their regular site)

UKARA (essentially the same as above but their membership no is held by a central database)

A skirmish diary or log

 

I have bought a RIF from a forum member before, he didn't ask for my defence but we play two sites from the same chain, so I think he was fairly happy that I played regularly as I could name many of the people involved in the sites.

[Ian_Gere]

As Nick said, it is you that needs to make the decision over what you trust as proof that the buyer is an airsofter. The law doesn't say you need to be reasonably sure, it says that selling RIF's is an offence but allows for approved defences, one of which applies if the RIF will be used for airsoft. It does not say how you should find out, or what standard of evidence would be required in any hypothetical case, were anyone to need to use the defence in court.

 

That is the issue though: proof - you may know that someone is an airsofter because you've seen them doing it, but legally speaking all you may have available to present as evidence is your word. If the law was being enforced and you had been arrested, then your word would already be being called into question.

 

But the law isn't being enforced, so really it is up to ourselves to behave responsibly. As a forum we urge all our members not to bring the sport/hobby into disrepute by irresponsible sales, to under 18's for eg, or people who have just turned up asking, "what am bestest gnu?" For myself the threshold of proof is photos online here or elsewhere prior to the sale, ie they haven't just gone up to satisfy me, but were there already, or if an absolute noob had no pics yet, I would be prepared to follow up a reference by contacting a site owner/organiser.

 

I certainly would not require a UKARA number, BASA registration, or site membership.

[flashash]

Just tripped across the post about the Ares M14 where is it up for sale as I am interested and I have a I date UKARA and a member of BAC and have a site membership and I am a old git Think that's all bases covered