UKARA and being in the armed forces ?

[Telkop]

Hi there just wondering something as i haven't seen a forum like this

UKARA EXPIRED !!!

 

im in the armed forces and ran into a snag with ukara as my local site wont renew my ukara as i havent been playing there for a few months and my ukara expired on me as my job has taken me away from my home sometimes for months at a time and as a result i cant play as regularly as i once did but the thing that really annoys me is the fact my local site wont renew it cos legal reasons which is fair enough on there part but as for ukara why is it that just because i cant play at any one given site enough to remake the requirement again due to my jobs circumstances im now not allowed to buy rifs .... im armed forces ffs ive played airsoft for years and have had many rifs so im just making this forum to see if theres anyone else thats ran into this and if there's a way past this because this is just bullshit if ukara doesn't care for the needs of forces personnel.......

 

i might just be getting all annoyed for no reason but i trying to get a few things together before i ship off again and its driving me nuts if im gonna have to go the two tone repainting road only for an expired ukara ><

[Bottledtorment]

Mate you won't need to repaint your guns you bought when you had a UKARA it is only if you are BUYING NEW guns.

[Sitting Duck]

UKARA like many things is far from perfect....

Like many many regs n rules these days

 

No CRB check or sanity check I'd fail that one

I could of done a 10yr stretch for armed robbery

Come out do a few games and go n get my next RIF

for my next job - no I am a sort law abiding guy really

 

Just coz you had it n in armed forces means little to

UKARA I'm afraid and we all have to follow those rules

 

You play at a few sites so ask a couple to see if they

may help but doubt if they will coz they can't really

 

Sucks but afraid few will do it if they go by the book

 

Maybe the site might renew if you get 2 games in quick

That sounds fair to me but each site operates differently

But 2 games quick if you was a regular and only just

expired this year coz you was away - well that is what I'd do

[p1878]

Im in lpool and the site i use is SWAT Fortress . They use P.A.S.S. and you are a member for life if you get your three visits in morethan two mounths.

[AK47frizzle]

You need ukara to buy a new gun.... you seem to have plently...

[EvilMonkee]

I am HM Forces as well, and I just played 1 game with my site to re register. Sounds like bullshit or just being wankers to me

[Undieing_Lust]

Am I the only one that thinks UKARA is flawed in some major way with all the recent posts about people complaining about it?

[Sitting Duck]

Oh it is deffo flawed - but then what ain't in this world ???

 

You abide by the rules to get something that does actually exist in hard real terms

but the database is what is used by retailers to check/verify we have a reason or defense

 

you could even do 3 x half day walk on's - than 3 full days

(so the OP could play for 1 day but as 2 x half days if paid in 2 lots)

 

The site may not be ultra $hitty, I mean they run site to make a possible small profit

even sites that really enjoy airsoft can't do all the stuff at a loss & just love of it

Plus they are the ones who are putting their name down behind a player

Yup most places do make a small charge - my site does but they got pi$$ed with too

many players doing 3 games get UKARA and just pi$$ off or hit n run so to speak

 

So yeah I totally see both sides of this UKARA coin, and yes its far from perfect

 

BUT though sometimes we moan about it, it could be a LOT LOT WORSE and more involved

Heck CRB checks are not cheap - I have had to had a few over the years but my job paid for it

plus CRB check is like a MOT - it is valid only up to that date of issue - could be going up for GBH or affray

but my CRB 6 months ago says I no previous......

This could also leave to maybe or or two of us who may have done a small stretch or cautioned for a pub brawl

when we was younger - that pops up and it could lead to unrealistic judgements perhaps....

 

I mean it a bloomin' toy gun ffs and if I was some mad sick physco with half a brain I really think I could make up

a pain inflicting device - or just grab a tin of black paint and spray it all black etc....

(There a a number of things that can done and I am not gonna list or give anybody ideas)

 

BUT back on topic, this UKARA system is some basic way to keep our crap kind of - sort of regulated a little bit

 

atm we don't have CRB checks, no medical/mental health checks or photo id

though photo id might not be a bad idea in my book - but any extra checks/info will cost time/money

 

before anybody thinks I am taking the pi$$ or just moaning - I am grateful that we have this basic form of database

and will continue to abide by its terms & conditions (not really much to ask & just common sense)

 

Armed Forces & UKARA - still have to go by the rules - maybe possible a little daft when using real firearms on tour

and that is why the UKARA lapsed but what in life is really fair - very very little

 

Final thought - not to be taken the wrong way and in no way a pop at anybody....

 

Church going Christians - pah

I know plenty of real genuine honest christian people with true integrity & morals

do anything for anybody and they don't go to church

but you don't need to go to church to pray or be a decent chrisitian

 

By that I mean Armed Forces or UKARA'd or both does not completely guarantee anything

like being a sensible airsoft player with a high level of safety awareness for those around them

(none of that was checked and how could it be checked with just 3 skirmishes under ya belt)

 

OK soz if I trod on any toes - please do not take any crap I say the wrong way

 

it ain't perfect but we go with the flow and this UKARA stuff could be a lot worse in the end

[Longshot]

The UKARA is not "flawed" in any way, since a flaw would imply it wasn't doing what it was supposed to do.

 

The UKARA is supposed to be a group of airsoft retailers looking out for their own interests. That's exactly what it is, so it's not flawed.

 

The UKARA database was created to provide the UKARA members - the retailers - with the ability to establish themselves a legal defence against prosecution for importing and selling RIFs if they need to. That's what it should do (according to the legal advice they've been given), so it's not flawed.

 

Neither the UKARA or their database was designed to help you in any way. Whatsoever. So if those things are not helping you that does not mean they're flawed.

[dapprman]

Beyond your first year you only need to play at the same site you're registered through once a year to maintain listing, so the site you are with are bull shitting unless you've not played for a lot longer than you think.

[Sitting Duck]

Well perhaps flawed is a strong word but I wouldn't say it is completely 101% perfect

 

Already said I see both sides but we continue to abide by it

Yes it can seem to suck or be a bit daft on occasiosions

and have thought about this n that but any further checks will be more time/hassle/money

 

We abide by it (UKARA) and that is that - already said about it is site putting their name

behind the players and not just gonna do that for love.

 

I retract my statement that it is deffo flawed - but I wasn't just moaning about it

rather saying how grateful I am for it

Though wasn't they going to implement photo id but that never happened ???

 

It is a basic database that is all it is, could be more involved but thankfully it isn't

(besides even with additional checks that would cost it still would not be 101% perfect I guess)

 

A thanks to all members & retailers - but its a supply n demand chain in the end.

If retailers don't do this UKARA then they wouldn't sell so many RIF's

and vice versa, we couldn't buy them - so both parties need each other in the end

 

So who is scratching who's back in all this - we all are

[straffham]

Seems a case of the usual grey area, or open to interpretation. Some sites once you're a member its for life, where others require you to start from scratch if your membership lapses by a day, and anything in between. Mine lapsed a few months but my site just signed me back up with UKARA straight away, though a certain prominent retailer was really off with me when I phoned them to check it had gone through after explaining the situation. (Eventhough I'd played several times as a non member at the same site.)

[Ian_Gere]

Just to make something clear: you do not have to play your 3 games in more than 2 months at the same site. But if you want to reregister with UKARA and do plan to do so by playing at different sites, you must print the form out yourself and get each site to stamp it to say that you did play on the date you were there. Once your form has the the 3 stamps, send it off to any UKARA registered retailer and they will add you to the database.

 

But as has been said, it is bollocks. I've had time off due to ill health and Skirmish Airsoft Mansfield readded me to the database as soon as I came back.

[Lozart]

It's not just UKARA that takes no note of forces membership. I was witness to a serving (uniformed) member of the Royal Engineers having to fill out the Home Office form when buying pyro.

 

Unfortunately rules is rules. Being in the army is no validation that you won't buy a RIF just to go and wave it about in a shopping centre!