Spray painting a two tone airsoft gun

[ElAshtonio]

Hi, I bought myself a two tone aeg and I want to spray paint it, or at least cover the orange parts in camo tape; the site I go to is heavily forested and the orange part of the gun always gives my location away. Now, I am 18 years of age but I don't own a ukara membership so how would I be able to do this legally? I've looked around this topic and everyone just gives conflicting answers :/

 

Many thanks!

[Monty]

I mean, you play at a site already, you don't technically need to be on the UKARA register to spray paint it.

[GunmanAirsoft]

If you're playing at a properly insured skirmish site with it, then you are not breaking the law if you spray it.

[BrightCandle]

You can only manufacturer a RIF from an IF given certain circumstances. So make sure you are complying with the law in this regard. Its not normally a good idea because the reasons you ended up with an IF may very well be to being under age rather than just having not played for very long and then manufacturing a RIF by painting over the bright colour could be a pretty serious crime. Do your homework and make sure you are within the letter of the law.

[GunmanAirsoft]

Converting an IF to a RIF has no age restriction. The sole requirement is that the gun is to be used at a correctly insured airsoft site.

[Mos]

Oh, so you can actually change the IF to a RIF, baring in mind I play at gunman,tuddenham, I can spray it?

[Sacarathe]

Oh, so you can actually change the IF to a RIF, baring in mind I play at gunman,tuddenham, I can spray it?

 

Dood, read between the lines!

[Mos]

Dood, read between the lines!

As long as it's at a proper airsoft site, it's fine. That's what I've gathered.

[GunmanAirsoft]

Oh, so you can actually change the IF to a RIF, baring in mind I play at gunman,tuddenham, I can spray it?

Our Tuddenham site holds the correct public liability insurance so yes, absolutely.

[GunmanAirsoft]

The exemption under section 37 of the VCR Act 2006 which applies to airsoft:

 

3.(1) It shall be a defence in proceedings for an offence under section 36 of the 2006 Act or under paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to that Act for the person charged with the offence to show that his conduct was for the purpose only of making the imitation firearm in question available for one or more of the purposes specified in paragraph (2).

(2) Those purposes are

(a)the organisation and holding of permitted activities for which public liability insurance is held in relation to liabilities to third parties arising from or in connection with the organisation and holding of those activities;

 

(b)the purposes of display at a permitted event.

 

Those exemptions apply to the 4 offenses under section 36:

 

(1)A person is guilty of an offence if

 

(a)he manufactures a realistic imitation firearm;

 

(b)he modifies an imitation firearm so that it becomes a realistic imitation firearm;

 

©he sells a realistic imitation firearm; or

 

(d)he brings a realistic imitation firearm into Great Britain or causes one to be brought into Great Britain.

 

The sale or purchase of Imitation Firearms to/by under 18s is prohibited by the Firearms Act and no exemption exists that I am aware of.

[Mos]

Haha, sweet. Sprayed already cheers

 

So if you don't use it at a proper insured site, you can't spray it.

 

But if used at a proper insured site, you can. That's slightly weird..

[Jedi_Master]

I still read this as NO under 18 shall have an IF converted into RIF because they have have no defence based on fact they cannot obtain UKARA defence (and also site membership?). Now if a site does give full membership to an under 18 then they have a form of defence. However, I still see the above relating to the site as the organiser and host - holder- not the player. Over 18 can buy an IF and once has valid defence convert to IF. The fact theat a RIF cannot be sold to a minor should be the limit on IF to RIF.

 

I would re-read and refer to the thread, http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/30369-ukara-question/?hl=imitation#entry235135 where post #17 by@Shizbazki "Stripping the paint or spray painting over the two tone: I would not recommend this as it will make you gun look tacky and could be considered contrary to the VCRA"

 

It is all down to interpretation. The problem is the whole VCRA is flawed and not tested in court in relation to airsoft. Personally I think that all under 18 should only have two-tone guns and any over 18 without a defence likewise. Once 18+ it is not difficult to play the 3 games in no less than 2 moths to get the defence to buy a RIF. If you have a bright coloured gun then cover it in camo tape for the gameday and remove it afterwards.

[Mos]

Yeah, my older brother takes me to games, infact he airsofts so just as I do.

 

but yeah. it's not particularly clear. They say stuff then, call false to that and say something else..

 

Might not even be that, it is just confusing.

 

like, people say "you can only get realistic gun if got defense wether it be UKARA or site memb"

 

then, but if you play at a proper site you can change your IF to RIF (if what I read was true)

Though this is not complying to a set of rules

 

maybe people get confused because of people who don't know 100 percent of what they're talking about. IE me. But the advice on here that I've read looks pretty good and is accepted by others so it must be true.

 

so you cant, but you can.

 

I thought you can't have a RIF if you don't have a defense (membership or UKARA) but if you turn up to a proper skirmish site, that's cool aswell though.

 

UKARA is only for the sellers protection? It is isn't it? so that's nothing to do with the user, once they have attained a RIF.

 

I just think as long as your dont cause any harm or trouble it's ok.. Or should be ok, but nowadays that's not acceptable, which is fair enough..

[Sacarathe]

Yeah, my older brother takes me to games, infact he airsofts so just as I do.

 

but yeah. it's not particularly clear. They say stuff then, call false to that and say something else..

 

Might not even be that, it is just confusing.

 

like, people say "you can only get realistic gun if got defense wether it be UKARA or site memb"

 

then, but if you play at a proper site you can change your IF to RIF (if what I read was true)

Though this is not complying to a set of rules

 

maybe people get confused because of people who don't know 100 percent of what they're talking about. IE me. But the advice on here that I've read looks pretty good and is accepted by others so it must be true.

 

so you cant, but you can.

 

I thought you can't have a RIF if you don't have a defense (membership or UKARA) but if you turn up to a proper skirmish site, that's cool aswell though.

 

UKARA is only for the sellers protection? It is isn't it? so that's nothing to do with the user, once they have attained a RIF.

 

I just think as long as your dont cause any harm or trouble it's ok.. Or should be ok, but nowadays that's not acceptable, which is fair enough..

There is an FAQ at the top of this forum...

[Mos]

There is an FAQ at the top of this forum...

Yes! Well that's the point.

 

I read the VCRA and it says you can't manufacture a RIF.

So by this understanding you can't spray paint an IF to make it look like a RIF

 

Yet it has been said you can under insured skirmish arenas.

I believe the people who said that.

 

But it is confusing, or to me anyway.

 

I may have missed some vital sentence, so yeah.

[Giliador]

You are not allowed to own RIF except for having a defense such us filming movies etc or by UKARA. I would not risk painting my gun without having UKARA even if you only use it for Skirmishes, how can it be established that you have defense without proof, one for example being UKARA. The whole law around RIF is poorly written and should be revised.

[Sacarathe]

Yes! Well that's the point.

 

I read the VCRA and it says you can't manufacture a RIF.

So by this understanding you can't spray paint an IF to make it look like a RIF

 

Yet it has been said you can under insured skirmish arenas.

I believe the people who said that.

 

But it is confusing, or to me anyway.

 

I may have missed some vital sentence, so yeah.

 

Seriously, you should read this thread again and several on the forum, but as you're not 18, its all irrelevant to you anyway...

 

You are not allowed to manufacture RIF except for having a defense such us filming movies etc or by UKARA. I would not risk painting my gun without having UKARA even if you only use it for Skirmishes, how can it be established that you have defense without proof, one for example being UKARA. The whole law around RIF is poorly written and should be revised.

 

Wrong - fixed it for you. Read the FAQ.

[Giliador]

 

Wrong - fixed it for you. Read the FAQ.

This complicate things even more,

 

As part of the VCRA, Airsoft skirmishers were given a ‘Defence from prosecution’, which effectively allows you to buy RIFs, if you can prove you are a regular skirmisher and use them for such at an approved site.

 

One of the main points to the defence is that must be a regular skirmisher at an ‘Approved Skirmish site’. This is defined as somewhere which holds public liability insurance for these events. To access this defense you must be a regular player at such a site, in order for them to vouch for you.

 

They need to define "regular" so someone hold UKARA and didn't attend any skirmishes for the past 11 months so he poses RIF illegally since he did not attend any activity which would grand him defence from prosecution.

Scenario 2 You visit site regular pay in cash and there is no record no witness that you have attended any of them, therefore you poses RIF illegally if you unable to prove otherwise.

[Sacarathe]

This complicate things even more,

 

No, it does not.

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/section/36

 

You're so far behind, UKARA is not the be all end all, ownership is not prohibited by law.

 

Now, Firearms Act 1968 s.19 is a different fish entirely - this is what you're talking about?

[Mack]

This complicate things even more,

 

 

 

 

 

They need to define "regular" so someone hold UKARA and didn't attend any skirmishes for the past 11 months so he poses RIF illegally since he did not attend any activity which would grand him defence from prosecution.

Scenario 2 You visit site regular pay in cash and there is no record no witness that you have attended any of them, therefore you poses RIF illegally if you unable to prove otherwise.

 

It's not illegal to own a RIF, it's not even illegal to buy one if your over 18

[Giliador]

From 1 October 2007, section 36 Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 created an offence to manufacture, bring into or cause to be brought into Great Britain, or sell realistic imitation firearms. It also made it an offence to modify an imitation firearm to make it realistic.

Section 37 relates to specific defences: this allows persons in the course of trade or business to import realistic imitation firearms for the purpose of modifying them to make them non-realistic. It also provides various defences if the realistic imitation firearm was available for:

a museum or gallery;

theatrical performances and rehearsals of such performances;

the production of films and television programmes;

the organisation and holding of historical re-enactments; or

crown servants.

and I was talking about owning not buying.

[Mack]

 

and I was talking about owning not buying.

 

 

Its not illegal to own one

[Giliador]

 

Its not illegal to own one

Without defence it is illegal, and here is the problem, I understand having museum, films and theater on the list, you have a justified reason that can be proven with document etc. When VCRA was introduced Airsoft skirmishes were not included on the list,this was later added by secretary of state. There should be separate section for Use of RIF for skirmishes. I know UKARA was adapted by shops as a valid defence, but there is nothing about UKARA in the VCRA so in theory you can visit shop with the letter from your local insured site saying you attend skirmishes regularly and therefore you have defence to buy RIF.

 

Gifting of RIF should be made illegal as well, If its ok to gift then I can open a shop and sell magazine for £200 with a free gift of RIF

[proffrink]

You're just realising that UKARA isn't the only form of defence, Giliador?

 

VCRA only covers the point of sale (apart from the bit about manufacturing).

 

Welcome to a common law legal system - laws are grey until they're applied in court. That's why we have case law. To date, no one that's owned an airsoft gun for legitimate use has been prosecuted and used their airsoft skirmishing as a defence, so we just don't know.

[Giliador]

UKARA is not form of defence, they established them self as a defence but according to VCRA its about regular use not about being registered with UKARA, just because your gun was purchased through UKARA shop it doesn't mean that your defence cannot be challenged in court I did touch law when I was in uni and this would be a perfect scenario for debate