SAVE THE AIRSOFT EXCEPTION

[proffrink]

I don't take slight to the thinly veiled accusation to ukapu just wanting to scare up members for cash, been doing it too long to worry. Its free to join and we absolutely do have a political agenda...keeping airsoft as we enjoy it and if anything relaxing the restrictions we have.

I don't think you'll find many people thinking that on here. Wouldn't worry.

[Yams]

Oh I don't, been asked so many times over the years by all sorts about "whats your angle", "what are you trying to get out of it" or similar shit. Some people don't get that you can do things for unselfish reasons or without having profit as the goal.

[Benneh]

From what I understand, Lord Shrewsbury isn't looking to make the amendment to the legislation; it's a probe. As the GTA is in his interests, he wants to know why the Airsoft community has such an exemption in place and what the outcome would be if that exemption were to be removed - ala his "amendment".

 

Whilst I think the UKAPU are right to make a large social fuss over the whole issue and bring it to the attention of the sport's community as much as possible, I think perhaps things have gotten a little too heated - the "angry" letters that people have been writing to the Lords being only one point. Encouraging people to contact Lords and MPs about this issue seems like a slight overreaction given that the current goal from Lord Shrewsbury is to understand and clarify why we have an exemption as stated under the (proposed change to the) Firearms Act, not out-and-out remove it. In the future, perhaps he may, but by his own admission this isn't something he is looking to be legislated at the moment.

[AndyGif290368]

I'd sort of be willing to have a formal licensing scheme imposed if we can keep the exception as it stands or better it..... not that I want to be hit with higher energy bb's!!!!!

{right, that will no doubt start a flame war, for daring to mention formal licensing}

[Mos]

So he wants to find out why we have that exception in the first place? The exception that allows us to have these more powerful snipers etc.

 

The exception stops are toys from becoming part of the section 5 firearm statement.

 

Right?

[proffrink]

snipers

Not again Mos

 

No, if I were to speculate he probably thinks 1J is more than enough for toy guns and it's not unreasonable to image he doesn't know much about airsoft. It's a niche after all.

[Mack]

Someone posting on Zeroin that the Lord has withdrawn his motion.

 

http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthread.php?278067-Fight-For-The-Future-Of-British-Airsoft!

[MrMcG]

Someone posting on Zeroin that the Lord has withdrawn his motion.

 

http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthread.php?278067-Fight-For-The-Future-Of-British-Airsoft!

i saw this trying to find source etc

[proffrink]

Yeh, wouldn't go mad until someone cites it properly.

[Mos]

Not again Mos

Oh darn. Ahaha.

 

Yeah I reckon that's what he thinks, most likely has little, or next to no experience in airsoft. Let's hope he withdraws.

[Mack]

Its finished

 

https://www.facebook.com/UKAPU

[Qlimax]

Just posted on Facebook.

 

We have some great news for UK airsoft this morning. Lord Shrewsbury of the GTA has voluntarily decided to withdraw his amendment in regards to the airsoft exception from the Policing and Crime Bill 2015/16. This is the best possible outcome for UK airsoft. Lord Shrewsbury tells us he better understands airsoft now that he is properly informed, and that he is extremely keen to work with us and move forwards as a part of a unified firearms community. Please get word out and apply the brakes on this campaign, there’s nothing we need to counteract right now, the airsoft exception is not being questioned, and we certainly don’t want at this stage to create fruitless hassle for our valuable new ally. So to clarify, tweets emails and letters to Lords and Lord Shrewsbury should stop now.

 

When asked to contribute to this campaign the response from the UK airsoft was phenomenal. You should feel proud of the good work you’ve put in. There was a tiny element that was abusive and even threatening towards Lord Shrewsbury and needless to say, this is totally unacceptable behaviour and counterproductive, we condemn this behaviour unreservedly. Those individuals have been reported to the Police and we hope that such individuals are subject to the full weight of the law. But on the whole we saw an overwhelming positive response. I even saw some Mums writing to representatives to say tell them that airsoft had been a huge force for good in their children’s lives. I’d also like to make you aware that the 3 UK airsoft associations have done a colossal amount (most of it behind the scenes) to get us this far, and will continue to work for you over the coming months, so please keep supporting them in turn. Another group which gave us huge support was real firearms shooters, and grass roots shooting organisations such as Firearms UK. There wasn’t anything at stake for real firearms people and yet they leapt to the defence of airsofters. Bear that in mind should you see the firearms community facing hardship in the future.

 

Things are not finished with the PCB by any means. We still have concerns that, even with the exception in place, if you unwittingly import a slightly hot fully auto AEG, or have your HPA or GBB replicas are tested at maxed out pressure and heavy ammo you could face section 5 firearms charges (5 years mandatory sentence), which would be wildly disproportionate and unacceptable, even if it only ever happens to one of us.

 

So we ask everyone to keep up to date with this Bill for the next few months and keep discussing it.

 

If you are still receiving replies from MPs and Lords, please continue to post them on the group so we can ‘map the ground’. This group is very well informed and a useful asset in itself. https://www.facebook.com/groups/UKairsoftlobby/

 

Be sure to Like UK Airsoft Players Union to keep up to date https://www.facebook.com/UKAPU/ but more importantly players should join UKAPU, so we can keep doing what we do http://www.ukapu.org.uk/join/

 

Airsoft Trade Body will have its website online soon so get involved if you run an airsoft business and want to safeguard it http://www.atb.org.uk/

 

Retailer membership of old stalwart UKARA is of course available from their website http://www.ukara.org.uk/index.php

 

Please like, comment and share.

 

Kind Regards,

Matt Furey-King, Frank Bothamly & Tim Wyborn

On behalf of UKAPU, UKARA & ATB

[djben9]

ok,, good news then .....i'll pop back to ebay and get some bits and continue to fill in my shotgun certificate renewal form skipping the firearm part now!!!... ..

 

and i was only in FS yesterday

[AndyGif290368]

But what do we do now with the flaming torches and pitchforks???

[Beethoven]

But what do we do now with the flaming torches and pitchforks???

We could always discuss the pros and cons of Brexit

[typefish]

But what do we do now with the flaming torches and pitchforks???

 

There's still the Section 5 issue...

[Shizbazki]

 

Shizbazki you dun goofed big timey: http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/29908-policing-and-crime-bill-2015-16/

 

Yep , my bad

 

I stand corrected! I looked at the main document but missed the amendments page (i blame that for being awake at 5am).

 

However i think the UKAPUs poster and webpage should have had links and references to the relevant documents and pages, even if they are difficult to read at least i would have had everything to make an informed decision.

 

Nonetheless we have managed to sway his Lordships opinion and that can only be a good thing for all of us.

[proffrink]

They have had - it's been discussed before on here.

 

Check their front page: http://www.ukapu.org.uk/

[Shizbazki]

They have had - it's been discussed before on here.

 

Check their front page: http://www.ukapu.org.uk/

 

True it was but only after i did some digging and having been refered to this:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2016-2017/0055/17055(e).pdf

 

The poster and main (in fact anything to do with the fight) page for the fight should have referred to the PCB and that specific link above to say, this is what the bill says, and this is his amendment

[n1ckh]

From a posting by airsoft action on Facebook. Turns out that Lord Shrewsbury has rescinded his amendment to airsofting as it was explained to him. If this true then our sport is safe until another numb nuts fucks up & puts the sport into jeopardy

[proffrink]

From a posting by airsoft action on Facebook. Turns out that Lord Shrewsbury has rescinded his amendment to airsofting as it was explained to him. If this true then our sport is safe until another numb nuts fucks up & puts the sport into jeopardy

We know - please see the posts before yours

 

True it was but only after i did some digging and having been refered to this:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2016-2017/0055/17055(e).pdf

 

The poster and main (in fact anything to do with the fight) page for the fight should have referred to the PCB and that specific link above to say, this is what the bill says, and this is his amendment

Look, I don't think it would be fair to bust your balls over such a well-natured mistake but the information was there. But don't think it's fair either to say the fault lays with UKAPU for not making it clear enough - they've done nothing but the best to make sure people stayed informed to the extent that's possible when dealing with social media. Their website is - whilst not the best thing in the world - pretty complete and at least semi-well divided up into articles.

[Shizbazki]

Look, I don't think it would be fair to bust your balls over such a well-natured mistake but the information was there. I don't think it's fair to say the fault lays with UKAPU for not making it clean enough - they've done nothing but the best to make sure people stayed informed to the extent that's possible when dealing with social media. Their website is - whilst not the best thing in the world - pretty complete and at least semi-well divided up into articles.

 

Anyways whats done is done we fought we won

 

I would have hated to enforce that Law anyways being that i do Airsoft, have a HPA gun all the while being as the kids would call it a "Fed", I would have had to nick and present myself to custody, now that would have been interesting

[Beethoven]

Out of curiosity, I looked for information in Wiki and elsewhere on Lord Shrewsbury (or the Earl of Shrewsbury, to give him his proper title). He seems like a decent cove and the fact that he has withdrawn his amendment is much to his credit. A lesser man might have carried on regardless out of sheer obstinacy or bloodymindedness, so thank you, Lord S.

 

I couldn't help noticing the irony though that someone keen on shooting lethal weapons (presumably at animals) was proposing an amendment which would have placed curbs on non-lethal replicas of weapons which are specifically designed not to cause harm to anyone.

[proffrink]

This was a probing amendment that was meant only to get answers and not to actually end up being voted in (or so he says). House of Lords does it all of the time. He could have saved himself a lot of trouble by asking the gun lobby, being referred ultimately to UKAPU and then having it explained to him but hey.

 

Something tells me the holiday he'd just taken had something to do with this never being properly discussed too (see the emails shared on ZeroIn).

[Jason8]

Great news to wake up to. Doesn't look good for anyone who was abusive or threatening to Lord S seeing the post cat UKAPU, they've been reported to the police, and quite rightly so. I would like to think that our sport has been represented and listened to in a credible manner by the right people. So that we are seen not as crackpot types, but credible and responsible people in pursuit and support of an always potentially volatile hobby.