Bringing my Airsoft replica to the UK and comply to UK'S VCRA - Is my gun orange enough?

[Flo-con]

Hi all,

 

I'm new here. But I've been an airsoft skirmisher in France for close to 10 years (and I was playing with airsoft guns years before that).

Now because of work I'm moving to London and I would like to take my airsoft gun with.

From what I read, to comply with the VCRA, painting my airsoft gun in a bright color should keep me out of trouble in case the border force inspected the moving truck.

But the question is, is it enough? Obviously I wanted to avoid painting the whole thing in orange so I bought spare parts that I painted. I will swap back to the old parts as soon as I have my UKARA.

 

 

Thanks all. Looking forward to meeting you in the field in the UK

 

Full disclosure: I've posted this on a couple other forums. My move is really soon and I'm a little freaked out about this. I only found out about VCRA a few days ago.

[Guest]

Bring something with you that proves you’ve skirmished before, like receipts or photos and you won’t have a problem, assuming you even get stopped, which isn’t very likely 

[Tommikka]

You need “over 50%” to be a bright colour:

 

• transparent
• bright red
• bright orange
• bright blue
• bright yellow
• bright green
• bright pink
• bright purple

From the look of it I think it covers enough, but the photo doesn’t look bright

They will probably be satisfied but if it’s not very bright in life then try another coat of something lighter

 

 

 

[Flo-con]

Thanks, I will paint a grip in orange and probably give the rest another coat.

[Jez_Armstrong]

Sorry but you own the gun already and you play, the gun can be all black

[Gepard]

 

30 minutes ago, Flo-con said:

Thanks, I will paint a grip in orange and probably give the rest another coat.

 

No need to paint the grip. As it stands your gun is two tone. 

[Jez_Armstrong]

Why is it wrong, he isnt buying a gun in the uk, he already owns it

 

so why does it need to be 51%

[Gepard]

2 minutes ago, Jez_Armstrong said:

Why is it wrong, he isnt buying a gun in the uk, he already owns it

 

so why does it need to be 51%

 

No, you're right. I didn't read the thread properly before replying. 

[Flo-con]

Well my understanding is that I would be importing the RIF from France into the UK and doing so would be illegal without defense which I don't have.

[Jez_Armstrong]

The only downside i see to this is, that it could be classed as importing , is your stay permanent or do you have a return date?

 

then you may need a defense to import, but once its here it can be black

[Gepard]

I'm unsure now. I've read conflicting things from different threads. 

 

A defense could be just a photo of you playing Airsoft or some documentation from a game you played. Whether or not customs would accept it would depend on what mood they're in. Once the gun is in the UK there's no problem, but the import is where the trouble lies. 

 

You know what I'm going to just shut up and let others tackle this stuff because I clearly need to read up about it myself. 

[Jez_Armstrong]

Yeah, in reality he will probably need to make it 51% to bring it here if he doesn't hold a defense in the UK, then join a site here to gain membership to cover him to convert it back to a RIF

 

Have you spoken to your carrier/Airline/Ferry about bringing it over?

[Flo-con]

7 minutes ago, Jez_Armstrong said:

The only downside i see to this is, that it could be classed as importing , is your stay permanent or do you have a return date?

 

then you may need a defense to import, but once its here it can be black

 

I have no return date.

That's why I thought I would need a defense as I would be importing a RIF. So I tried turning it into a IF. And I'm hoping I was successful in doing so.

 

 

[Jez_Armstrong]

Ok, your best bet is to speak to whoever you are traveling with to see what they say, also speak to customs

 

I was always under the assumption if you own the gun already then it doesn't need to be 51% a bright colour, im also unaware of the french rules, do you guys have to have any limitations to owning an all black gun and do you have a defense scheme there?

[Flo-con]

1 minute ago, Jez_Armstrong said:

Yeah, in reality he will probably need to make it 51% to bring it here if he doesn't hold a defense in the UK, then join a site here to gain membership to cover him to convert it back to a RIF

 

Have you spoken to your carrier/Airline/Ferry about bringing it over?

It will be coming in a moving company's truck and through the eurotunnel.

 

I wasn't planning on telling the moving company as I thought they might not understand. And to my knowledge I wouldn't be doing anything illegal as long as the gun was two-toned.

But the more I think about it, the more I'm thinking I should wait and have it sent to me when I am UKARA registered... I don't like taking a risk with my moving.

[Jez_Armstrong]

Is it just the one gun? it cant hurt to ask them about it as im sure its probably not the first time

[Flo-con]

Just now, Jez_Armstrong said:

Ok, your best bet is to speak to whoever you are traveling with to see what they say, also speak to customs

 

I was always under the assumption if you own the gun already then it doesn't need to be 51% a bright colour, im also unaware of the french rules, do you guys have to have any limitations to owning an all black gun and do you have a defense scheme there?

 

In France, we have no restriction (so far) in owning a realistic looking gun.

I will try emailing UK customs...

[Jez_Armstrong]

I would because in the UK you only need a defense to buy a gun, not own it

 

But it does hit a sort of grey area in regards to importing, Like i say you own the gun and you dont need a defense to own only to buy, but you are importing

 

 

[Gepard]

I've been researching this topic to get more informed and found this thread: 

 

What I gathered was now that you have converted your RIF into a IF you no longer need a defense to import it. 

[SCAR_Jester]

I have had a friend travel to and from the US with his RIF, just in case he was asked, he had a print out of (like above) dates he played at certain sites for customs to check against, his UKARA number etc.
He needed none of this, unless you ship the gun, chances are UK customs won't get involved.

 

He contacted ahead of time he was bringing the RIF and they said just declare it on entry to the airport, which he did.

He was taken aside with a firearms officer to check the gun, 2 second job, he looked, he was happy and shut and locked the HARD CASE.

After that point I don't know the process, I assume that the case will be labeled as the contents with the officer's sign off, give it to the front desk and jump on your plane  

 

TL;DR Talk to your local airport and arrival airport, they will explain the usual process, also you do not need a two-tone.

(So long as it is within 1.3J on auto or semi if above, then it's fine, which I think is the same limits or similar to France's?)

 

Hope this helped 

 

[EDIT] - I do not know if my mate did anything with border force / customs but he may have! Best just to email everyone and have a wee chat.

[Flo-con]

I have just emailed HM Revenue & Customs, not sure it's the right people to contact about this.

 

Thanks for the info Corky2010. The gun would actually be entering the UK through the Eurotunnel in the moving van of a moving company.

 

And thanks Gepard, this is actually where I got the idea of painting parts in orange, I didn't remember where I read that ^^

 

Probably it is best I warn the moving company that the gun will be in there.

[Druid799]

Think you’d need to contact the boarder agency for this not HMRC 

[SCAR_Jester]

4 minutes ago, Flo-con said:

I have just emailed HM Revenue & Customs, not sure it's the right people to contact about this.

 

Thanks for the info Corky2010. The gun would actually be entering the UK through the Eurotunnel in the moving van of a moving company.

 

And thanks Gepard, this is actually where I got the idea of painting parts in orange, I didn't remember where I read that ^^

 

Probably it is best I warn the moving company that the gun will be in there.

Word yourself carefully when you tell them, explain in painful detail what it is and even show them if they want and prove that they won't have issues with border force (emails or a visit from a firearms officer in your country?).

They could be picky if you just say "Yeah there's a fake gun in the back, have fun with the UK border force!  "

[Flo-con]

I was careful and was clear about wanting to fully comply with the law

 

Looks to me like UK Border Agency is more for Visa and Immigration purposes :/

Hard to find a clear answer as to who contact about this matter I was following the link here https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/customs-international-trade-and-excise-enquiries

[Rogerborg]

If it were me I'd fully disassemble it, scatter the parts across different boxes, and not say a word.  You're not going to be stopped, they're not going to tear apart your entire belongings, and even if they do, where's the realistic imitation firearm?