Speedbird_666 Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 Moan all you want about VCRA/UKARA/Two-Tones etc. - we don't have it as bad as Australians. The Gel-blaster business has just been decimated overnight in South Australia with new law changes. In summary: It is an offence to possess a gel blaster without a license. It is an offence to possess an unregistered gel blaster. The sale and possession of gel blasters becomes regulated. They will be subject to licensing and control. If a person or business does not wish to become licensed then it will become illegal for them to sell or possess a gel blaster Obtaining a Firearms license isn't a trivial task either. Between now and April '21 (end of the amnesty period), you can't even take one out of your house, let alone to a skirmish site, without a Firearms License. I just hope we can keep our heads down and that our politicians are too busy with Brexit/Covid to notice what's going on 'down under'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarrin Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 Damn, I wonder if the type of firearms license they will deem necessary is the same type you need to own an actual firearm; pretty messed up if it is. The thing that disturbs me most about that notice is the position of that carry handle and the absence of the lower quad rail - I am well and truly triggered right now. 😏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedbird_666 Posted October 9, 2020 Author Share Posted October 9, 2020 17 minutes ago, Zarrin said: Damn, I wonder if the type of firearms license they will deem necessary is the same type you need to own an actual firearm; pretty messed up if it is. The thing that disturbs me most about that notice is the position of that carry handle and the absence of the lower quad rail - I am well and truly triggered right now. 😏 Sounds like it's going to require a Category A License, which includes: Air rifles Blank-fire firearms at least 75 cm in length Rim-fire rifles (other than self-loading rim-fire rifles) Shotguns (other than pump-action or self-loading shotguns) (this includes lever-action shotguns) Break-action shotgun/rim-fire rifle combination firearms You would also have to attend a mandatory 'safe handling, carriage and use of firearms' course, which I heard (so could be wrong) is around $200 AUD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStew Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 I know it's an additional expense but a licence is legal recognition which i personally feel is preferable to our current state where law makers can turn round and just ban airsoft at the drop of a hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedbird_666 Posted October 9, 2020 Author Share Posted October 9, 2020 2 minutes ago, BigStew said: our current state where law makers can turn round and just ban airsoft at the drop of a hat. Like they did with Self-loading rifles and handguns in the UK? A license means nothing when it comes to bans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStew Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 12 minutes ago, Speedbird_666 said: Like they did with Self-loading rifles and handguns in the UK? A license means nothing when it comes to bans. that required an actual law change and to be blunt multiple murders to instigate the change. At the moment the home secretary could wake up and say no more airsoft. official legal recognition has got to be better than the grey area we are in at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedbird_666 Posted October 9, 2020 Author Share Posted October 9, 2020 3 minutes ago, BigStew said: that required an actual law change and to be blunt multiple murders to instigate the change. At the moment the home secretary could wake up and say no more airsoft. official legal recognition has got to be better than the grey area we are in at the moment. Ok, so if licensed, Airsoft would take take a few weeks/months to ban, instead of a few hours/days. A ban is still a ban. Very few politicians would be willing to stick their neck out to defend a bunch of LARPers shooting plastic balls at each other in either scenario. In the mean time, the barrier to entry will be raised so high (assuming we follow Australia's model of a firearms license) that many individuals won't bother applying for said license, and the UK airsoft industry will slowly die out. For example, how many airsofters fall into one of these categories (taken from UK police guidance) 2.28 Relevant medical conditions include: (i) Acute Stress Reaction or an acute reaction to the stress caused by a trauma; (ii) suicidal thoughts or self-harm; (iii)depression or anxiety; (iv)dementia; (v)mania, bipolar disorder or a psychotic illness; (vi)a personality disorder; (vii)a neurological condition: for example, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s or Huntington’s diseases, or epilepsy; (viii)alcohol or drug abuse; and (ix)any other mental or physical condition which may affect the safe possession of firearms or shotguns. Any of the above could be grounds for refusal. Maybe the Government devises a lesser form of License and throw airguns in with it? Will they be willing to put the infrastructure in place to do such a thing? Who will foot the bill? (Hint: us) Maybe long term Two-tones will become mandatory. Maybe Speedsoft will become the future of Airsoft. Lots of maybes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tackle Posted October 9, 2020 Moderators Share Posted October 9, 2020 A structured licensing system would definitely be an improvement, so long as it recognises the fact that in the scheme of things Airsoft "guns" are technically the least powerful of the shooting sports with no lethal capabilities, & therefore qualifying needn't be as stringent. At least that way we wouldn't get tarred with the same brush when someone is killed with a full power air rifle etc, obviously we're not covered against idiots waving them round on street corners, but every one knows you can't fix stupid 😏. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters Rogerborg Posted October 9, 2020 Supporters Share Posted October 9, 2020 2 hours ago, BigStew said: a licence is legal recognition It's also a register of who's got them, which is a concern for real steel Murcan liberty-tree-waterers. Not so much an issue for us since (with a few unfortunate exceptions which popped up in the videos section) we're all playing at insured sites. They could easily enough ruin our fun by shutting down the sites through fair means or foul, leaving us with collections but nowhere to use them. I'm enjoying airsoft while it lasts, but I do think that the UK will go the way of Convict Island soon enough, with Scotland being the first to stamp on our fun, as soon as Queen Nicola has the authority and legislative time to get it done. I'd imagine that we'll be caught up in the existing air-gun licence scheme initially, which won't be so bad... but that's what the frog always says about its hot tub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommikka Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 Australia’s laws on guns and gun like objects have been very strict for years - just like in the UK they were implemented due to mass shootings The importers of gel blasters in Australia knew exactly what they were doing. This establishes the position of gel blasters in law. There is a lot of fear mongering among all the shooting communities, often triggered by an event in the news: Its an outrage, it only takes one of these for the politicians to ban x However if you look at more recent legislation in the UK, there is now an explicit statement that an airsoft gun that is compliant with the power restrictions is not a firearm. This shows the opposite of fear mongering. There are politicians who are anti anything that’s a gun, but in many decades they have not banned airsoft, paintball or gel blasters. There are retailers in the UK selling RIF gel blasters and stating that they are magically exempt from legislation with no reason behind that. Currently in the UK a compliant airsoft gun has been fully excluded from firearms legislation, and needs only to comply with the VCRA for RIF or IF status. Previously airsoft was a low powered air weapon Paintball remains a low powered air weapon designed to fire frangible projectiles, and has many grey areas, ramp up the power and its an illegal low power air weapon, load a rubber ball and it’s an unlicenced firearm, look at the VCRA and it’s 50/50 as to whether a realistic or just black paintball gun is a RIF or it is exempt because it’s a low powered air weapon Be aware of legislation locally and around the world, but don’t panic, just be sensible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamal Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 3 hours ago, BigStew said: I know it's an additional expense but a licence is legal recognition which i personally feel is preferable to our current state where law makers can turn round and just ban airsoft at the drop of a hat. Just like after dunblane you mean where tens of thousand of legally licensed hand gun owners had to hand all their guns in for destruction. The powers that be can do what they like when they like regardless of what paperwork you have ☹ Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStew Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 again that required a change in the law and had overwhelming cross party support. the protection airsofter have at the moment can literally be taken away on a whim of one minister anything has got to be better than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamal Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 2 hours ago, BigStew said: the protection airsofter have at the moment can literally be taken away on a whim of one minister Which is exactly why I support,by way of a membership fee,the work done by Ukapu. They have a finger on the pulse and work with government bodies and big name politicians in order to keep us playing.But for their work,I wonder what we would be doing now? But I do wonder sometimes how much longer we can continue as we are.☹ Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawyer Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 Was discussing this with a friend the other day. I've got so much money tied up in RIFs, I keep thinking I should sell them, rather than be out of pocket in a couple of years or less when airsoft eventually gets banned. All it is going to take is a couple of incidents of idiots with replicas, or one with fatal consequences and RIFs will be illegal faster than any of our previous firearm bans. Mind you, if you've got an FAC, maybe you can get an "Airsoft" slot. I'd happily have that. A bit like an SGC, you can own as many as you've got safe storage for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommikka Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 24 minutes ago, Shamal said: Which is exactly why I support,by way of a membership fee,the work done by Ukapu. They have a finger on the pulse and work with government bodies and big name politicians in order to keep us playing.But for their work,I wonder what we would be doing now? But I do wonder sometimes how much longer we can continue as we are.☹ Regards Ditto for paintball and the UKPSF Unseen they deal with the Home Office and police, occasionally seen they deal with the media (A retraction from the Sun, even though it was a tiny corner of the paper), getting official testing recognising a non standard projectile, formal Home Office response on paintball vs the VCRA, getting paintball named in Covid guidance and providing support to sites on covid requirements etc Support the people who support your hobbies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamal Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 17 minutes ago, Tommikka said: Support the people who support your hobbies Well said 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters Rogerborg Posted October 9, 2020 Supporters Share Posted October 9, 2020 9 hours ago, Tommikka said: However if you look at more recent legislation in the UK, there is now an explicit statement that an airsoft gun that is compliant with the power restrictions is not a firearm. As long as we're aware that compliant doesn't mean with a 0.2g plastic BB. It's "any missile" that the State wants to drop in there, up to a steel or lead BB, with the hop off. And HPA "tournament locks" are nice for game days, but they don't alter what the toy is "capable of". On the issue of realistic imitation firearms, we're skating on ice thinner than a politician's promise. Airsoft is a defence for purchasing only because of a Home Office advisory circular with no name on it. That could end at any moment without even secondary, let alone primary, legislation. Don't find excuses not to play while we can, is the nub of my gist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackCommandoUnit1972 Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 On a slightly different tangent. You can buy gel basters in the UK from Amazon in various 'realistic' colours. Would they considered to be RIFs? Not seen a gel blaster close up but for the price they are going for I take it they look and feel very much like a toy. Just found this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitmanNo2 Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 Of course they're RIFs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziCk_ Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 I feel sorry for them but at the same time they deserve it - it not like they didn’t vote for their government. But man, license of fucking toys? Coming from mainland Europe I already thought UK restrictions were a joke but Australia is in another dimension entirely. They even can’t have new Rival nerf guns... like, who in their right mind makes these laws? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommikka Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 On 27/10/2020 at 15:18, CrackCommandoUnit1972 said: On a slightly different tangent. You can buy gel basters in the UK from Amazon in various 'realistic' colours. Would they considered to be RIFs? Not seen a gel blaster close up but for the price they are going for I take it they look and feel very much like a toy. Just found this. They are RIFs The UK retailers selling without VCRA style restrictions or as IFs are being ignorant or blatantly ignoring the law - just as was done in Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padraigthesniper Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 Absolute madness australia has always had bad goverment policies. First they censor films and video games now they cant handle toys called gel blasters lol How is a gel blaster threatening at all? The arguement that it looks too realistic could be nullified by having something similar to the defense and UKARA system over here. Or just have all of them forceably orange tipped and two toned. Such sadness for australians, people are way too scared nowadays. How many gel blaster robberys have they had? if it isnt in the thousands they are completly cooko for ruining another sport. They must lose theyre minds at the idea of real guns, i wonder why they dont replace theyre military and police weapons with Japanese body pillows with censored anime girls on the front to be more good and nice lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedbird_666 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 6 hours ago, padraigthesniper said: Or just have all of them forceably orange tipped and two toned. Such sadness for australians, people are way too scared nowadays. It's because it uses compressed gas to propel the projectile - in this case the forward movement of a piston in a cylinder. They've even banned certain Nerf guns due to this. I'm sure the 'look' of them doesn't help though, they probably have laws for that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommikka Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 7 hours ago, padraigthesniper said: The arguement that it looks too realistic could be nullified by having something similar to the defense and UKARA system over here. They have an equivalent system, it’s their lowest classification of firearms licence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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