Gun That Looks Like Lego, Theoretical VCRA Impact?

[John_W]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57832053

OK, applying the letter of the law, if this is a real firearm, do you break the VCRA by building a LEGO gun?

[Shamal]

It's silly.

Is it a real steel/plastic gun?

If it is,would any self respecting club member actually buy it to use, or purely just to get some laughs or five minutes of attention?

Looks very uncomfortable though.

Regards 

[Tackle]

It's gonna be a short lived gimmick, most self respecting rs shooters wouldn't touch it, & I suspect the company behind it will soon stop production when Lego's legal team get heavy, which they will😏

Plus wonder what Glock themselves think about it ?, it's one thing to customise kit for your own use but marketing controversial products on the back of glocks name might trigger a shitstorm, especially if someone gets capped with one in an unlawful shooting.

[EDcase]

I can imagine gangs will relish the idea of having a deadly weapon they can dump onto a kid after killing a rival.

It gives way more work for the police who have to check every Lego or Nerf gun they come across.

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by EDcase

[Adolf Hamster]

haven't they already folded to lego's lawyers?

 

the vrca seems to be more about "looks like a gun" than anything else, and that's to average joe public rather than anyone who's enough of a gun nerd to go "well akshually......".

 

there's already precedent for real guns that would (in an airsoft version) qualify as vrca exempt (basically everything 3-gun) and likewise airsoft pews that would convince joe public (eg the aps uar)

 

this is neither the first nor last bad pun to come out of america anyway.

[Shamal]

I think I would be bricking it if someone pointed it at me!😉

After its been round the block a few times people will soon leggo of it.

 

I'll get me hat......👋

[Tommikka]

1 hour ago, John_W said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57832053

OK, applying the letter of the law, if this is a real firearm, do you break the VCRA by building a LEGO gun?

No.

For VCRA purposes an airsoft pistol that looked like that would still qualify as an IF.

 

The legislation does not define a RIF as ‘looks like an actual gun’ but more of ‘looks like a gun to Joe Bloggs, unless it’s below a size, too old a design or >50% of specified bright colours’

 

No matter what colour it is the genuine lego style pistol is a firearm, and a lookalike airsoft pistol would be an IF

 

Chavvy McChavface doesn’t want a real gun to look like a toy, he wants it to look like a gun and intimidate so that he doesn’t actually have to shoot the guy behind the till for a few hundred pounds 

[remus]

depends on the intent of gangs, much as i doubt many british gangs will get their hands on such but they may end up thinking gun looks like a toy, get a kid to do a hit and run, gun looks like toy easier to get kid to do. gets a real looking gun after first hit... all depends on gang mentality. here the paramilitarys would do it themselves and want it to be a show of force so i doubt our glamourous fellows would want such... 

course how hard would it be to gut a nerf gun and put a generic firearm inside?

[Adolf Hamster]

1 hour ago, Shamal said:

I think I would be bricking it if someone pointed it at me!😉

After its been round the block a few times people will soon leggo of it.

 

I'll get me hat......👋

 

i'd join the pun game but i feel a mental block coming on, i'd better lego of the idea of punmanship for today because the idea of making a fool out of myself has me bricking it.

 

 

[Rogerborg]

1 hour ago, Tommikka said:

The legislation does not define a RIF as ‘looks like an actual gun’ but more of ‘looks like a gun to Joe Bloggs'

 

We've been over this several times, and I'm yet again going to have to point out, with reference to the actual wording of the legislation, that the VCRA (as opposed to the Firearms Act) does indeed say "looks like an actual gun", or words to that specific effect.

 

It uses the word "actual" twice, ackchyually: "a firearm of an actual make or model of modern firearm (whether existing or discontinued)" and "something falling within a description which could be used for identifying, by reference to their appearance, the firearms falling within a category of actual modern firearms which, even though they include firearms of different makes or models (whether existing or discontinued) or both, all have the same or a similar appearance."

 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/section/38

 

So, yes, this was a real modern firearm that existed for 5 minutes, and even though it's been discontinued, technically speaking if you made something that looked like it, then it would be a VCRA realistic imitation firearm.

 

The real challenge would be persuading anyone to prosecute you for selling, importing, manufacturing, or modifying-into one.  I'm not aware of anyone actually being prosecuted or convicted under VCRA 2006 S36, ever, but as always I would welcome seeing some case law.

[John_W]

There was an FOI request a few years back. I believe there have been a massive 18 prosecutions.

[Tommikka]

1 hour ago, Rogerborg said:

 

We've been over this several times, and I'm yet again going to have to point out, with reference to the actual wording of the legislation, that the VCRA (as opposed to the Firearms Act) does indeed say "looks like an actual gun", or words to that specific effect.

 

It uses the word "actual" twice, ackchyually: "a firearm of an actual make or model of modern firearm (whether existing or discontinued)" and "something falling within a description which could be used for identifying, by reference to their appearance, the firearms falling within a category of actual modern firearms which, even though they include firearms of different makes or models (whether existing or discontinued) or both, all have the same or a similar appearance."

 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/section/38

 

So, yes, this was a real modern firearm that existed for 5 minutes, and even though it's been discontinued, technically speaking if you made something that looked like it, then it would be a VCRA realistic imitation firearm.

 

The real challenge would be persuading anyone to prosecute you for selling, importing, manufacturing, or modifying-into one.  I'm not aware of anyone actually being prosecuted or convicted under VCRA 2006 S36, ever, but as always I would welcome seeing some case law.

Damn - you’ve beaten me this time!

 

Usually it’s been the opposite argument such as an airgun is a firearm and not an imitation. (Which we’ll continue to disagree on)

 

But this time you’re right - a Lego IF will now be a RIF 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Tommikka