Another RIF incident in the news... Its only a matter of time now

[Oneshotscott]

https://news.sky.com/story/west-midlands-police-officer-says-he-feared-for-his-life-as-suspect-pointed-gun-in-his-face-12411074

 

These incidents have become more frequent and I feel that it will not be long before parliamentary steps are taken get RIFs off our streets. 

 

I wonder what UKARA are doing to try to reduce the fate of this hobby.  Maybe we should keep our RIFs locked up on our local sites or our local police station... 

[Shamal]

It's getting that way but ukapu will hopefully be working to placate the men in high places.

But this sort of thing does not help them 🤔

 

I don't think I would like being parted from my gnus but whatever it takes I quess 🥺

[Leonine]

It’s the case of the minority ruin it for majority. But then I could go on to say knife crime is much worse so should we all hand in our sharp kitchen knifes and steak knifes and just have butter knifes. 
 

I believe that maybe a symbol or something like an object should be on all airsoft BB guns to show they are Bbs visible to the police instead of being proper replicas of real life guns. 
 

 

[Oneshotscott]

Like.. Ermmm.. TWO TONE..... yikes 

[Guest]

31 minutes ago, Leonine said:

I believe that maybe a symbol or something like an object should be on all airsoft BB guns to show they are Bbs visible to the police instead of being proper replicas of real life guns. 

Won’t work, crims can’t be trusted not to do the same to real weapons, and to be visible at a practical distance it would need to be massive

[Ad_]

42 minutes ago, Leonine said:

It’s the case of the minority ruin it for majority. But then I could go on to say knife crime is much worse so should we all hand in our sharp kitchen knifes and steak knifes and just have butter knifes. 

 

Coming soon: the "Knives Bill", which introduces new restrictions for all knives and a licensing and registration requirement for all blades longer than 3", with a special "section 1" knife license required for knives with pointy ends... 😛

 

43 minutes ago, Leonine said:

I believe that maybe a symbol or something like an object should be on all airsoft BB guns to show they are Bbs visible to the police instead of being proper replicas of real life guns.

 

Nothing to stop criminals grabbing a can of spray paint & covering them up. Or doing the opposite and putting false markings on real guns to make police hesitate if they're caught with them, and/or to make it easier for kids being used as gun mules to go unnoticed.

[Leonine]

Not the smartest idea 🤔😂 Alternative is to ban the use of resale through private channels but uno that can be exlploited too but then so can getting rid of guns altogether. you can’t win I guess 😂

[Shamal]

It's all very simple really.

Anyone out with anything resembling a gun just shoot the feckers! 

I'm not gonna be shot cause I'm a responsible owner.

 

Stand by for take off......lol

 

 

[AirSniper]

3 hours ago, Oneshotscott said:

https://news.sky.com/story/west-midlands-police-officer-says-he-feared-for-his-life-as-suspect-pointed-gun-in-his-face-12411074

 

These incidents have become more frequent and I feel that it will not be long before parliamentary steps are taken get RIFs off our streets. 

 

I wonder what UKARA are doing to try to reduce the fate of this hobby.  Maybe we should keep our RIFs locked up on our local sites or our local police station... 

Simple, each RIF has to have a serial number and it is registered to that individual like in an RFD the RIF is passed from the shop as owner to the client that purchased and if they want to sell, to be sold via any shop that deals with RIF's and stop selling privately as that is how these things end up in idiots hands.

Theft is another way, people should stow their equipment in gun cabinets that are bolted to a sturdy wall and only brought out to play when needed.

As long as selling a RIF has to be done via a broker or a shop, then you safeguard from these things ending up being used in criminal activity.

Making it an offence to possess one that is not registered to you or family member, who would be responsible for that individual RIF and should not be allowing unauthorised use of the RIF.

Loopholes can be closed with legislation and strict controls on the sale or movement, as long as responsible players comply, the sport lives on, otherwise, these individuals are only going to spoil it for thousands of people who find the sport invaluable. If it comes to it, the game could become close membership situation like when gun clubs close their doors to new membership, sites may do just that, shutter its doors to all new members.

IMHO the guy needs to be given 10 years minimum as a warning and example to others who would think of using RIF's or Imitation firearms in criminal activity.

[Oneshotscott]

There are some ok ideas but I think my ideas of a secure/policed storage of all RIFS maybe the only way IF it comes to it.  Criminals cannot get around these ideas unless the airsoft site owners storage is burgled of course.  Ban TWO TONES (they can be sprayed black after all right?) as they can be purchased with anyone age permitting and use a more secure sale process (like a registered database, similar to Airsnipers point) rather than the current system.  

 

I would be happy to hand my RIFS into a RIF armoury/police station before a game and straight afterwards.  As for maintenance I would expect the sites to conjure up a facility where secure maintenance can be carried out under supervision of some sort.  Realistically of course the police won't want anything to do with it and they're overstretched as they are so this would need to arranged through UKARA, parliament and the brilliant airsoft sites throughout the UK.

 

But if im honest non of the above would would be approved due to the financial implications, it would be easier for MP's to vote on simply banning them and therefore eradicating the problem.

2 hours ago, AirSniper said:

IMHO the guy needs to be given 10 years minimum as a warning and example to others who would think of using RIF's or Imitation firearms in criminal activity.

 

To deter these muppets it would take an officer to actually shoot one.  To most criminals, ten years means 5 years playing COD in a warm cosy bed whilst learning new methods to carry out unlawful acts upon their release (I don't mean to generalise so apologies if it come across this way).  I like your ideas regarding moving the sales and ownership of a RIF to almost mirror that of an actual firearm in the uk.

 

I really hope this is the last time I see this kind of thing in the mainstream media or I may sell up before the ban is made public (we won't be given any warning or reimbursement for all of our toys etc). 

 

Hmmm the freedom of information act....I wonder how many RIF incidents there has been each year for the past decade? is it linear or on a progressive surge? I might look into this if I get the time.

 

 

[MadMole]

That was a BB air pistol by looks, not Airsoft

[Ad_]

If a criminal wants a fake gun that looks real enough to commit a crime with then they don't need anything that looks even close to what we use. They could easily make something that looks realistic enough (or even easier than that they could simply buy an airgun that's just as realistic-looking as any of our RIFs), so imposing any further restrictions would be utterly pointless.

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

Sticking your hand up the front of your jumper and pointing an index finger at someone won't be stopped by any law, and it would be impossible for anyone to tell whether it was said finger or the muzzle of a pistol. 

 

John Dillinger used a wooden 'pistol' dyed with boot polish to escape a high security prison.  It is not possible to pass laws that cannot be ignored, technological knowledge, or human ingenuity.  

 

 

[Rogerborg]

7 hours ago, Oneshotscott said:

Maybe we should keep our RIFs locked up on our local sites or our local police station... 

 

Maybe whoever sold a RIF to that obvious mental case should be prosecuted, convicted and sentenced.

 

The law-abiding majority are not the problem, and nothing that we do will stop mentalists from abusing the law.

[Adolf Hamster]

5 hours ago, Shamal said:

Stand by for take off......lol

 

tbh i'm kinda surprised someone hasn't been shot for pulling this kind of stunt already, although it feels like its only a matter of time before someone seems credible enough to catch a bullet for this sort of thing. play stupid games win stupid prizes i just hope when it happens the poor officer involved doesn't spend too long in that blender known as the court of public opinion.

 

you make a solid point about being sensible, i've bumped into police RIF in hand all of twice in my airsofting career, funny enough nothing came of it as both times were on site mid game day.....

 

problem is a lot of the public need no more reason than to know gun-shaped-objects exist to want to get rid of them and that kind of press is never going to end well for us.

 

3 hours ago, AirSniper said:

as long as responsible players comply, the sport lives on

 

i get the sentiment, but whilst such strict controls might not kill airsoft, it will massively impact the number of players to the point it might as well kill it off.

 

part of the attraction for airsoft for a lot of people is the accessibility and lack of paperwork compared to traditional shooting sports.

[Rogerborg]

1 hour ago, Adolf Hamster said:

tbh i'm kinda surprised someone hasn't been shot for pulling this kind of stunt already

 

It seems like our firearms coppers are well aware that most Realistic Firearms out there are actually Realistic Imitation Firearms.  The folk that get (rightfully) slotted are those who are actually shooting live rounds.

 

When gun-Dibble rocks up and finds some Joey giving it "I'll shoot yers, I'l do it, I'll shoot all of yers", they seem inclined to say "ORLY?  Have a beanbag to the ballbag, and let's find out".  Well done to them for that.

 

 

[Adolf Hamster]

33 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

 

It seems like our firearms coppers are well aware that most Realistic Firearms out there are actually Realistic Imitation Firearms.  The folk that get (rightfully) slotted are those who are actually shooting live rounds.

 

When gun-Dibble rocks up and finds some Joey giving it "I'll shoot yers, I'l do it, I'll shoot all of yers", they seem inclined to say "ORLY?  Have a beanbag to the ballbag, and let's find out".  Well done to them for that.

 

i guess the problem lies in the realistic (if thankfully slim in this country) possibility that a given gun-shaped-object may indeed be a real, illegally obtained, firearm.

 

not a decision i'd want to have to try and make on the spot that's for damn sure.

[Cannonfodder]

Wow, some of the ideas put up here would kill off airsoft just as quickly as any government legislation 

17 hours ago, Shamal said:

It's all very simple really.

Anyone out with anything resembling a gun just shoot the feckers! 

I'm not gonna be shot cause I'm a responsible owner.

 

Stand by for take off......lol

 

 

Tbh I kind of agree. Waving a rif around in public and/or pointing it at a police officer should automatically put you up for a Darwin award

[MadMole]

it wasnt a rif, it was a firearm (airgun). Important difference

[Cannonfodder]

1 hour ago, MadMole said:

it wasnt a rif, it was a firearm (airgun). Important difference

While that may be the case, the press and Joe public tend to lump anything gun shaped into the same category

[John_W]

On the plus side, the Gun Control Network website has been offline for a few weeks now, and hopefully won't be back anytime soon. 😀

[Cannonfodder]

Ah that huge network of about 4 people

[Shamal]

5 hours ago, MadMole said:

it wasnt a rif, it was a firearm (airgun). Important difference

Unfortunately a gun is a gun is a gun so far as lobbyists and general public are concerned 😟

[Rogerborg]

5 hours ago, MadMole said:

it wasnt a rif, it was a firearm (airgun). Important difference

 

This again.

 

"I've recovered and handled numerous firearms during my police career, and there was nothing in the appearance of the gun that gave me any impression it was anything other than genuine."

 

Sounds like a realistic imitation of a real firearm to me.

 

[Spartan09]

21 hours ago, Ad_ said:

They could easily make something that looks realistic enough

 

 

21 hours ago, Tactical Pith Helmet said:

John Dillinger used a wooden 'pistol' dyed with boot polish to escape a high security prison.  It is not possible to pass laws that cannot be ignored, technological knowledge, or human ingenuity.  

 

 

 

Well.... IIRC,  they did also try an escape attempt at colditz by carving a pistol out of bars of soap and painting it with paint stolen from the theatre...  And then dressing in stolen german uniforms and trying to walk out of the front gate...