New to this forum

[DoJaL]

Hi!

 

A short introduction is always nice right?

 

I’m from the Netherlands and playing airsoft for 4 years now. I would love to go to the UK someday, to play on your amazing fields. You’re so lucky to have acces to old army traininggrounds.

 

In my collection I have a TM HK416D, a TM Glock 17 and a VSR-10. I have a TM mp5sd6 on pre-order, hopefully it wont take to long!

 

Thanks for all the information on this forum and hopefully we will meet someday!

[Madhouse]

Hello!

 

Always good to introduce yourself 👍

 

I'd also love to play on some old training grounds but life means I play most of my games in a disused Debenhams store on a Thursday evening 😂 It's bloody great though!!

 

Nice little collection you've got going there too, check out the gun picture thread if you want to show them off 😉

[Tommikka]

Just a little comment about the term ‘disused x’, as a word of caution

 

Back in the day there was a fair bit of paintball, airsoft (probably before it went 6mm, not sure of the 6mm era) and also other shooting such as airguning in ‘disused’ locations around the UK - trespassing and potential firearms offences.  A few old hospitals were known to be used by trespassing players 

 

Other countries may vary their laws with regard to abandoned locations 

There’s very little of the UK that isn’t owned by someone

 

 

Today the ‘disused’ places where you can legally play are ‘actually used’ -

 

eg I would guess that the ‘disused Debenhams’ is actually the ‘former Debenhams that’s used as an air soft site’ in Reading

These types of site are generally the landowner getting some income pending future development 

 

As opposed to a ‘disused Debenhams’ such as we have in Salisbury for which was broken into last year by a drug addict who subsequently assaulted a friend of mine in her shop when trying to find a way through to the back of her shop to get back around the other side of the disused Debenhams

This closed Debenhams is pending it’s next life

 

Many if not most of the Army/Defence training areas that air soft can be played at are actually still current in the  Defence training estate - event organisers hire the land to run the event

eg Swynnerton, Sennybridge, Copehill Down.  
The major benefit is you play on the ‘real’ facilities, and (most) continue to be invested in and further developed.  Defence gets income and can buy new toys

Their contracts include cancellation clauses in case military training takes the date off them

 

Some are sold as annexed areas beside active sites.  Bought by sites or landlords and leased to site owners.

Others are entire former camps

 

The benefit being that your date doesn’t get cancelled, but taxpayers aren’t updating the facilities anymore

[EDcase]

Welcome @DoJaL 🖐

Yes, plenty of things to read here for new and veteran players 👍

 

@Tommikka I think (and hope) that 'disused' relates to what the site was originally intended for and is now officially used as an airsoft site.

It would be seriously foolish to 'play' on derelict sites without the owners permission at least.

And even with the owners permission it would not be a good idea if the area were visible to the public.

[Jedi_Master]

Welcome .

[Tommikka]

7 hours ago, EDcase said:

W

 

 

@Tommikka I think (and hope) that 'disused' relates to what the site was originally intended for and is now officially used as an airsoft site.

It would be seriously foolish to 'play' on derelict sites without the owners permission at least.

And even with the owners permission it would not be a good idea if the area were visible to the public.

….. yes, hopefully just unnecessary pedantism, for the benefit of the randoms who may find the forum without a common sense portion of the brain 

[Madhouse]

13 hours ago, Tommikka said:

hopefully just unnecessary pedantism

Certainly that. I used the term disused as in it used to be a Debenhams store. It’s a proper site run by the lovely people at Z-mart who used to run the Mall in Reading, no trespassing going on here!

Definitely don’t go messing about anywhere that isn’t a proper site, that’s a recipe for disaster!

If you’re ever in the Newbury area I’ll happily pop over and join you for a game.