UKARA

[Jo1906]

Hi

 so just a quick question; what’s the point in UKARA? Seems like it’s unnecessary and a moneymaking scheme…

 

Obvious the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 and to a lesser extent the Firearms Act 1968 regulate airsoft rifs, but they also provide the defences.

 

so, S36 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 sets of the defences, but the RIF regulations 2007 add another defence under s36. i’m going to paraphrase but you have a defence if you’re using the rif for a

permitted activity, ie playing army for fun and (you or the site) have 3rd party liability insurance.

 

nowhere does any of the laws mention UKARA membership as a defence,  so whats the point in it? by playing military or law enforcement scenarios at an insured site you have a defence…

[Terry_Rist]

The UKARA just is a way for retailers to validate that you have a defence to purchase a RIF. Otherwise it would be almost impossible for retailers especially those online to make sure you had a defence and they weren't risking breaking the law by selling to you. It was set up separately form the VCRA legislation by the retailers as a way to protect themselves from breaking the law and ensuring that who they sold to did have a valid defence.  You can still rent, borrow and play with a non two tone RIF at an airsoft site without the UKARA and some sites will sell you non two tone guns if you are there playing as they count that as a valid defence. 

[Shaydee]

Quote

The United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association was formed in response to the 2006 Violent Crime Reduction bill to enable a safe method of selling Realistic Imitation Firearms (RiF's) to the UK Airsoft player market by confirming the eligibility of purchasers.

 

What Terry said. UKARA just makes it easier for a retailer to confirm you are actually an active airsofter rather than having to contact a site directly. Also UKARA is a non profit organisation, as far as I'm aware the only "money making scheme" is local sites charging for a sign up.

[Guest]

43 minutes ago, Shaydee said:

 

What Terry said. UKARA just makes it easier for a retailer to confirm you are actually an active airsofter rather than having to contact a site directly. Also UKARA is a non profit organisation, as far as I'm aware the only "money making scheme" is local sites charging for a sign up.

100%, should be no charge for UKARA, some sites charge for site membership 

[Tommikka]

Note that the UKARA formed as the lobbying group campaigning and negotiating on behalf for the airsoft retailers to gain the added skirmisher defence (without which their wouldn’t be the defence of playing on an insured site)

 

The UKARA scheme was one of the propositions offered up to justify the defence

(Note that often when new players talk about getting their UKARA licence and are ‘corrected’ by Airsofters, the new player is closer to the truth - the proposed UKARA membership scheme was described as a licence scheme for airsoft skirmishers)

 

The UKARA central register is free to players, but is run as a copy of site memberships, therefore sites may charge as they wish - usually a membership fee, possibly an admin charge and sometimes just free

 

You can opt to use anything that you wish to justify your ‘VCRA skirmisher defence’ but it’s up to the seller (Or customs) to decide what they are willing to accept 

 

A retailer is liable to a fine if they make a RIF sale without justifying a valid defence. This comes with a level 5 fine, which is unlimited.  (A level 4 fine is £2500)

 

You might think that a UKARA / membership is money-making, or that the need to play 3 games in a given period just makes more RIF rental income for the particular sight, but they are avoiding a potential fine

 

With unlimited fines possible it’s hard to see why certain retailers risk using obvious made up defences such as cosplay which just invite an easy prosecution

 

 

 

 

[Rogerborg]

7 hours ago, Jo1906 said:

the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 also [provides] the defences

 

But how does the offender adduce them?

 

That depends on who you are, and what you're doing.

 

 

7 hours ago, Jo1906 said:

you have a defence if you’re using the rif for a permitted activity

 

"You" (i.e. we, the end owners) need a defence for importing/causing to be imported, manufacturing, or modifying. I've modified two IFs into RIFs and still remain one step ahead of the law.

 

But we don't need one for purchasing within the UK. It's the seller that's committing the offence there.  And how can they demonstrate that they sold the RIF only for an approved purpose?

 

 

7 hours ago, Jo1906 said:

nowhere does any of the laws mention UKARA membership as a defence

 

It's in Home Office circular 031 / 2007, The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (Commencement No 3) Order 2007.  This lists a suggestive scheme that's functionality identical to what became UKARA.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-violent-crime-reduction-act-2006-commencement-no-3-order-2007-firearms-measures

 

"UKARA membership" (actually a central record of site membership) is just one scheme, there are others. Or a retailer can check directly with your local site. Or they can just take your word for it (Fat Bobs), or make up some bogus non-defence and cheekily charge you for that (Airsoft World and the other chancers that now accept "Just Cos").

 

It's entirely up to them what risk they'll accept - and it seems increasingly clear that there is none. If you can find a retailer willing to sell to you without UKARA or equivalent, go for it.

[Jo1906]

It’s been really interesting to read all of these responses so thank you to everyone who took the time to reply. I’m actually an ex police officer which I why I was interested. 

[mightyjebus]

Probably a unpopular opinion but if you plan to import RIF's from overseas its's easier if you have a UKARA number. It took me over 3 months to get a RIF released from Border Force and if I had a UKARA number it would have been released almost immediately.

I've been importing for years and had a few problems over the years however recently it's becoming a pain. 

[Rogerborg]

23 hours ago, mightyjebus said:

if I had a UKARA number it would have been released almost immediately

 

Well, it might have been.  We've also heard from folk who have had their UKARA numbers on the package being asked for it again, being required to complete firearms declarations, and waiting weeks-to-months.  People have even been told that they need to complete declarations after delivery.  I'd rather have a UKARA number than not, but it doesn't seem to be the panacea that it once was.

 

 

On 06/04/2023 at 19:51, Jo1906 said:

It’s been really interesting to read all of these responses so thank you to everyone who took the time to reply. I’m actually an ex police officer which I why I was interested. 

 

Oh, it does interest us, and it's certainly an irritation when you don't have one, and know fine well that it's not strictly necessary.

 

I played once, loved it, bought a couple of two tones (rookie error, but it worked out OK), booked two more games, and had the paint off of them as soon as they arrived without any qualms on the basis that the future bookings actually satisfied VCRA S37 more than a membership or UKARA since they were evidence of future intent, rather than past behaviour.

 

I mentioned this to a friendly chap at the local site at my 2nd day, and he said "I should stop you there and tell you that I'm a police constable..." [oops] "... but I completely agree with that reasoning."

 

In practice, it seems that the sale of RIFs within the UK just isn't an issue. We've heard (anecdotally) that some retailers keep records, particularly ones that also sell airguns, but it's pretty clear that others don't give a stuff, or are even creating fake non-defences which would seem to be making a legal rod for their own backs.  Nobody cares though.

 

As we keep telling new players, what you do with a RIF (or IF!) after you get it is far more important than how you get it.  Any time that it will come to the attention of the State is likely to involve Firearms Act 1968 S19 (public possession), and that's your first and most important hurdle. Clear that, and the VCRA is unlikely to be an issue.

[mightyjebus]

10 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Well, it might have been.  We've also heard from folk who have has their UKARA numbers on the package being asked for it again, being required to complete firearms declarations, and waiting weeks-to-months.  People have even been told that they need to complete declarations after delivery.  I'd rather have a UKARA number than not, but it doesn't seem to be the panacea that it once was.

In my case it would have been. I phoned them up and they basically told me this. I know other people have had different outcomes but in my case having the UKARA number would have got it released sharpish.