Just-Cos …. The insurance policy

[Rogerborg]

On 12/07/2025 at 21:30, Bnjemann said:

retailers stop accepting it without seeing proof its being used in cosplay

 

Doesn't matter, as it's not a defence.  You could argue it's a "theatrical performance", but then why not argue that?

 

I wouldn't shed a tear if Airsoft World came a cropper over it - they know exactly what they're doing, and the observable lack of enforcement will be inciting other retailers to follow suit. Better that we lose one retailer than many.

[Tommikka]

2 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Doesn't matter, as it's not a defence.  You could argue it's a "theatrical performance", but then why not argue that?

 

I wouldn't shed a tear if Airsoft World came a cropper over it - they know exactly what they're doing, and the observable lack of enforcement will be inciting other retailers to follow suit. Better that we lose one retailer than many.

Totally agree, it’s entirely nod nod wink wink

 

There was much more credibility for the retailer who just put in a tick box of “I promise that I am buying this RIF for legal airsoft skirmishing” (and if I recall correctly is no longer in business)

 

 

 

Any retailer that promotes a fake define is worse than one who just ignores the VCRA - and if/when an authority chooses to act they are likely to be an easy target especially as the judiciary are never happy with offenders that just take the piss

 

Those of us who like our hobbies should be happy to condemn those who endanger them 

On the ‘theatrical’ slant of cosplay, that is the route that JustCos could have taken with a cosplay society insurance policy

 

There was someone on the forum a few years ago enquiring about how to get a  RIF for cosplay, first leading to the ‘no answer’, until it clicked with me on who they were and that I know them -  an actual ‘paid professional cosplayer’, complete with full insurance etc with the genuine ability to lay claim to ‘theatrical’

[BigStew]

2 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Doesn't matter, as it's not a defence.  You could argue it's a "theatrical performance", but then why not argue that?

 

I wouldn't shed a tear if Airsoft World came a cropper over it - they know exactly what they're doing, and the observable lack of enforcement will be inciting other retailers to follow suit. Better that we lose one retailer than many.

It's so disgusting when a former Airsoft World employee was so involved with stopping airsoft getting banned.

[Rogerborg]

3 hours ago, Tommikka said:

There was much more credibility for the retailer who just put in a tick box of “I promise that I am buying this RIF for legal airsoft skirmishing” (and if I recall correctly is no longer in business)

 

Fat Bob's, I believe.

[hunter511]

For me letting bellends like this purchase RIFs is exactly why Just-Cos shouldn't exist

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxzjlj27w8o

[Lyndication]

54 minutes ago, hunter511 said:

For me letting bellends like this purchase RIFs is exactly why Just-Cos shouldn't exist

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxzjlj27w8o

 

If you read the article, he didn't purchase a rif, and he didn't use Just Cos.

 

He bought a two tone and painted it. He's underage to have a legal defense to buy RIFs.

[hunter511]

Noted. And not to get into an argument with a random on the internet......

 

But the fact remains that nigh on every time there is an incident like this it is a cosplayer that has decided to mince round central london/a major train station etc with a RIF. The fact that most major conventions have in their house rules not to bring realistic replicas as part of your cosplay further undermines the point of Just-Cos......

[Cannonfodder]

5 hours ago, Lyndication said:

He bought a two tone and painted it. He's underage to have a legal defense to buy RIFs.

Which also means he's not old enough to buy an IF either. 

[Bnjemann]

10 hours ago, hunter511 said:

For me letting bellends like this purchase RIFs is exactly why Just-Cos shouldn't exist

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxzjlj27w8o

If it means anything my personal opinion is anyone over 18 with no ill intentions should be allowed to purchase whatever imitation firearms they want, realistic or not, and that misuse potential isn’t going to cut it when criminals can just buy an air pistol if they want a realistic imitation for the rob, or do what people are doing in reality and just using literally any form of improvised handheld weapon.
 

That being said, this guys not over 18 and he spray painted them, which he had a reason to do I guess, it’s just he’s not an adult and therefor as far as I’m led to believe, this prevents him from being allowed to. 
 

This is the second instance this year of someone choosing the worst possible method of transporting their RIFs to a comic convention, just like the geezer earlier in the year who put the “special” in his special forces LARP by entering a crowded train in ready stance. That being said that guy was arguably worse.

 

Very unfortunate and incidents like this will have the middle class 30-65 year old virtue signalling crowd demanding we legislate further to prevent incidents like this instead of tackling actual violent crime.

[Tommikka]

20 hours ago, hunter511 said:

The fact that most major conventions have in their house rules not to bring realistic replicas as part of your cosplay further undermines the point of Just-Cos......

The point of JustCos is well established to be nothing to do with Comicon - the comicon that they listed as partnered bans RIFs

The point of JustCos is to add an income stream and claims to provide insurance for claims of ‘scaring people’ - on that basis this individual would have a claim 

[Tommikka]

 

 

There is a shout out deserved by the bobbies involved 

 

Based on the date and proximity, the idiot will have been on his way to London AnimeCon at the Novotel, which would be a 45-50 minute walk from Chelsea & Westminster Hospital as referenced in the call, and Fulham Broadway not being on the shortest direct walk about 15 minutes from the hospital 

 

That 15 minutes has to have time deducted for the caller to have seen, mulled it over, thought that it’s not a real threat, but it does need to be reported - then call in, and for the control room to despatch, put the call out, CCTV to find and track etc 

 

 

 

 

They are not an armed response team, so unlikely to have been directed by CCTV (but may have had updates on the radio)

With the match day they may have been crowd control, and acted either on other reports such as football fans telling them “there is a bloke with a gun over there” or just on sight themselves 

 

Perhaps also working on the principle that it looks like a dickhead dressed up, but still in need of controlling the firearm fast

 

 

They put me in mind of the armed response officers body cam footage when he chose not to shoot when called to respond and a teen pulled an airsoft / BB pistol from his waist band and pointed it in the face of the police officer - with his brain fighting over “danger shoot now / it’s a kid”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://winter.londonanimecon.com

 

 

[Galvatron]

16 hours ago, Bnjemann said:

If it means anything my personal opinion is anyone over 18 with no ill intentions should be allowed to purchase whatever imitation firearms they want, realistic or not, and that misuse potential isn’t going to cut it when criminals can just buy an air pistol if they want a realistic imitation for the rob, or do what people are doing in reality and just using literally any form of improvised handheld weapon.
 

That being said, this guys not over 18 and he spray painted them, which he had a reason to do I guess, it’s just he’s not an adult and therefor as far as I’m led to believe, this prevents him from being allowed to. 
 

This is the second instance this year of someone choosing the worst possible method of transporting their RIFs to a comic convention, just like the geezer earlier in the year who put the “special” in his special forces LARP by entering a crowded train in ready stance. That being said that guy was arguably worse.

 

Very unfortunate and incidents like this will have the middle class 30-65 year old virtue signalling crowd demanding we legislate further to prevent incidents like this instead of tackling actual violent crime.

 

A few issues with the argument.

 

Intention is one thing but the effect is also significant. We don't live in an ideal world and it's not a secret that criminals want to reduce their paper trail and would employ a proxy to acquire an imitation firearm.

 

The kid's age doesn't prevent him from being allowed spray paint the gun he had - whatever you've been "led to believe" was misleading or you've misinterpreted it. It is illegal for anyone, whether they're above or below the age of majority, to modify an imitation firearm to look realistic unless they have a defence to do so. I'm not sure anyone has been prosecuted for the offence but being a minor is not a factor.

 

The restrictions on airsoft guns came from the Violent Crime Reduction Act, not the Violent Crime Prevention/Eradication Act. UKARA as a self-regulated system could definitely do with reform but to imply that it doesn't have any impact on reducing the misuse of imitation firearms needs evidence to back it up. Also, it's worth bearing in mind the point about air pistols is irrelevant because air guns were not (and still aren't) under the same remit as airsoft when the VCRA was proposed. Air guns had significant protection by political lobbyists who had ties to shooting clubs.  Airsoft had no such protection and airsoft RIFs would have been made banned outright had it not been for the government agreeing to a compromise with the UK airsoft industry regulating itself in terms of who can buy.

 

Airsoft will face further restrictions long before it happens to air pistols or air rifles.

 

 

[novioman]

Airsoft will face further restrictions long before it happens to air pistols or air rifles.
 

Not sure I agree with this statement. As I remember it was a Labour Government that was going to ban airsoft. At the time before the compromise of self regulation was agreed the owners of airsoft guns were told you can keep what you have but can’t buy anymore. I don’t remember if they had planned to actually ban the sport of airsoft. Does anyone remember.

In Scotland all airguns are now licensed, with practically all the same requirements as FAC guns. Airsoft guns are considered toys I believe and are not included. 
I think airguns might be licensed in England & Wales, the only thing putting off any government is the numbers involved, approx 6 million airguns in circulation according to police figures. At the moment the licensing system can’t cope in many areas, with renewals and grants taking months and extensions being given as a matter of course. Some areas are taking more than a year before they even visit for a grant.

I have no idea how many airsoft guns are in circulation, a lot I would think. 
And unlike bans on blank firers where the government can get away without paying compensation as they are claiming they can be converted to fire live rounds, any ban on airsoft would require compensation to be paid. 

Edited 34 minutes ago by novioman