Replica guns to be banned [sales/import]

[richie_j]

This whole thing is just , as said above, a knee jerk reaction.

 

First off, when wednesday comes, the full details can be shown and then we can either go "yay" or start running about like scared things being scared on a scary day.

 

Then, if its the latter, we can start using the 1j law. If that fails, we can try to lobby support using orange tips, licences and all that jazz. And maybe a official body. We could also claim that other things that arent banned look exactly the same, and what is a replica blah blah blah.

 

I admit this does look like the biggest threat of banning stuff we have seen thus far, but hey, optimism never hurt anyone.

[Hissing_Sid]

Then, if its the latter, we can start using the 1j law. If that fails, we can try to lobby support using orange tips, licences and all that jazz. And maybe a official body. We could also claim that other things that arent banned look exactly the same, and what is a replica blah blah blah.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We?

 

We who?

 

Who exactly is the "we" that's gonna do all this stuff you're suggesting?

 

This is kinda the issue that we're discussing.

[richie_j]

"We" as airsofters in general.

Im sure if there was a letter being wrote to the right honouralbe Mr Spanky, that there would be a hell of a lot of signatures on that letter.

 

A body would be nice, but as an author once wrote "There are some people who work hard, and there are some that take the credit. The trick is to be in the 1st set...things get done quicker that way."

[Raptor]

Well as pointed out earlier the article is terribly badly worded I dosen't actually say they will be banned (even though that is the title of said article) just that there will be restrictions its a case of waiting until tomorrow and seeing what happens I suppose.

[Duff Beer]

Yeah but from what I understand they're very hard to get unless you're a Crown Employee....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

And don't only some of them have the license as the rest are flying desks?

[Arnie]

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...pic=19642&st=20

 

Saves me posting it more than once

[Corporate_Black_Ops]

Time to play Devil's advocate methinks:

 

1;) Airsoft guns are not at present classed as replica weapons - because at present there is no solid classification of what a replica weapon is.

 

2;) Airsoft guns - and their legal classification - are already covered in the Firearms act. At present they are classed as low powered air weapons - in effect air rifles and air pistols.

Forget the "May be mistaken by any reasonable person" part, it shouldn't apply to us any more than it would to any 'ordinary' air rifle or air pistol (how many people, seeing a chap with a rifle slung over his shoulder in the town centre are going to check whether it's an air rifle or a .303?).

 

3;) 10,000 Airsofters does not equate to political power, we barely help towards the balance of payments as most of our cash goes to the Far East. The Countryside Alliance has a lot more members - members who marched, protested and who contributed significant amounts of money to the economy.

 

(The above post is not a flame, nor is it an invitation to start a flame war, it is simply a cynical view on the situation in the hope of pointing out flaws in the enthusiastic plans being made at present).

[LordShigeru]

wow, i never realized ho wmuch they hated guns over there. its just the opposite here, with gun associations owning half the gov't.

[richie_j]

So they are basically saying they want to abn anything that COULD be mistaken for a real-steel firearm.

But forgive me if im wrong, but havent they been trying to do that for ages?

 

And i'll throw in the Met Police who mistook a table leg for a shotgun. They could argue that this is a prime example of why airsoft should be banned.

[mig_eater]

To play the insane optimism in the second to worst case scenario card:

If foreign import was banned, but not airsoft out right, theres possibility of a UK Airsoft manufacturer springing up. (Yeah its incredibly unlikely as an airsoft ban would be anywhere from 2 minutes to a year behind this bill, but thats why its the insane optimism in the second to worst case scenario card)

 

I'll say that I'm concerned by this article, but i've been concerned by the possibilty of a ban since i started airsoft, and we've all known that it was a possibilty at some point in the future, which now may sadly be approaching. I'll wait for wenesday before running round like a headless chicken.

 

As someone earlier said (sorry forget who), people will be asking 'if I [he] can right a letter to an MP', to this end it strikes me as better to all writeto our MP's (if the need arises), whilst one letter with say a thousand signitures on it would have a fair impact on one MP but being internet based is completely impossible, and may cause them to think briefly whilst waiting for a bus (sorry that should be chauffeur driven rolls royce), a couple of thousand letters arriving to mp's all over the country would not go unnoticed in westminster, but notice and doing anything about it are entirely different things.

 

That being said there is a certain amount to be said for keeping our heads down unless we need to, the biggest problem when there have been so many false alarms is determining whether this is the time to remain hunkered away in our fox hole or get noisy. although this lends its self to an apatheic mentality, which delays action even after it becomes necerrsary.

 

the real steel ban was introduced in response to a media driven knee jerk reaction to the dunblane tragedy (for anyone in the US this was our Columbine), and because it was rushed it was full of holes (for example pistols are still legal so long as they are longer than 13inchs as such people bolted a stock on), and the government has exercised more deliberation in the passing of bills since, this is good and bad, it works for us in that we have more time to organise an effective defence, and get through that fresh crate of 10000bb's you just ordered, but works against us in that any bill will be alot more water tight

 

An Airsoft governing body or something similar would be very hard to setup it would require finacial backing that is beyond us, the government wouldn't be leaping over themselves to give it cash either. but even if we did manage to get one setup some how, to get every airsoft forum in the uk behind it would be next to impossible due to rivalries etc and we would probably end up with two or three rival organisations none having any decisive power. even if this was an official body (rather than a lobby, and bear in mind greenpeace is a lobby and they're many hundreds of times bigger than we would be) recognised by the government, then within a couple of years, it would have a political agenda all of its own and the people heading it wouldn't have any real interest in airsoft and would just be using it for their career.

 

any ban will have alot more support than we can rally against it, from various groups like mums against guns or what ever it is, but just from the public in general go to a pub and start a conversation about replica guns being banned, most of the people you talk to won't give a damn either way, blokes may be slightly anti a ban from boyhood memories, but after the media (or as close as the sun can come to being media) kick off if you go back and ask the same people they'll be in favour of a ban

 

bottom line if they try to ban airsoft (within replica arms bills), and we are efficent in organising a defense, then the most we can do is to go down noisily. defeatist but accurate.

 

for the placards what about "airsofter's.....we're not crazy, we promise"

 

Mig

[The Waco Kid]

I have a feeling that we might get some backup from the Airrifle people as any law that says "any reasonable person could mistake for a firearm" would also include any air rifles.  Now, they have a governing body that is known to the government, and I would have thought that should any ban come into being they would certainly have a say.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes they do its called the BASC and i am a member as a airsoft and air rifle owner any replica ban would concern me but i haven't heard anything from the BASC about a blanket replica ban.

 

"Stutes"

 

Cheers Stutes.

 

I'd also like to throw my two-pence in. I would not be against a ban on under 18's buying Airsoft but it probably wouldn't effect the "street crime" aspect of idiots waving various types of replicas about in order to look hard.

 

Around eighteen months ago I was in Southall area of London a couple of streets back from the high street. Now as many of you may know it is an area with a rather pronounced ethinc make-up.

Anyway two young lads walked around the end of the street opposite me carrying a G3 assault rifle. Both were arabic in appearance and dress wearing shemaghs and one even had on an OD M65 jacket a-la Bin-laden (in short they seemed to be trying there best to impersonate a Mujahadeen recruiting poster).

From their body language and furious magazine winding I was certain that an Airsoft rather than real firearm was involved. Had anyone else I could think of been witness to this I believe SO19 would probably have been on-scene quite rapidly.

As the resent case involving two Police officers and the shooting of a man carrying a table leg mistakenly reported as a sawn-off shotgun has shown this could easily have escalated with very sad consequences.

Having dealt with the two boys concerned it was apparent they had received the item from an older relative and not given a moments thought to walking out the door with it.

It's this attitude that screws it for everyone.

 

TWK.

[Monk]

Stop complaining about it and DO something. Jesus. Read the damn article again. Though it clearly states that certain aspects of airsoft will face curtailment- ie the purchase of stuff from abroad, it does not indicate, either openly or implied, that an outright ban will occur in the near future.

 

emphasis is placed on AGE and WHERE things can be purchased, NOT on an outright ban.

 

so calm the hell down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Quite right. One might even consider supporting changes. Come out in favor of a ban on under-18 sales. If that fails, mock those MPs in editorials for banning toys. Suggest that they are bored, underworked, undersexed, and overcompensated for their minimal work. It worked for the conservatives in this country. When attacked, attack back with accusations too silly to refute.

 

On second thought, best not to heed anything I say. I'm an American and a pointless one at that.

[Corporate_Black_Ops]

The Today Program, discussion on the VCR broadcast this morning at around twenty to seven.

Not particularly encouraging.

[snowman]

Email your MP NOW! Their details are online.

 

Sitting on the forums moaning will achieve nothing.

 

Cheers

[Hissing_Sid]

Too late to do anything about this IMO.

 

As I've said before, seting up something to demonstrate the acceptable side of airsoft a good 5 years ago would be required.

 

No win situation too. If we get past this then we'll all o back to hoping for the best and carrying on as we were before. While the public still assume we're a vaguely sinister, anti-social threat to civilisation.

[mig_eater]

the Guardians being more precise now, specifically mentioning 'specialist store' thats got to be airsoft

 

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs...1501826,00.html

 

cheers

mig

[Lance Jackass]

Ban on import of GUNS.

 

So if i buy a couple of hundred batteries, gearboxes, stocks.....

[Kosac]

The BBC has jjust had this

 

The home office has stated that in the upcoming bill *###### about knives etc* Under the new legislation it will become illegal for anyone under 18 to buy an imitation firearm and there will be tougher penalties for those caught in possession. So it think imports will be restricted and laws on sales tightened not a ban on sales

[TopGooner]

I think the bill is going through today, so it is too late. However, it is not too late to show we are responsible by setting up a registration scheme or club membership. For instance I am not adverse to a licencing schenario as it is with firearms. I've nothing to hide, and if this adds credibility to the cause then it may have a decent impact.

[aXXXel]

This is why I hate the EU, I bet we are going to have our guns banned too(Sweden).

 

I hate this way of thinking, banning stuff is wrong, especially as it punishes all possible users of the banned item, and not only the wrongdoers.

 

Children should not have airsoft guns for themselves.

 

I'm 16, and sure I have my ICS, but I don't play airsoft.

 

I also have a bolt action rifle(6,5x55 SE) with a scope on it.

 

I sure hope you'll make it!

[Redcap]

If they had their sodding heads on straight, it's NOT the 'specialist stores' that are the problem. It's the damn market stalls. Enough already, I'm contacing my MP. I'll let you know how it comes out.

[snowman]

Specialist stores MUST mean the Poundshops

 

Got to see a light side...

 

Cheers.

[mig_eater]

Anyone else see wolf armouries on the BBC?

 

at least we're getting media coverage, and aren't portrade as nutter. the exposures got to be good.

 

the bill isn't in parliment today though it is soon.

[Redcap]

Right. I've just read the relevant section of the bil. Bad news. It's a COMLETE BAN they want, and they've comeletely ignored the comments of the late Firearms Consultative Committee Fifth report. MAG has got their way. I'll be seeing my MP asap. More to follow. FWIW, REAL firearms and Air Gun enthusiast HAVE to wake up NOW - they're next on the list, we're an easy target.

 

Relevant sections:

 

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/c...010/2006010.htm

 

Relevant sections:

 

30 - Manufacture, import and sale of realistic imitation firearms

31 - Specification for imitation firearms

32 - Supplying imitation firearms to minors

33 - Increase of maximum sentence for possessing an imitation firearm

 

Roger (somewhat ###### off)

[TheBauer]

Anyone else see wolf armouries on the BBC?

 

at least we're getting media coverage, and aren't portrade as nutter. the exposures got to be good.

 

the bill isn't in parliment today though it is soon.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

got link?