The Violent Crime Reduction Bill proposes what to my mind are highly unreasonable changes to the law, specifically in relation to what they term "imitation firearm". The pertinent proposed paragraphs of changes are:
30 Manufacture, import and sale of realistic imitation firearms
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if(a) he manufactures a realistic imitation firearm;
(b) he modifies a firearm or an imitation firearm so that it becomes a
realistic imitation firearm;
(c) he sells a realistic imitation firearm; or
(d) he brings a realistic imitation firearm into Great Britain or causes one to
be brought into Great Britain.[…] (8) In this section realistic imitation firearm means an imitation firearm whose
appearance is so realistic as to make it indistinguishable, for all practical
purposes, from(a) a firearm of an existing make or model; or
(b) a firearm falling within a description that applies to an existing
category of firearms which, even though they include firearms of
different makes or models or both, all have the same or a similar
appearance.(9) For the purposes of subsection (8) an imitation firearm is not to be regarded as
distinguishable from a firearm for any practical purpose if it could be so
distinguished only(a) by an expert;
(b) on a close examination; or
(c) as a result of an attempt to load or to fire it. (abstract from the proposed Violent Crime Reduction Bill)
As you can see the definition of a RIF (realistic imitation firearm) is left closely defined and wide ranging, even more so if you consider the implications of who a "firearms expert" is defined as in the UK. Should this bill be passed the sale, trade, manufacture and import or anything that ‘could look like a firearm to the masses’ would be made illegal. This would put a halt to target sports such as Practical Pistol (where Airsoft guns are used in competition), place tighter controls on movie props and their use, and take sports and past times like Airsoft (and quite possibly Paintball) completely off the map. Many people are chatting about the subject in the forums at the moment, with some worthwhile discussions taking place. Suggestions range from making educated and worthwhile communications to your local MPs at
http://www.writetothem.com/, or direct to Downing Street
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/page821.asp.
