Returning to Britain with my Collection of RIFs

I thought that all RIFs in the UK had to have the red muzzle or part of the rifle painted in a dayglo colour?

denisonsmock wrote:

I thought that all RIFs in the UK had to have the red muzzle or part of the rifle painted in a dayglo colour?

Top SWAT M4 though!

Mercifully, the UK doesn't require dayglo muzzles. That's something the US insists on and even then I'm not sure if every State applies the same ruling.
Replicated Trade Marks on models have to be removed in some American states too.

However, the VCRA here in the UK will not allow any RIF to be sold to anyone NOT a member of a Reenactment Group, Airsoft site etc unless the RIF in question is coloured in a range of ghastly garish colours.
Bright Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange etc. This particular clause allowed dealers and manufacturers alike to make and sell the so-called 2 Tone range of replicas
Typically these have at least half the gun coloured Bright Green or Blue. The remainder can be Black, Grey, Gunmetal colour or whatever.

So when I go back to the UK, do I need to colour my existing GBB in a two tone finish, or leave them as they are? The law here does not require the red muzzle flash or the garish colourisation compared to the UK/USA which is a gun loving country. Funny ol' world innit!

denisonsmock wrote:

So when I go back to the UK, do I need to colour my existing GBB in a two tone finish, or leave them as they are? The law here does not require the red muzzle flash or the garish colourisation compared to the UK/USA which is a gun loving country. Funny ol' world innit!

Unless you are exempt from prosecution under the VCRA, i.e. by being an active member of a Re-enactment Group having Public Liability Insurance, registered as a fully active Airsoft skirmisher at a Site having PLInsurance, in the Film/TV prop supplies, or a Crown Servant, it is, I believe, illegal to import any RIF into the UK irrespective that they are your personal possessions and not for Resale.

If you are considering returning the UK, if I were you I'd make absolutely 110% certain of HM Customs requirements to allow any replica into the country.
It is very likely that any RIF found in your luggage would have both luggage and yourself pulled to one side and given the Third Degree by both HM Customs and the Police.
At best they'd sieze all your RIFs, at worst you might find yourself prosecuted for illegal imports and / or staring down the wrong end of the Armed Response Airport Police' live firing Guns.

You would have to verify this of course but it may be possible to import IF the replicas were painted in the approved range of colours. Don't risk it, check and get authorisation.

The other problem you might face is getting them out of Taiwan in the first place.

(Rather than divert from the original topic of the WE GBB M4 I'll transfer this discussion into the General Discussion category later)

I think the best course of action would be to join a skirmish site before I return to the UK and get UKARA registered, depending on where I will be living. I wonder if the new goverment will change thelaw on BB guns in the future?

denisonsmock wrote:

I think the best course of action would be to join a skirmish site before I return to the UK and get UKARA registered, depending on where I will be living. I wonder if the new goverment will change thelaw on BB guns in the future?

It's not as easy as that I'm afraid.
Before any Airsoft site will allow you full memberhip (necessary for UKARA registration) you must attend and participate in 3 (I think) skirmish days within a 2 month period. That's 2 consequtive months.
There aren't any easy answers to this one I'm afraid.

To check on this, have a look at http://www.ukasgb.org.uk/memb_criteria.htm

That's what I expected to see. The link made interesting reading, but at the end of the day, these are pellet guns. Anyone can take part in a skirmish here, as long as you wear protective goggles and an AEG rifle and a GBB pistol.

Gun crime has put the kibosh on anyone who play soldiers in the UK.

Airsoft skirmishing is increasingly popular, there are plenty of folks out there thoroughly enjoying themselves playing at soldiers and good luck to them.

There's no problem at all taking part in these skirmishes. Anyone (over 16 or 18 I'm not sure now) can pay to skirmish. The Sites will hire out airsoft weapons and all the gear to newcomers.
However, if somebody wants to buy their own Airsoft (or other RIF) gun they have to registered as Full Members to comply with UKARA regs and the VCRA
The ONLY way to do that is to attend and participate 3 seperate skirmishes at one registered site within 2 months.
Reasoning behind this is to stop any Tom, Dick or Harry attending one event then buying replicas for the wrong reasons or just setting up bogus Sites and then stocking up on RIFs. It'd make a mockery of the VCRA really wouldn't it?

Quote :

Airsoft skirmishing is increasingly popular, there are plenty of folks out there thoroughly enjoying themselves playing at soldiers and good luck to them.

And I'm one of them.
Stocking up on GBBs to do wrong doing is the same as entering a den with a hungry lion in it. This has been posted on the BBC news website today.

It takes a BIG man to pull that trigger.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8681529.stm

Id say the reason the crim didnt pull the trigger is because nothing would have happened ( i.e it wasn`t live )

shame he didnt wave it at the Armed response boys ....brrrrp ... one less perp !

DOC


in all likelihood you will have to paint 51 % of each model an approved bright colour ...the thing is then it will make it illegal for you ( punishable by an instant 5 years ) to repaint them back again
( just for example the police ever came around your house because of a burglary etc
Certainly not an easy job to get them back in to the UK.

Does "airsoft" exemption allow to buy/possess only airsoft replicas, or also other RIFs?

As for getting it all back to UK, maybe it would make sense to go back first, obtain airsoft exemption, and import replicas only when you have exemption. You could also work with a person or company that has exemption to import them for you into UK, and later, when you have exemption, to sell them back to you for 1 pound.

smootik wrote:

Does "airsoft" exemption allow to buy/possess only airsoft replicas, or also other RIFs?

As I understand it, there isn't a specific destinction within the law between Airsoft, Modelgun, Cast Resin film prop ... Realistic Imitation Firearm is the description the law uses. It is possible to buy Airsoft GBB guns from Retailers using Re-enactor based exemption documents. I'd guess it'd work the other way around too but it would be up to the Seller entirely to be certain he was complying with the VCRA. If the Seller isn't happy, he won't take a chance as punishment can be severe.

It'd be interesting to read a Retailer's viewpoint on this.

smootik wrote:

.... and later, when you have exemption, ....

Again, this is the critical part, if you do not have exemption, the Seller will be commiting an offence by selling RIFs to you ,even if only for one Pound. In fact, I think it's illegal to give RIFs away to someone who doesn't have exemption.