full auto mode (ok or not?) ramping in UK

[icejohn]

hi all,

Recently i upgraded my marker so that yes i can shoot at rates of 14 balls balls a sec. Anyway what is the position regards the legal thing. I have recently been to a walkon and basically told no ramping but yet burst modes are ok. I asked around and well there were quite a few markers with different modes (2 balls per trigger pull,1+2 balls etc to the usual ego ramp modes).

One argument was if a newbie got hit 10times in a cross fire he might never come back to a walk on. My point of view was hell its paintball the guy might be unlucky to get like 10 hits at worst 5 if he had cover near to hand and you would be ducking after the first balls hitting.

The other one was the market forces that make the markers dictate the rate of fire as a selling point and as most markers are from the usa and ramping is allowed there at various tounaments then we import them and are used here. When we are still following the americans yet are legistlaton on paintball still falls short as its governed by the fire arms act. When reading around the act does not cover all areas of the sport. I should perhaps point out air soft have full auto uzes etc that empty a clip in sec eg 30 rounds a sec or bbs whatever. Yet the energy of the projectile is way less than 12lbs the legal limit.

Any ideas where full auto ramping modes stands in the Uk. it seems a grey area. Just wanted to see what other people think?

Lastly reading the fire arms act a horrible experiance there nothing definite about full auto as that applies clearly to firearms and paintball markers are not firearms hence that part of it does not apply. Anyone one who disagrees might as well start applying fire arms license for their marker and go hunting

I would also like to point out that following tournament rules does not make it law.

 

[mikey601]

Full auto is illegal

Ramping is at site and tourneys discretion

 

[Russell Smith]

Because paintball guns are counted as "toys" by the home office, their opinion is all modes (including full auto) are legal, but any final decision would have to be made by a court of law.
The paintball tournament community had a meeting a few years ago and all agreed to reduce the velocity in use in the UK to 280 and also made the maximum rate of fire (in any mode) to be 15.4 balls per second we also agreed to not use full auto.
It should be noted that the insurance companies will not cover any events that allow Full Auto to be used.


Russ.

 

[icejohn]

ok so full auto is legal (as there is no law against it) why should there be? none

hi rus

ok so full auto is legal (as there is no law against it). One then has to assume that "the paintball tournament community" decided that 15.4 balls per second was now the "unoffical law" weird by true. As 95% of paintball is revenue driven by rec players tournament rules dont apply. Hence you get loads of walkon days where site allow own guns etc with basic guide lines where some sites allow it and some dont.

Reading around the web a bit since i asked this the main argument on full auto comes from the states. If we as brits didnt give too hoots about it then I reccon full auto wouldnt be the contentious subject it appears it is. So tired of usa sneezing and uk getting the damm cold.

The other thing i have heard is that hell its alright if you can fan a trigger at 10-15 a sec but if you dont have that skill then tough. I speak from the point of view that getting hit at 10balls a sec using maual mode or burst mode still hurts the same You pointed out that the insurance company wont insure a full auto mode tournament. i have to ask how you know this? As This debate must have been argued by someone in the insurance companies?

Also the faster guns all come the usa (market forces dictating they get faster) i reccon 10 years time balls per sec will definitly go up way above the unoffical 15.5 balls/sec .

Reading my manual on the ego it does state that some modes might be illegal in certain countries and it does not list those. The manual is printed in the usa my point being thats where the subject orginated. If you played paintball in poland (not that i would know) but anything goes, based on the countrys local legislation not what the usa does.

 

[no-infernomark]

but dont a paintball marker come under the title air rifle? which is what it is really, air is used to shoot things i.e a bullet/round/ball etc. it is illegal for a air rifle to fire more than one projectile per trigger pull thus making auto illegal. i cant see the government classing paintball guns as toys personnelly becuase they aint, if they where toys why does government slap on fps restrictions etc etc, they didnt do that with the latest teenage mutant ninja turtle figures. paintball guns could potentially kill some one, hence laws have to be in place for them.

 

[RainbowShooter]

they didnt do that with the latest teenage mutant ninja turtle figures.

But that's because ninjas hide in the shadows and would kill anyone that got in their way

 

[NitroBall]

Why would you want full auto in the first place ?
Takes the skill of walking the trigger out of the game.

Do we have a tournament that uses full auto in the UK ?

Why do you say the faster guns come from the states

Lastly, you said 15.5 bps is unofficial, and this figure will be exceeded in 10 years time
Yes, it is unofficial, as to my knowledge i believe its 15.4 bps.

why would you need to hit a higher bps ?
Lets bring back the pumps

 

[Andy Steele]

but dont a paintball marker come under the title air rifle? which is what it is really, air is used to shoot things i.e a bullet/round/ball etc. it is illegal for a air rifle to fire more than one projectile per trigger pull thus making auto illegal. i cant see the government classing paintball guns as toys personnelly becuase they aint, if they where toys why does government slap on fps restrictions etc etc, they didnt do that with the latest teenage mutant ninja turtle figures. paintball guns could potentially kill some one, hence laws have to be in place for them.

would that not make ramping illegal?

 

[no-infernomark]

it would but im looking for the loop hole of this, i should imagine its along the lines of, with ramping you have to continually to pull the trigger in order to sustain such high rates of fire, where as full auto is a hold down and fire.

 

[icejohn]

Yes, it is unofficial, as to my knowledge i believe its 15.4 bps.

Yo nitro. as you said its unofficial. (NOT LAW) so if you did have a rec day out with a super zapped up marker enjoy. Sorry i was not knit picking what the recommeneded bps for tournaments is, just the fact that is not law. (which as been prooved).

Bascially reading down the replys alot of what people are saying basically a level playing field all markers the same. and based on ability to fan a trigger. So in a tournment everyone is the same except maybe their trigger finger.

What a load of rubbish technology in paintball has always been fast moving. Looking at the history of the markers and they have been getting faster bb/sec all the time with the newer ones able to fire faster still. So if we want a level playing field say get the pros give up their egos dm7s etc pick up a 98 tippmanns and say get to it. That would be a level playing field. All the same gun same trigger setup same accuracy.

As in any sport the better equipment you have if it gives you an edge of just 5% you win eg skiing thats half a sec infront of the other guy. A faster marker will give you an edge that why people buy better markers (ref trigger sensitivity accurancy rate of fire the whole package).

If full auto was allowed in tounaments (as you say no tounament allows it) what would happen say a team of newbies rock up with full auto modes would it take the "skill" (trigger fanning) out of winning a game or would the seasoned pros still have an edge? Or would full auto give a level playing field??