Originally posted by TonyF
If you were to be stopped with ANY marker capable of firing full auto or burst mode in the U.K. then you are in big trouble, because you would be in posession of an illegal firearm, with no arguments. To be honest what happens next would really be down to why you were stopped in the first place and your general attitude to being stopped. At the very least you should expect your pride and joy to be visiting the local furnace.
By definition of the law the PT should be chrono'd at 6ft/lb. Simply because it is marketed as a pistol. Most other markers, fall under the "air weapon other than an air pistol" umbrella.
Markers all fall into the air weapons catagory under the firearms act:
http://www.met.police.uk/firearms-enquiries/airguns1.htm
so why hasn't it ever happened?
Because the police in general are completely unaware of this legal point (like a lot of players, they know it's against the rules, not aware that it's a criminal offence). As for the pistol thing...... most markers have a pistol grip and a one handed design, just because our technique has switched to two handed, doesn't mean it's not a pistol
look at the basic marker.. it's a slightly lengthened pistol..... you can add a long barrel, stock, scope, foregrip etc... etc... to an air pistol, doesn't change it's classification. There's been no test cases involving markers.. the laws weren't written to include them so I'm just speculating, as we all are.
We'll only find out for definite when someone is mouthy to a copper who paintballs and knows this.........then he spots your race and palm pilot or your second hand US import angel. You don't have to use or intend to use full auto.........you just have to have the capability.
