Violent Crimes Reduction Bill.

[ollytheosteo]

So- without doomsaying or "stirring", here is a section from the proposed Violent Crime Reduction bill;

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.

Before anyone starts shouting, I know that the majority of markers don't fall into this catagory, but what about things like A5s etc? Or any black marker that might look a bit gunnish to a non-"expert". Take a black marker, take the hopper and bottle off and show it to a member of the public; if they find it alarming then ****ed are we.

If this bill goes through, the airsofters will be looking for something else to do on a weekend. Anyone who feels we are currently secure in our sport in the UK should consider how quickly their sport has become potentially illegal, mainly because of media hysteria, lies and confusion over the dreaded replicas. The media have taken stories about cheap airsoft guns, illegal blank firers and high powered air rifles and created the bogeyman of the easily available plastic gun that can be converted to kill, and a law is being proposed as a kneejerk reaction to this imaginary threat.

Anyone who thinks the same can't happen to us the next time the Daily Mail needs a new Demon of the Week needs to get their head out of the sand.

 

[Raffles]

This has been coming for a long time. I just thought it would have been sooner (pre-election) rather than later.

The only 'good' thing I can see coming from it is that tourney markers will become more distant from this law (as they are less like replicas).

Air-soft and rec-ball/scenario stuff is getting a lot nearer that 'red line' of banishment. I have an air-soft berreta and it does look real. If someone pointed it at me and said 'hands up' - up they'd go!

Then again, don't think it will be long before tourney markers will come under scrutiny as a lot of air-weapon abusers will need another outlet - and an 'under £100' full kit will make it very appealing to them.

Only time will tell - which of course means Mr Bull and Co will have twice as much work and an even more harder time keeping us 'legal'.

BTW - the first person to mention ramping (after me) will face a firing squad (hopefully manned by TFP).

Let's enjoy our hobby while we can...

 

[sumo89]

i think that only refers to airsoft guns that are trying to be so relistic they even weigh the same. Some people even put airsoft internals into old decomisioned(sp) guns.

 

[ollytheosteo]

I have an air-soft berreta and it does look real. If someone pointed it at me and said 'hands up' - up they'd go!

Absolutely right. The thing is, if they then pulled the trigger an ickle plastic pellet would come out and cause a boo-boo on your chest. The stupid thing is that I could go out tonight, get tanked up (half a shandy ) and punch a stranger in the face and I'd likely only get a caution, but soon owning a gun that fires plastic balls and looks real will get me shafted.

This is another example of knee-jerk legislation in reaction to the media shouting about imaginary problems to sell papers. It won't change the fact that the problem isn't guns, knives or sharp sticks; it's the fact children are growing up wanting to commit violent crime and that is too big a problem for this bunch of pricks to address.

 

[ollytheosteo]

i think that only refers to airsoft guns that are trying to be so relistic they even weigh the same.

(8) In this section “realistic imitation firearm” means an imitation firearm whose appearance is so realistic....


(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

 

[Baca Loco]

So if'n y'all are so skeered of losing the "right" to play pball why don't you do something about it? Other than expect Bully to work harder, that is.

And if there's nothing you can do--the monolithic, impersonal state will crush your leisure activities whenever and however it sees fit despite your desperate pleas for mercy--what's the point in worrying about it? If it happens, it happens 'cus apparently you're helpless to change anything.

 

[ollytheosteo]

I'm strapping on the dynamite as we speak- just think Michael Moore in Team America only with a bigger hotdog

I am currently trying to write to my MP but his email isn't working. Same ol', same ol'.....

 

[stongle]

Good lord, when will the Government in the UK keep up with fashion. Handguns (replica or not) are out! Weaponised Anthrax and VX are well in. Throw-out your hoodies and forget about the 90 degree Gangsta Glock Cock, get with the atropine and NBC suits!

 

[Rosie]

Yeah I'll try & talk to our MP too hes a decent guy.
On the news this morning there was a piece about airsoft players being scared that their stuff will get banned, and there was a guy in an airsoft shop saying that they only fire paint and how they cant be converted to fire anything else etc etc

but that might not be enough looking at this, as yeah some airsoft markers look pretty similar to real guns

Also, just noticed, go on Google images, search for paintball, on the first page theres a guy pointing a marker at an unmasked guys head, further down the page a guy with a bleeding hand from a hit: puts out a good image!

 

[mad dog]

And so the same old same old, when anybody spoke up namely speaking about ramping we drew closer and closer to Fully auto, and the public eye or the political eye on the marker issue if it comes up.

I saw this coming but won't go into the in's and out's or my background.

But I did try and push the sport for a more public and safer portrayal of what we call our sport.

Well maybe if the time that had been put into us all bitchin about ramping or non ramping, then we could do what would of been the adult thing to do and hold a positive seminar and work out the pro's and con's then do something positive.

One thing is for sure, time's are changing and us all slagging each other off is not helping, but hey! what the hell thats your choice.

The issue is one of now and a positive approach to a future problem that will occur if we don't do something or even lay plan's down.
But I have said all this before, and tired and sick of it and when it happens , hopefully not. Don't say I told you so!

Everybody writing off to thier local MP is not going to help if its not got some backing because he or she will look at it and say...

" What paintball?"Ok look's it up on net and can see everybody slagging each other off and go "They are kids shut it down". And the ramping issue will be "No bloody way will I allow the kids on the street to own one of them!"


Just my point of view, I really feel sorry for Steve Bull sometimes.

Example go to Google and do a search..... get someone who is a virgin to paintball and ask them there views.... The bit about lots of men running around forests shooting guns comes up. wannabee soldiers. Etc.