Originally posted by Skeetmaster
Airsoft, are considered toys, because they produce less than 1 Joule of energy and are not considered to be lethal.
An airweapon, for example, can kill a rabbit..or similar, and has killed people in the past, one just the other day.
People have mentioned in the past, the effect an electro marker, loaded with marbles could have....not lethal?
Markers are, by definition..an Airgun.
They use a self contained compressed gas source to fire a projectile....fact.
The law is open to interpretation, when presented in court.
The Judge, in this drive by case, (of which I am not fully aware), could just as easily, have thrown the book, at the indiviuals involved, but most likely chose, to term it as devilment, rather than to have these silly buggers, banged up, for Firearms offences.
Markers have not been ignored, more have developed, around the law...as I said, Co2 required a Section 1 FAC, when used with any air powered weapon, including markers.
Markers produce, near on 12ft/lbs of muzzle energy, at 300fps.
Technicly speaking, nobody under the age of 17 should be able to buy a Marker, as that is what the law states in reference to an air weapon of any kind.
The term Grey area..is very appropriate, as markers are in this grey area.
if an Airgun, produces more than 12ft/lbs, it is considered a Section 1 firearm...Fully automatic weapons, are Section 5, illegal, to private citizens...ramping, is a grey area..as, it isnt fully automatic, as described in law, but...it does produce more than one shot, per pull of the trigger...like wise, it isnt burst fire either, as such.
Ramping is not something, that could be easily classifide, as it has no bearing on firearms, as they were, when the law was passed...there is no reason, why any rifle, pistol or machine gun, should require the ability, to ramp shots, in the way that we do....ours ramp, as a means of making it easier to fire our guns, at a rate we require, to play a game...WITHOUT it being FULL AUTO...if, there was no legal bearing on Markers...then why are we not using full auto, capped at 15 BPS for safety?
Coz its illegal to have a fully automatic weapon...thats why.
Paintball Attacker Jailed For 12 Months
A participant in a paintball drive by in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to jail for 12 months. Dion Hunter, 23, was a passenger in a sports car when he fired several rounds at pedestrians and a bus.
pbnews.jpg
The attacker, Dion Hunter, was charged with "three counts of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence." Hunter plead guilty on all three accounts.
http://www.paintballstar.com/pn/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=21&page_id=200
That one I assume?
As I suspected, the it was described as "witless tomfoolery"...they were lucky.
You can bet your bollox...if someone ever did, carry out a crime, using a marker like a shocker, and a marble loaded Halo...he wouldnt get told off, for his "witless tomfoolery"...and before anyone says, that "Dion" didnt commit a crime....shooting somone with something, who doesnt want to be shot, is assault, and hence...criminal.
Has anyone ever imported a marker, and been asked to provide a declaration, as to it's legality in the UK? Yep.
On a lighter note...
Meirion Davies, defending Hunter, said: "Nobody was going to be injured as a result of this witless piece of tomfoolery."
What is he...'kin Psychic? Twat...
Markers aren't firearms......... putting marbles in them is misuse..... much like sticking a shotgun shell in a length of copper piping, but plumbers don't need a firearms license do they? Look at the evidence........ anyone can buy a marker..... not the case with airguns, so how come anyone can buy, handle or be given a marker? only stricture is site insurance. Pistol grip air guns are 6 ftlbs, not 12 (markers are pistol grip and would fall under this too, regardless of what you stick on a pistol, it's still a pistol, a splatmaster with a halo and 1.5 litre tank is still a pistol. why are our markers different? it's a pistol with big stuff strapped on). As for "assault"....... yes, true. But if markers were considered firearms, the charge would have been discharging a firearm, possession of a firearm etc... etc.... the judge doesn't get to decide the charges, it's not a grey area (even if the verdict is). If a marker was a gun, that's what he'd have been charged with (it may not have held up in court) but he was NEVER charge with using a firearm. Therefore, they aint covered unless as stated, you use them to imitate a firearm.
All of these cases of paintball marker misuse, highlight the fact that they aren't covered as firearms......... paintball vandals are not charged as "discharging a firearm" just vandalism and TV shows can get away with it as it's not illegal.
So, as Ollie stated......... the UKPSF has voluntarily followed the airgun laws, that's all. And we've always taken that as gospel (I know I did). I don't see any reason to change this at all.
Case in point.......... has ramping been OK'd in the UK?
Yes, completely (whether you like it or not, the authorities are fine with it) Has the firearms act been changed? No, simple as that, if ramping is OK, then markers aren't firearms.
Oh, and what about a marker that fires over 330 fps? If the firearms act applies, then that needs a certificate as it's beyond the remit of the airgun exemptions. As far as I'm concerned, the vast majority can do this without modification or fiddling with ammo........... so just as an airgun with an illegal spring is outlawed, so would any marker capable of firing over 330........ that's almost all of them.
