What are markers classed as?

[Pump'n'Splat]

Robbis, not yet, I've only started considering it this week since the program on BBC1 Scotland Monday!!....apparently the Scottish Government will be deciding on legislation by 10th June.

You're from Livingston way? Are you a clan player? If so, I work at the A1 site, and may be looking to collect signatures to support any letter I send, depends on what Big Sid thinks....

Rosie, the legislation is sooo grey, that you could post excerpts all over the place, and still be no clearer to an answer. I've read the Home Office Advice to Police Officers document back to front regarding legality and it actually clearly states that Airguns designed specifically to fire paint projectiles for "adventure games" and powered by co2 should never be considered as firearms. Compare an ION running on co2 to one running on air, no real difference except the first one might freeze up on ramping

It seems that paintball markers can fall in and out of classification as a "weapon". ie, only when exceeding the power for a "safe" airgun, or when carried in public with a ball in the breach or loader attached (with or without airsource attached to the marker).

And from reading articles by those close to the knowledge, it seems the home office are happy to keep this deliberately vague and allow the UKPSF to be self-regulating. The problem with self-regulation is that when it doesn't work, the government comes in and stomps on everyone (which could be a warning to all those in support of ramping, one incident and it could remove self-regulation and then the UK could start to cnsider onerous Airgun legislation, to INCLUDE Paintball markers powered by compressed air).

In scotland we seem to have it a little different, the Scottish Government are looking at Airgun legislation, and without being informed of the role Paintball Markers take in this area, could impose legislation which unwittingly makes markers illegal also, which would suck...considering we have two tournament teams in Scotland, One of them a 17 strong squad with a team in Div b of the PA and Div A of the masters, and also a team of heavily dedicated recballers who would also be affected.

 

[bulldog2k]

Strange you say that but the UKPSF does not?

Steve Bull EXPLICILY says in the Robbo's Article thread that the letter from the Home Office does not ever use the word toy

Left hand/right hand/knowledge of each other's whereabouts?

 

[Robbis]

Originally posted by Pump'n'Splat
Robbis, not yet, I've only started considering it this week since the program on BBC1 Scotland Monday!!....apparently the Scottish Government will be deciding on legislation by 10th June.

You're from Livingston way? Are you a clan player? If so, I work at the A1 site, and may be looking to collect signatures to support any letter I send, depends on what Big Sid thinks....

me? clan? (i wish), nah as of yet i dont play for a team, although as its stands i am currently in the process of forming one between myself and some m8's you work at a1 eh? i'm popping along there hopefully on the 11th for a few games with m8's might have to have a sitdown and chat about this over lunch if your working then.

 

[JoseDominguez]

If markers are firearms (under the same legislation as "air weapons") then everyone have a good look at the section on age and who's allowed to use and own them.

If you are under 14 you mat not purchase or own an airgun. If you are under 14, you may not purchase ammunition (so no paintballs sold to under 14s then) and a person under the age of 17 must be under DIRECT SUPERVISION of an adult........ this means accompanied at all times. Is that how we run sites then?

 

[Mario]

goverment legisaltion baby!! that way they could ban under 16's from playing and we'd lose most of the chav crew...

 

[Pump'n'Splat]

Originally posted by bulldog2k
Steve Bull EXPLICILY says in the Robbo's Article thread that the letter from the Home Office does not ever use the word toy

Left hand/right hand/knowledge of each other's whereabouts?

Which kind of makes me wonder why Russell is so sure, do you have evidence we don't mate? I know Russell is at the forefront of arguing for ramping and seems to have some direct line to the Home Office which he occasionally gives glimpses of to the rest of us...but where is the proof? It'd be incredibly useful to have to present to the Scottish parliament if you could show me an official statement from the Home Office classifying an air-powered paintball marker as a toy?

 

[steviecarson]

and also a team of heavily dedicated recballers who would also be affected.

better make that 2 teams mate

but anyway if you are serious about starting a petition send us a copy and ill get names this side of the country (west)
i own paintball alexandria so just give us a shout (or speak to ryan)

 

[Pump'n'Splat]

Hi Steve,

Well i've just written the letter and mentioned you guys indirectly, as well as the fact that i'm going to hand in signatures with it. I'll try to make my way over to Alexandria within the next week or so and come say hi, (i've heard such good things about yu guys! ) along with nabbing sigs! If not, i'll get a copy to Ryan and get him to send it my way when all is done.

Cheers

Nik

(If anyone is really interested in seeing the content of this letter, specifically anyone within the UKPSF who could check it over and give me a yay or nay on it's content, drop me a p/m and i'll sed you a copy)

 

[steviecarson]

thanks mate you would be welcome any time (why dont you come for the next walk on ) id be happy to collect sigs for you
,anything to stop paintball getting banned in scotland again

paintball is my livlyhood and my life so if it goes so does my bussiness

 

[Sid]

Nik,

Let me explain something, paintball was banned in Scotland in the 90's, why, because the goverment were naive to paintball as both an industry and a sport. They closed all sites in Scotland and all teams ceased to be. If you write a letter to the Scottish Office you may find you bring to their attention paintball, as a sport, and as a business. But consider this, these are the same people that banned it, and if memory serves they took a paintball marker and modified the pellets so they caused damage, I also understand they shot a human skull 3 or 4 times in order to fracture it, to me this seems excessive only to prove a point. If you send this petition you may find they will look at it, more so as a firearm than sports equipment. Also, at the time of the ban you had automags and tippmans as state of the art semi-automatic markers. So, consider this, you take an EGO to the Scottish Office and let them see it firing, semi auto do you honestly think they will go, yeah, thats cool!! No, they will say jesus thats full auto, thats so fast, thats so dangerous and it could potentially open a can of worms on paintball in Scotland, again. This is because they are not players, or indeed in the industry.

I don't disagree we should have markers regulated in this Country and in my opinion anyone owning one must be registered to a site. All sites must register their markers etc etc etc. If you take a petition to the Scottish office signed by a handfull of paintball players then you might find this backfires and although your intentions are good it could bite you in the a$$ mate.

Just my 2p worth buddy.


Robbis......what party are you for the 11th??

Nik, if you want to chat about it give me a call.