Time for some cold hard facts (courtesy of the Home Office):-
The provisional number of recorded offences involving imitation firearms (primarily BB guns) in England and Wales for 2004/5 was 3,332.
This is an increase of 55% (1,186 offences) on 2003/4.
Clearly, this suggests that something needs to be done. In its current form, the Bill only covers new Sales and Imports, it has nothing to say about existing realistic imitation weapons, though I suspect there are those who wish it did.
At the end of the day, I fully expect that when/if it achieves Royal Assent, Airsoft Clubs will be permitted to apply for a License giving them an exemption from the provisions contained therein, presumably with a similar rider to that for the legislation relating to "real" Shooting Clubs, namely that the weapons have to be kept securely on site, and probably signed out and checked back in again...
The other option, of course, is to just buy Airsoft weapons that *gasp* don't look like the real thing. Okay, you lose the realism, but you're perfectly within the law (assuming you're 18 or over), and it doesn't change the game mechanics, you're still firing BBs at other folks...
But like I say, I've never participated in an Airsoft event, so what do I know?
no subject
The provisional number of recorded offences involving imitation firearms (primarily BB guns) in England and Wales for 2004/5 was 3,332.
This is an increase of 55% (1,186 offences) on 2003/4.
Clearly, this suggests that something needs to be done. In its current form, the Bill only covers new Sales and Imports, it has nothing to say about existing realistic imitation weapons, though I suspect there are those who wish it did.
At the end of the day, I fully expect that when/if it achieves Royal Assent, Airsoft Clubs will be permitted to apply for a License giving them an exemption from the provisions contained therein, presumably with a similar rider to that for the legislation relating to "real" Shooting Clubs, namely that the weapons have to be kept securely on site, and probably signed out and checked back in again...
The other option, of course, is to just buy Airsoft weapons that *gasp* don't look like the real thing. Okay, you lose the realism, but you're perfectly within the law (assuming you're 18 or over), and it doesn't change the game mechanics, you're still firing BBs at other folks...
But like I say, I've never participated in an Airsoft event, so what do I know?