Some Airsoft Bullshit

[Nine]

This is probably the first of a few threads seems this Sport/hobby has just peaked my interest and there are a few strange things about and surrounding it.

So to kick this off is the bullshit laws around Airsofting. I might get a couple of the details wrong but it seems the law was made to be confusing on these.

Basically the 2006 Violent Crime Reduction Act showed up any made it illegal to sell realistic looking fake guns (RIF's) or to make one unless the person had proof that they had a need for them like in:

- Museums
- Theaters
- Making TV & Movies
- Historical re-enactments
- And pleasuring the queen or something "the purposes of functions that a person has in his capacity as a person in the service of Her Majesty." - (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/38/section/37)

I'm guessing airsoft fits under re-enactments or the Queens into it.

Being the violent crime reduction act the idea was to stop people being able to get hold of realistic looking fake guns and using them for crime. Though I think if violence comes into it then you kind of give up the game when you shoot somebody with a BB gun while trying to rob them at pretend gun point.

This would make sense to me but.. You can still as long as your over 18 buy:



And this:



So essentially you still have the same problem so long as your criminal is willing to both try armed robbery and go to the shops with £20..

It seems to me like they wanted to completely get rid of realistic looking airsoft guns but a group of retailers and airsoft sites (Probably shitting bricks over being on the verge of getting fucked by the new law) made a organisation called the UK Airsoft Retailers Association which created a database for people that play what the government accepted as regularly (3 games in over 2 months) so they could carry on selling to these people without being libel to the £5,000 of selling the things to people who aren't allowed them.

So this doesn't seem to bad right? To be honest its not the worst. Kinda shitty at most. Until you realise I could go walk into town and buy one of these:



All I would need to do is go down show them some ID and I can buy a air rifle that can kill people. I think there is some registration involved but I'm not sure why they can't do the same with Airsoft. I wouldn't mind having to fill out some forms to save wasting money on piece of shit rental guns.

Or a Pre 1870 replica like the .45 peacemaker:



Because of course somebody pointing one of those in your face wouldn't be a problem.

These are legal too:

- Crossbows
- Bow's
- Knives
- Swords
- Axe's
- Machetes
- Paintball guns
- Pre 1870 replicas
- Chavs..

So anyway. I think its all bullshit.. I can't buy a toy gun but I can buy a crossbow..

TL;DR:
You can't buy a toy gun that shoots plastic balls, but you can buy rifles that shoot metal pellets, crossbows, swords and replica guns from before 1870.

Yes I know Americans can get real guns. Problem is shooting a real gun at your friends for fun leaves you with no friends and a prison cell with your new extra special friend.

Kudos for probably one of my longest ever posts?

I also implied something about people performing sex acts on the queen. Thats got to be worth something.

[Jackalope]

Can you blokes get paintball gear legally? I never understood the attraction to airsoft. Someone shoots you with one of those, you can laugh it off. There's little motivation to not get hit.

[Captain Colostomy]

Can you blokes get paintball gear legally? I never understood the attraction to airsoft. Someone shoots you with one of those, you can laugh it off. There's little motivation to not get hit.

Worse, who the hell would admit to being 'out' in an airsoft battle? It's not like the ruptured testicles smothered in neon orange paintballers get.

[Nine]

Can you blokes get paintball gear legally? I never understood the attraction to airsoft. Someone shoots you with one of those, you can laugh it off. There's little motivation to not get hit.

Yep, Paintball stuff is real easy to get.

Airsoft guns can be cheap and shoot at like 150-200 feet per second and have like 20-30 meter range. Those won't hurt unless your close. A decent one will be at 330-350 full auto (For most UK sites) Or like 450 FPS for snipers. They can hit you at 50-60 meters accurately and from 30 meters in they sting a fair bit. At 20 meters a good gun will draw blood. From about 10 meters they can go into your skin.

As for not wanting to get hit. The annoying part is mostly being taken out of the game. If you want to win you need to be able to hold ground and move up. If you keep getting hit your no use at all. Same as paintball really. Difference is that airsoft guns usually have much more range. Certainly they are much more accurate. Which means you get more intense battles and more strategy in play. All which go onto the being hit part. The pain is irrelevant compared to being pinged off at 50 meters because you were just wandering about.

Lots of people do it for the realism and the fact that a good day paintballing can easily cost upward of £100 where as airsoft its between £25-50 depending on what gear you have. BB's cost £8 for 3000 paintballs cost almost the same for 100 that you have to buy from the site your at 9/10. My experience paintballing is that you only play like 5-6 20min games where as airsofting we went out for 3 hours had lunch and did another 3 hours.

---

Worse, who the hell would admit to being 'out' in an airsoft battle? It's not like the ruptured testicles smothered in neon orange paintballers get.

Well you get kicked out of the site pretty damn sharp if your caught. I had far more trouble with cheaters in paintball. Last time we got stuck against the same lot of cheating assholes all day and they were just ignored because they had paid so much.. Its usually a bunch of assholes doing a stag do or birthday party at paintball..