UKAPUNews Posts from United Kingdom Airsoft Players Association.
I’ve noticed associations in other countries warning people not to carry airsoft replicas as part of a Halloween outfit, but mentioning it seems a bit superfluous here in the UK, where we’re all aware you’ll probably get prosecuted for pointing your fingers and shouting bang, reported to the authorities for firing a nerf gun in your garden or shot for open carrying a banana……
Matt Furey-King, Chairman
I’m currently working on sorting out the UKAPU website, hosting and membership system via a professional web design company. Our original system of membership and renewal was slow, clunky and became unreliable, so before I ask for volunteers to step forward to run UKAPU, I want to get these basic resources back up and running, so they can make progress from day one. Stay tuned! And ask your airsoft mates to like this page.
Matt Furey-King, Chairman
On Monday UKAPU submitted a response to the firearms consultation. The law commission will now draft a recommendation based on feedback received. In the vast majority of cases the government will go along with what the law commission recommend, so this is a very important stage. I’m hoping for some sort of exemption (from a 1 Joule prescribed lethal threshold) for airsoft skirmishers, or a higher threshold across the board, but as a community we’re going to have to be more professional and organised to sell the idea of another ‘exemption’. Because of this I’ve stepped up as Chairman once more, to get the organisation running again. I’ll need to recruit a handful of intelligent, self motivated people to make it work. This is really important. You can change the course of airsoft. Your hobby needs you.
Matt Furey-King, Chairman UKAPU
Here’s the big one gents, which was always on the horizon, as many of us have been saying for years. In truth UKAPU is in an absolute state right now but as a member I’ll try and see that the organisation gets an official response sent in, and run it by members first if that’s possible.
In layman’s terms I’d say we’re likely looking at a 1 joule hard energy limit coming in for English and Welsh ‘airsoft’ rather than the vague recommendations we have at the moment. The clarity will be welcomed by some players, if not the low limit. Scotland will have its own legislation soon and NI already has a 1j limit.
I really hope that the Airsoft community doesn’t stand on past form and overwhelm the consultation with responses which are poorly reserched, badly worded and angry. Remember we’ve got to win them over. I just wish we had the tools in place of strong, legitimate airsoft associations. They make a huge difference but need to be in place and hard at work before the bomb drops, not as a reaction. Look to paintball as an example of how strong democratic associations can have a massive influence on law and policy (and how the strong commercial associations arguably moved the game away from what the players wanted it to be).
Matt Furey-King, Member
