Category: News

On Wednesday 13th June UKAPU will be attending the innaugural meeting of a new airsoft association entitled Air Soft Industry Association, arranged by Blaze publishing. We will be representing the interests of our members and airsoft players in general. UKAPU has not been involved in ASIA up to this point and we’re unclear as to how it will work, what the aims are or who is attending. UKAPU has been petitioning the other airsoft associations to form an umbrella body or council for the last couple of years. If this objective can be achieved it will pay dividends for our hobby.

You can find a press release about it at http://www.airsoftodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/uk-airsoft-gets-new-representative-body.html

We let our members know how it went.

Our Airsofting friends in Luxembourg have won a concession in law which in essence legalises airsoft in their country. Prior to this amendment it was illegal to carry a covered replica weapon in a public place (such as in your car), but as of November Luxembourgers are now allowed to carry airsoft replicas to airsoft games (a very similar law to that which affects British skirmishers). This is another good example of the tendency in Europe to relax laws relating to airsoft skirmishing, a trend which we would like our government to bear in mind.

http://www.mj.public.lu/services_citoyens/armes/Modifications_Loi_1983/index.html

UK airsoft players may be interested to read the Minutes from the first official meeting of the EAA, an organisation founded to defend European airsoft players in the EU and help associations share information. This meeting was set up by UKAPU, another example of the work we are doing to protecting the airsoft community.

http://www.ukapu.org.uk/wordpress/?page_id=638

Since the release of the ACPO lethality guidance UKAPU wished to clarify the effect on airsoft skirmishers in NI. We have received conformation from Police Service Northern Ireland that the 1 joule lethality/firearm specification from the Firearms Order (Northern Ireland) 2004 continues to be the legal limit for airsoft replicas in NI.  The letter is included below.

PSNI lethality

UKAPU is in the process of establishing its first ‘region’ in NI and the possibility of lobbying for a change in the legal NI lethality specification to bring it in line with the mainland is something that out NI members should discuss at the upcoming meeting. Date and location TBC.

This week the results of lethality tests performed by the Forensic Science Service were published by ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers).
The full report can be found here ACPO cover letter and here FSS airsoft lethality0001 (accompanies letter) however the relevant information is as follows:

ACPO Firearms and Explosives Licensing Working Group (FELWG) have proposed that the following power levels should be regarded as the lethal threshold for airsoft BBs (i.e. the power level at which they cease to be regarded as replicas and then become, on paper, real firearms). Nothing has changed in law but most police forces have adopted this as policy, so will very probably prosecute any skirmisher who exceeds them. In simple terms, airsoft skirmishers should now regard these figures as the maximum UK limits for possession, sale, purchase, import and use.

The document has established the following recommended threshold of lethality for airsoft BBs:

Full-auto or burst-fire capable : 1.3 joules (around 370fps with .2g bb)
Single-shot only (including semi auto) : 2.5 joules (around 520 fps with .2g bb)

This means that a full-auto airsoft gun over this limit is now deemed to be in the most restricted category of firearm, section 5 firearms, is only available through a Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD) and would not be useable in airsoft. The minimum penalty for possessing a section 5 firearm without a section 5 licence is 5 years.

A single shot or semi automatic airsoft gun over 2.5 joules is now deemed an air gun and can be sold to anyone over 18 (as it is not subject to sections 36 to 41 of the VCRA 2006), but is probably illegal to fire at another human being and therefore also unable to be used at an airsoft site. Air guns are also subject to a number of other laws.

All types of airsoft replicas are affected by this including spring, gas and electric powered guns.

We are awaiting response from PSNI to find out if they will be adopting this recommendation in preference to the current 1J policy in Northern Ireland. There are still other areas of this subject which are unclear, such as the status of gas automatic replicas (the muzzle energy of which can vary greatly), whether it will be deemed acceptable to downgrade a post lethal AEG and whether a semi auto only 1.3-2.5J AEG or even a sub lethal AEG will ever be regarded as ‘readily convertible’ (and thereby section 5). Again, we will forward any information we receive.

These results do not dictate an increase in UK site limits as site limits can of course be set by the game organiser at any level below the recommendation. Fortunately the vast majority of UK skirmishes are already played within the reccomended limits. UK airsoft is in a much better position now that these results are out as we now have a much better idea of how airsoft replicas will be regarded.

UKAPU recommends that 1.3J/2.5J is adopted by all UK players as the maximum limit for airsoft skirmishing replicas, with immediate effect.

Our airsofting brothers for over the water are battling against anti airsoft legislation as SB 798 has been tabled once again, UKAPU wishes them good luck;

“The moments of peace are over, war is on again! The Legislative Counsel State of California announced the date for the next reading, which will be Monday the 15^th of August. If you are from the West Coast or anywhere else of the U.S. of A, be sure to do your duty and call the Assembly Members to oppose SB 798! What else can you do? Pyramydair has organized a petition against SB 798 that is ready to sign!”

Follow this link to sign the petition: www.pyramydair.com/SB798.shtml

Source- http://www.airsoft2day.com – World Airsoft News

The UK is no stranger to Airsoft legislation but now it is the turn of the Californian Airsoft community to show down against a proposal which would require all Airsoft replicas to be 100% brightly coloured (think pink, red or blue for example) or translucent/clear.

Interestingly, paintball markers will not be subject to the same restrictions as the bill has been amended to propose all spot markers with projectiles measuring 10mm or more are exempt – This is clearly unworkable as paintball marker companies already produce realistic imitation firearms which would need a trained eye to distinguish from a real weapon. Under this legislation there is no provision made for Airsoft and this should be reconsidered.

One of the main points raised by the Airsoft Safety Foundation (created by Californian Airsoft retailers) is that by using bright colours parents could mistake Airsoft guns for children’s toys. If so, then parents may also underestimate the power with which some Airsoft replicas can fire.

UKAPU whole heartedly oppose SB 798 and wish to provide our brothers and sisters in California with a message of support for the hearing due on Tuesday 21st June – We hope that your efforts to oppose this bill are not wasted.

For more information on this bill please visit the Airsoft Safety Foundation website.

The new UKAPU site is now online! This site has many new features, more content and will be updated more frequently due to the improved interface. Thanks go out to our Web Admin, Linas Masteika, for getting everything completed.

A point of note is that we are now able to accept PayPal membership and renewal payments – This is something that people have been asking for and we have finally resolved the issues which were preventing its implementation.

This site is another important step forward as an association and will allow the committee to report important news updates in a more timely fashion.

If you have any comments or suggestions on the new website, or if you want to report any errors, then you can contact Linas atwebadmin@ukapu.org.uk