Recently we’ve noticed some confusion on airsoft pages regarding the Police and Crime Bill (PCB) and the EU anti airsoft firearms directive proposal. Some have seen that the airsoft community has made huge progress on making airsoft safe from the EU proposal, and think that means all is safe in UK airsoft. It isn’t, not yet.
The Policing and Crime Bill 2015/16 is not connected to the EU proposal 2015/0269, its two separate problems which could each hurt UK airsoft in a big way. Unfortunately they both happened at the same time, but they are not connected.
This is the new (post parliament vote) EU proposal document http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2016-0251&language=EN as you can see we got airsoft, replicas and even blank fire grenades (BFG) taken out of it.
The PCB on the other hand could still be very good or very bad for airsoft, so we have to make ourselves heard.
One (almost) down, one to go. We won’t rest till we have the PCB problems sorted out and you should stay aware too.
Matt Furey-King, Chair UK Airsoft Players Union