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The overall objective of the Violent Crime Reduction Bill is to provide the police and local communities with the powers they need to tackle guns, knives and alcohol-related violence. These RIAs relate to various aspects of the proposed legislation, including new powers and new offences,
The following information has been put together to aid those seeking information about how the Violent Crime Reduction Bill will affect the shooting industry and sport.
The following information has been circulated by the Shooting Industry Fund and Shooting Sports Trust and is their interpretation of how the VCR bill will affect the sales of air weapons and related products. General This briefing note is concerned only with low powered air weapons which generate a muzzle energy energy in excess of one joule (0.7375 foot pounds) but not exceeding 8.13 joules (6 foot pounds) for an air pistol or 16.27 joules (12 foot pounds in any other case). Soft air guns are not considered, nor are high powered air weapons that are above the set limit. Component parts of those air weapons - that is such pressure bearing parts as the barrel, cylinder or air resevoir and piston, (but not screws, springs, stocks and other parts that are not pressure bearing) must be regarded as if they were air weapons in their own right. Registered Firearms Dealers From the date on which the Rules take effect, only registered firearms dealers (RFDs) will be permitted to sell or transfer air weapons by way of trade or business. Air weapons repairers will not be required to be RFDs, but the complexity of the law about transfers of air weapons to individuals linked with the fact that most repairers sell at least a small number of air weapons means that most would be wise to become RFDs. Selling air weapon ammunition will not be restricted to RFDs. Existing RFDs will continue to sell air weapons with no change other than a need to keep records of airgun sales and a requirement for face-to-face transactions where airguns are sold. Sales in Person A further restriction will require that all sales be in person. This will apply where a person sells an air weapon by way of trade or business to another person in Great Britain who is not registered as a firearms dealer. It does not apply to transfers so that airguns that have been repaired need not be returned in person, but can be sent by carrier. The restriction does not apply to sales that are completed outside Great Britain, for example where air weapons are sold by a person in another countryby mail order or via the internet and then posted to someone in Great Britain. Where this section applies, the buyer and the seller or his representative (the sellers servant, another RFD or his servant) must be present in person so that the final transfer of possession is face to face.
Click the link below to read these documents in more detail:-
Yes, you set the 'Starting Bid' to the same as your 'Buy Out' price.
A restriction of the Violet Crime Reduction Bill requires that all sales be in person. This will apply where a person sells an air weapon by way of trade or business to another person in Great Britain who is not registered as a firearms dealer. It does not apply to transfers so that airguns that have been repaired need not be returned in person, but can be sent by carrier. The restriction does not apply to sales that are completed outside Great Britain, for example where air weapons are sold by a person in another country by mail order or via the internet and then posted to someone in Great Britain. Where this section applies, the buyer and the seller or his representative (the sellers servant, another RFD or his servant) must be present in person so that the final transfer of possession is face to face. So, to summarise, to complete the transaction, you can either meet face to face or send the item to a gun shop or (RFD) local to the buyer From the 1st of October 2007 it is illegal to sell, manufacture or import realistic imitation firearms within the UK. Furthermore, selling an imitation firearm to, or the purchase of an imitation firearm by, anyone under the age of 18 years is illegal under Section 40 of the Act. Contravening this is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment, a fine or both. In blunt terms it will not be legal to sell imitation firearms (of which realistic imitation firearms should be seen as a sub-set) to anyone under 18. A realistic imitation firearm is defined thus in the Act: 38 Meaning of “realistic imitation firearm” (1) In sections 36 and 37 “realistic imitation firearm” means an imitation firearm which— (a) has an appearance that is so realistic as to make it indistinguishable, for all practical purposes, from a real firearm; and (b) is neither a de-activated firearm nor itself an antique. (2) For the purposes of this section, an imitation firearm is not (except by virtue of subsection (3)(b)) to be regarded as distinguishable from a real firearm for any practical purpose if it could be so distinguished only— (a) by an expert; (b) on a close examination; or (c) as a result of an attempt to load or to fire it. (3) In determining for the purposes of this section whether an imitation firearm is distinguishable from a real firearm— (a) the matters that must be taken into account include any differences between the size, shape and principal colour of the imitation firearm and the size, shape and colour in which the real firearm is manufactured; and (b) the imitation is to be regarded as distinguishable if its size, shape or principal colour is unrealistic for a real firearm. The Statutory instrument entitled “arms and ammunition” which includes the Defence says the following about ‘unrealistic imitation firearms’ Imitation firearms which are to be regarded as unrealistic for a real firearm — For the purposes of section 38(3)(b) of the 2006 Act, the size of an imitation firearm is to be regarded as unrealistic for a real firearm only if the imitation firearm has dimensions that are less than the dimensions specified in paragraph (2). The dimensions specified in this paragraph are a height of 38 millimetres and a length of 70 millimetres. — For the purposes of section 38(3)(b) of the 2006 Act, a colour is to be regarded as unrealistic for a real firearm only if it is a colour specified in paragraph (2). The colours specified in this paragraph are— bright red; bright orange; bright yellow; bright green; bright pink; and bright purple. This should be read in conjunction with Section 38 of the Act and is included for reference. It would be legal to sell an airsoft gun conforming to these specifications to a person over the age of 18 regardless of whether or not they were a registered skirmisher. What is affected by the VCRA and why was it enacted? The main aim of Sections 36 - 40 of the Act is to reduce the availability of imitation firearms within the UK. The ABA, UKARA & UKASGB have successfully argued for a specific defence for airsoft skirmishing. This defence is for skirmishers only - it is not applicable to target shooters, collectors or to those with a passing attraction to realistic imitation firearms. Therefore the main restriction is on the sale of realistic imitation firearms. You may legally keep any you own prior to the Act coming into force. The Act has no effect on skirmishing, nor has it any impact upon an individuals' ability to purchase accessories, spares, replacement parts etc. It is the sale of complete guns that is affected. It is likely that a court would view the assembling of component parts to produce a realistic imitation firearm as ‘manufacture’. It may well take the same view if a brightly coloured imitation firearm was painted to make it look more realistic. The Specific Defence The defence granted by the Home Secretary allows for the continuing purchase of airsoft guns by those participating in, holding or organising airsoft skirmishes. It is understood that in order to abide by the defence, the airsoft community within the UK will become self-regulating. It is therefore of the ultimate importance that everyone involved takes their responsibilities seriously. Failure to do so could, in the worst case, see the defence being revoked. There will inevitably be cases where the Act will either be contravened or ignored. Should any of us be aware of such instances, it is in our own interest to ensure that such acts are brought to the attention of the relevant bodies or authorities and that law-abiding airsofters distance themselves from those involved. Remember - any breaches of the Act are not a simple 'trading standards' issue, they are a criminal act. Sites. Sites are at the heart of the scheme, as only through membership of a legitimate airsoft site can an individual demonstrate their entitlement to the specific defence granted to airsoft skirmishers. The Government has determined that a 'legitimate' site is one that holds third-party insurance. This is important, because only members of a site or club with valid third party insurance can claim to be "airsoft skirmishers" for the purposes of the defence. It is therefore vital that sites ensure that they have up-to-date third-party liability insurance before the 1st of October if they wish to register their members. It is expected that in order to differentiate the casually interested from the committed airsoft skirmisher, that sites will maintain a minimum standard with regards to new players. UKARA will require that any site applying to register under the scheme should ensure that a new entrant into airsoft should play a minimum of three times in a period of not less that two months before being offered membership of a site. This is important, as the main objective of the VCRA is to reduce the supply of imitation firearms within the UK, and the defence granted is aimed at assisting only legitimate skirmishers. We must there be, and be seen to be, serious about our pastime and not willing to grant membership on a whim. We would suggest that sites when granting membership in relation to the VCRA follow a standard form. They should record and obtain the following information. Name Address Date of Birth A Passport photo A copy of the players Passport/ Driving Licence A copy of a utility bill. Site membership cards should ideally contain a Passport sized photo. General information or advice regarding sites can be sought from UKASGB (United Kingdom Airsoft Sites Governing Body). Membership Cards A universal form of membership card was discussed with the Home Office and there is much to recommend it. Given the timescales we now find ourselves working to, it has proved impractical to implement such a system in time for the Act coming fully into force. This does not prevent continuing work being done to achieve this, and the Government will no doubt be sympathetic to the difficulties involved in introducing large-scale ID card schemes… Some sites are considering or implementing commercially available card schemes and these may well become more widespread over time. Ultimately it is a decision for individual sites to decide whether or not they wish to pursue this at present. Retailers Any retailer who wishes to sell airsoft guns will be legally obliged to demonstrate that they have taken reasonably practicable steps to ensure that the purchaser is entitled to one of the exemptions or defences under the Act. UKARA (United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association) members have agreed to abide by a code of conduct, and have set up a national scheme that will ensure that they meet this test. Any retailer wishing to apply for membership should contact UKARA via their website. As an organisation, UKARA is dedicated to providing specialist airsoft equipment to skirmishers and not all retailers will be deemed suitable applicants for membership. Please see "Non UKARA Members" below should you fall into this category. Regardless of membership, anyone being granted access to the database for the purposes of trading in realistic imitation firearms will be contractually obliged to abide by the Code of Conduct. UKARA Database UKARA have developed and funded a database to facilitate the continuing distance selling of airsoft guns. While not the only way to meet the restrictions of the Act, we believe this is the most efficient way to tackle it. No player can register directly with UKARA, as the players 'legitimacy' comes from site membership and nowhere else. The UKARA scheme is to an extent paper-based. We are aware of the potential criticism this may occasion, but we were keenly aware that not all sites would have the means or the desire to implement a fully digital membership system by the 1st of October 2007. By designing the system as it is, a degree of flexibility is retained to allow maximum participation by the airsoft community. How does it work? Sites wishing have their players registered on the database must first register themselves with UKARA. They can download the necessary form from the UKARA website, or obtain it from a UKARA retailer. This should be completed & returned to any UKARA retailer with a copy of their insurance certificate. In order to establish a sites' bona fides UKARA reserves the right to request additional information. The site will then be added to the sites register and this will allow members of that site to then be added to the database. UKARA will issue a stamp to each registered site that they will use to stamp the players' form (see below). This, along with an agreed signatory, will ensure that only valid players are entered onto the database. For airsoft clubs, which exist to allow only their members to play, further information may be required, for instance a copy of their Constitution and proof that they have permission to hold skirmishes on the land they use. Sites or clubs who have registered to participate in this scheme will have their site name & contact details displayed on the UKARA website. Players will therefore be able to establish which sites are participating in the scheme. Participation in this scheme is not mandatory, and not registering does not prevent a site from hosting perfectly legal airsoft skirmishes, however sites may deem registration advantageous as it will enable their members to more easily prove their entitlement to the specific defence when purchasing airsoft guns. How sites run a membership scheme is up to them, but if they wish to participate in the UKARA database scheme, they will need to use membership numbers which are in the format XXX12345 - three alpha characters followed by five numeric characters. The exact site-specific format should be agreed at time of registration. Players who hold site membership. Players wishing to have their details entered on the database should obtain a form from either the UKARA website or from their local UKARA retailer. This should be taken to the site at which they are a member where it will be filled in, signed & stamped. It should then be returned to any UKARA retailer with their first order for an Airsoft item, by post, the retailer will then enter their details onto the database. Thereafter, any UKARA retailer who receives an order for an airsoft gun from that player will be able to cross-check the database to establish that the individual is entitled to purchase RIFs. Player’s detail will remain on the UKARA database for a period of 365 days after first entry. If no query is registered against a player on the database by the end of that period, they will be automatically removed from the database. This is to ensure that we are not accused of allowing "lifetime" access to RIFs - the defence is for skirmishing - if you no longer skirmish you are no longer permitted to buy. UKARA will levy no charges for any of the foregoing, however sites may charge for membership as they are going to incur additional overheads and responsibilities. That is a matter for them. Distance Selling In some respects, this is the very reason for a national database. Without this, establishing that a potential customer is entitled to purchase could prove to be a long and tortuous process. When a registered player attempts to purchase an airsoft gun, he or she will be asked for their site membership number. Using this, along with the other information routinely provided (Name, address etc) the retailer will be able to quickly and efficiently check the database to confirm that the individual is indeed entitled to purchase under the terms of the defence. In order to reduce fraudulent orders, it may be necessary to only send airsoft guns to the address specified in the player’s membership details. For this reason, players should ensure that any changes in address details are notified to their site and through them to UKARA as quickly as possible. Under 18s It was originally hoped that under-18s could nominate a parent or adult who could buy on their behalf, however unless that person is themselves a registered skirmisher, such a scheme would be unworkable and illegal. Furthermore grave concerns must be entertained about the legality of transferring an imitation firearm to a minor. The Act would not appear to prevent hiring or lending imitation firearms, but we would urge the greatest caution in this area. Any angler aged 12 years or over, fishing for salmon, trout, freshwater fish or eels in England (except the River Tweed), Wales or the Border Esk and its tributaries in Scotland must have an Environment Agency rod licence. Money from the sale of licences helps to fund our work managing fisheries. If you are caught fishing without one, you are cheating other anglers and could be fined up to £2,500.
Remember, if you're coarse fishing with 3 or 4 rods, you need 2 licences
These licences are also available from The Environment Agency Telesales Service on 0870 1662 662, or from any Post Office in England and Wales. What other types of licence are available?
Important notice
In order to be able to sell items on Fishing and Fieldsports.co.uk, you must verify your details.
To do this you are required to make a payment of 99p using one of the listed methods, your account will then be credited with this amount for future use.
As you will understand, the reason that we need to verify sellers is for security, Safety and fraud prevention. The advice given here is general, but is believed to be correct as of December 2003, it will be updated as required by changes to the law.
A Firearms Certificate (FAC) is required before you can purchase, or posses any firearm, ammunition, or certain parts of a firearm, e.g. a spare barrel. It is important that any prospective applicant reads fully the section on Gun Law before attempting to apply. There are two main ways that civilians can obtain an FAC in the UK: a) if they can demonstrate that they have shooting rights over suitable land. b) if they can demonstrate membership of a target shooting club, such as Marple Rifle and Pistol Club (MRPC). What follows assumes membership of a target shooting club. In order to become a full member of MRPC a prospective member must join the club as a probationary member and complete a minimum of 18 visits in a 6 month time period. To join the club it is necessary to both pay the subscription fee and complete an application form giving the names and addresses of two referees who have known the applicant for at least two years. A part of the application includes a signed declaration that the applicant is not debarred from firearms use or possession. After the end of this probationary period, subject to satisfactory behaviour and no adverse reports from any source, membership will be confirmed at the next committee meeting. After membership has been confirmed an FAC can be applied for. The Police will not entertain any application that is not confirmed by the club secretary, so it is a waste of time trying before full membership is granted. When the FAC application is is received by the police (you get the form from them) along with the necessary fee, they will make an appointment with you to come and inspect your home and security arrangements for storing the firearms and ammunition. When applying for the FAC it is worth while specifying more guns than you need, this is to allow the purchase of a new gun, before the sale of an old gun has gone through. There is no limit as to the number of guns or quantity of ammunition you can ask for, but the more you want, the more security the police may insist on before granting the FAC. Basically they will expect a steel cabinet of at least 16 swg bolted to the floor and / or wall and secured with 5 lever lock(s). Connection to an alarm would be a bonus and in some locations may be a requirement. If your premises has shared access, for example if it is in a block of flats, the requirements may be more stringent. It is worth remembering that unless anyone else living at your address has an FAC listing your guns, then that person cannot legally handle them, even in the home. If you are intending to reload centrefire ammunition, rather surprisingly you do not need an FAC to buy any of the components. An FAC is only needed to make and keep assembled ammunition. You must specify on your application how many rounds you intend to have at any one time. It is not necessary to enter any details of your home reloaded ammunition, or how many times you reload. The only requirement is that you do not exceed your maximum holding in your specified calibres at any one time. A part of the application form is to specify the names and addresses of two referees that are willing to support your application for an FAC. There are restrictions as to who can act as a referee, family members being barred as is anyone with a criminal record. It is not possible to have your application supported by two members of your club, you must find independent referees who are willing to complete a questionnaire about you and return it directly to the police (so that you cannot see what they have written). The best advice to any new FAC applicant is to ask existing club members for advice before filling out the application form. |
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