First Gun

daraghc

Just found this site after hearing from a friend that airsoft guns are now legal in Ireland (8 months later, I know). I always wanted to get an airsoft rifle but didn't want the hastle of getting a licence / sneaking it past customs.

I have a small airsoft pistol but am now thinking of getting a sniper rifle. Any thoughts as a first gun??

I found this one on speedy toys but i'd prefer to buy from a european company so as i won't get hit with vat or Import duty. Recommended sites??

Cheers:)

kdouglas

avoid speedytoys anyway, heard bad things about them, have a look in the discussion about retailers thread, there's some good links in the first few pages.
There's also a load of links in this thread over on the IAA website...

ehobbyasia.com is pretty good and have a good range of medium to high end airsoft guns
rsov.com has some really good stuff too, if you want something of decent quality without breaking the bank and keith the owner is incredibly helpful

both of those are based in hong kong though, so you may get charged customs charges when they arrive in the country, but it still works out cheaper most of the time.

CrazyRabbit

Honestly, that's a pretty weak airsoft gun...especially for a sniper rifle. 0.75 joules will put you at a disavantage to anyone who is even using a 1 joule pistol.

Honestly, there is not much point in getting a sniper rifle. Since all airsoft guns are limited to 1 joule output, you may as well just buy a fully automatic assault rifle (AEG in airsoft terms)

And also consider that the only site for airsoft south of the border is focused on CQB, and you are better off with something a bit smaller than a sniper rifle.

As for sites, there is a sticky here in the forum with urls, reviews, comments etc about most of the major retailers.

Irish Trinity

if your looking for something cheap i would recommend www.rsov.com

kdouglas

CrazyRabbit wrote:

And also consider that the only site for airsoft south of the border is focused on CQB, and you are better off with something a bit smaller than a sniper rifle.

indeed, something i meant to mention, why exactly do you want a sniper rifle? if you want to do target shooting in your garden or whatever, then rifle's are grand, but if your going to use them in a skirmish, then an AEG would probably be better for your first. Then if you decide to be a sniper, get a sniper rifle, but bear in mind that hrta is a cqb site. Although people have successfully used sniper rifles at hrta when we play outdoor

daraghc

I was thinking of getting the sniper rifle for target shooting alrite. what's the deal with skirmishes? Are there many places to go in Ireland? I'll be moving to wexford in the summer and I think i saw a sign for airsoft around Gorey or Arklow

kdouglas

Gorey/Arklow eh.....? If your passing by there again can you find out more?

At the moment the only airsoft site in the republic is HRTA in swords and there is also predator up the north which people on here make a regular-ish trip to every month or so (although i've yet to go myself).

daraghc

Yeah i'll take a look next time i'm passin thru

o1s1n

daraghc wrote:

I was thinking of getting the sniper rifle for target shooting alrite. what's the deal with skirmishes? Are there many places to go in Ireland? I'll be moving to wexford in the summer and I think i saw a sign for airsoft around Gorey or Arklow

A bolt action under 1 joule is absolutely fine for shooting targets in your garden. (Unless your garden is half a mile long of course).

Other than that though, it has no real use. You'll more than likely get no enjoyment whatsoever using one in a skirmish.

AEGs all the way!

ED E

This might be a good Idea.
JG G36c
Think it comes in at €106 shipped but you may pay like €20 in Import duty on that.

Leidenfrost

Hey I'm new to the forum and was just wondering what is the consensus on the MP001 rifle?

I've read it is rather superior to a lot of rifles

http://www.airsoftretreat.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=114&cat=62

and I was also thinking about the Mk-1
http://www.hobbytron.com/MK1CompetitionGasAirsoftGunAZCGNB601.html

I now my setup lacks a fully auto companion but I don't intend on spray and prays.

as a side note I like to make cannons (I have a 1.5m pneumatic cannon, powered by a hand pump for shooting golf balls 300m, could fill it with airsoft ammo. like this http://corin.com/bill/paintball/aircannon/cartridges.html ) and I also like making pyrotechnic devices, smoke devices, flash bangs, and... bigger stuff.


any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Leidenfrost

It is also the highest muzzle velocity airsoft rifle I've seen.

Leidenfrost

oh I've seen the top of the range stuff..but who would spend that sort of money on an airsoft rifle anyway?

the MP001 seems to be the only rifle that perfectly balances performance and price.
like $500 for an ''SVD Dragunov'' at 500fps stock.
although it is The most powerful stock rifle on the market, and also has the enviable addition of a stock tightbore, which means NO upgradeability necessary. it does, however, weigh less than the M24, weighing in at only 2.7kg. Another problem is that the gun is HUGE, with 590mm inner barrel, and is just beastly long. This means that it's not really terribly useable in skirmishes because it's a real pain to camouflage.

good day to you! I'd bring a MP001 anyday.

kdouglas

LIGHTNING wrote:

If you want a really a over the top rifle rsov has an L96 Artic Warfare sniper rifle that shoots at around 450-450 fps.

dont forget anything over 1 Joule is illegal to own without a firearms licence

liamo333

Leidenfrost wrote:

as a side note I like to make cannons (I have a 1.5m pneumatic cannon, powered by a hand pump for shooting golf balls 300m, could fill it with airsoft ammo. like this http://corin.com/bill/paintball/aircannon/cartridges.html ) and I also like making pyrotechnic devices, smoke devices, flash bangs, and... bigger stuff.

Wow that sounds very legal:eek: :eek:

Leidenfrost

well as the MP001 is theoretically over that 1 joule limit too, I'm still going to get it. Ek= (1/2)(.0002kg)(122^2)
E=1.49 joules

I've asked a friend who is in the guards and they're not that anal about airsoft guns, basically their stance is that if we don't brandish them in public or go sniping unsuspected people they couldn't care less.

Leidenfrost

liamo 333: Wow that sounds very legal:eek: :

again, I've asked that friend of mine about this too, and as long as I don't go shooting people or frightening people they don't care.

I've looked into getting a pyrotechnics license (as they are common in the uk etc) so I could stay on the right side of the law, but I was pretty much told to get off it, I've never taken any pyrotechnic or explosive devices to any other place than my lab and garden...and I've told my neighbors if they hear anything that it's just me (and they don't mind either).

kdouglas

Leidenfrost wrote:

well as the MP001 is theoretically over that 1 joule limit too, I'm still going to get it. Ek= (1/2)(.0002kg)(122^2)
E=1.49 joules

I've asked a friend who is in the guards and they're not that anal about airsoft guns, basically their stance is that if we don't brandish them in public or go sniping unsuspected people they couldn't care less.

regardless of what your friend said, i can guarantee when o1s1n reads this he'll tell you about how boards.ie is liable for all the content published here, so if your going to talk about airsoft rifles over 1 Joule, you should have a licence for it, and if you dont then your better off not mentioning it, the law is the law and regardless of if your friend who is a guard will let you off with it, it's still illegal without a licence

daraghc

Not allowed snipe unsuspecting people??
Well there's my plans down the drain:mad:

Leidenfrost

but I'd never ever break the law and all the things I just said are completely fictitious in nature.
I'm on anti-psychotics.

CrazyRabbit

kdouglas wrote:

regardless of what your friend said, i can guarantee when o1s1n reads this he'll tell you about how boards.ie is liable for all the content published here, so if your going to talk about airsoft rifles over 1 Joule, you should have a licence for it, and if you dont then your better off not mentioning it, the law is the law and regardless of if your friend who is a guard will let you off with it, it's still illegal without a licence

Quoted For Emphasis...

Fallschirmjager

CrazyRabbit wrote:

Quoted For Emphasis...

yep and

i am sorry i am going to rant here, because this is very very very important to me.

we have just managed to get legalised under 1 joule, some of us here have waited years for airsoft to become legal. Yes years! some of us, me included, wrote to the justice department asking for under one joule to be free of a license. i am sure i have the emails if you want to see it. personally i thought it was a waste of time. in those dark times, the closest i could get was reading websites in the uk/us and the odd time managing to play abroad...if you want to go back to that, kick on with your over one joule devil may care attitude..

can people show some common sense with this...if these over 1 joule aeg's appear, we will be plunged into the dark ages and made illegal again with the flick of a pen in the justice dept.

the justice department has given us a hand up to create a sport and to be fair in these times of anti gun hysteria, it was an incredibly ballsy move by them...bravo...they have given us an opportunity to show maturity, create jobs, have a great pasttime, lets not waste it.

finally, why do you need something that powerful, this is a sport we are creating here and a fun one..personally i dont want to play with someone brandishing something firing over 1 joule...its dangerous. there are a lot of goggles out there incapable of stopping that....buying those is a guarantee you want to read a heading in the evening herald about how someone lost an eye, and how airsoft lasted six months, and worse, we will all be asked to turn in our aegs...never to be seen again... people here, and me included, have invested a lot of time, effort and money in this sport...and you are risking it all...

incidently it will also affect every other shooting sport in ireland by tarnishing everyone as irresponsible...

under 1 joule...good, over 1 joule = license-- period...what someone said or implied or intimated (gardai or otherwise) does not amount to a hill of beans when you are on the steps of your local court, and from memory you could be looking at a heavy fine and/or jail..

oh and finally, firing it in your back yard and over 1 joule= license....

please please, dont screw this up for everyone...

end of rant...

tonyj_mc

Fallschirmjager, well ranted can't say i speak for everyone here but i agree whole heartedly with you. A lot of people have waited a long time for this sport to be legalised and now that its is for under 1 joule we have people here pushing the limit. Please son't mess this up for everyone, if its over 1 joule it needs a license end of story

Leidenfrost

oh I agree, but airsoft rules dictates that one must not shoot another player if that player is at a distance of 5m or less from you. The energy dissipated during this initial 5m distance renders the projectiles energy to be substantially lower than the 1 joule, point blank energy, so unless you go shooting at people's goggles at point blank with one of these it ain't going to break em.

at a distance of less than 5m you can only say ''bang bang''
http://www.oplionclaws.com/field-rules.php

ctrl-f for ''2.6''

by the way it wasn't a < 1 J AEG that I was thinking of purchasing it was a bolt action rifile.

you do know the local gardai station practically laughed at me when i asked if I needed a license for one right?

Irish Trinity

yeah if i didn't have airsoft i never would have a reason to annoy my dad to ring paul (which by the way he is doing today finnaly) but seriously i want to have the chance to skirmish just to see what its like:rolleyes:

kdouglas

Leidenfrost wrote:

oh I agree, but airsoft rules dictates that one must not shoot another player if that player is at a distance of 5m or less from you. The energy dissipated during this initial 5m distance renders the projectiles energy to be substantially lower than the 1 joule, point blank energy, so unless you go shooting at people's goggles at point blank with one of these it ain't going to break em.

at a distance of less than 5m you can only say ''bang bang''
http://www.oplionclaws.com/field-rules.php

ctrl-f for ''2.6''

by the way it wasn't a < 1 J AEG that I was thinking of purchasing it was a bolt action rifile.

you do know the local gardai station practically laughed at me when i asked if I needed a license for one right?

Criminal Justice Act wrote:

an air gun (including an air rifle and air pistol) with a muzzle energy greater than one joule or any other weapon incorporating a barrel from which any projectile can be discharged with such a muzzle energy,

It doesnt matter if it's an aeg,bolt action or if you fire it from 200metres away, if the muzzle energy is greater than 1 Joule, you need a license and i couldnt give a damn if the gardai laughed at you, they were wrong, if it's over 1 Joule it is legally a firearm and requires a licence, now please refrain from talking about anything over 1 Joule, as has been said already, airsoft is relatively new in Ireland and comments like that will get it banned again just as quick.

Leidenfrost

I also have a pneumatic cannon I made for my L.C engineering exam.

the brief was to design and make an automatic table tennis server.

it too has a muzzle energy over 1 joule, I don't need a license for that either.

kdouglas

that's nice, but it's not an air rifle or airsoft and isnt covered by the firearms legislation, im sure legally you probably are required to have a licence for it, but that's not the point here.

your consistently trying to make out that there is nothing wrong with owning an airsoft rifle with a power over 1 joule despite being told by several members on here that it is illegal and should not be discussed here at risk of bringing boards.ie and airsoft as a sport into disrepute.

thread reported

Leidenfrost

jeez man, relax, I don't actually have any airsoft guns yet, I'm just conveying the attitude that the gardai in my local area (which is highly populated) has about airsoft guns slightly about the 1 joule mark.

Also my father is a member of the Gardai and the cannon is considered to be a firearm as it incorporates a barrel from which a projectile can be fired.

point being as it only fires low mass projectiles (ping pong balls) no one is going to jump up and down about it and arrest me.

o1s1n

Leidenfrost wrote:

jeez man, relax, I don't actually have any airsoft guns yet, I'm just conveying the attitude that the gardai in my local area (which is highly populated) has about airsoft guns slightly about the 1 joule mark.

Also my father is a member of the Gardai and the cannon is considered to be a firearm as it incorporates a barrel from which a projectile can be fired.

point being as it only fires low mass projectiles (ping pong balls) no one is going to jump up and down about it and arrest me.

1; Your cannon is considered a firearm. It doesn't matter who cares, who doesn't care, it is a firearm. That is it. Do not discuss it here.

2; Airsoft rifles with a muzzle velocity greater than 1 joule are illegal to own unlicensed and are considered firearms. That is also fact. It doesn't matter what X person in X qualification said to you, it is fact. I know someone who had several confiscated. They were chronographed by the Gardaí and found to be over 1 joule. He was then told that if he wished to get them back, he would require a license for each one.

Now, with those facts in hand, any more "I'm going to get a high powered sniper rifle, whether you like it or not" talk will result in you being banned. This sport and forum have both come a long way in the last year. I won't have people setting it back with talk like that.

Not to mention also that, as KDouglas said, Boards.ie could be held libelous.

o1s1n

daraghc wrote:

Not allowed snipe unsuspecting people??
Well there's my plans down the drain:mad:

That just slipped under my radar...

Seeing as you're new, I'll let that slip. Just to let you know though, posts like that won't be tolerated either. Smily faces or not.