Have the guards ever stopped you?

heyjay14

Hey just wondering if anyone has ever been stopped by the guards, i was just thinking what there reaction would be if they asked to look in the boot and saw a couple of airsoft toys but thought they were real.....Has this never happened to anyone?

o1s1n

Confiscation for testing has happened a few times. As long as it's under the 1 joule you'd get it back. Might take a while though. Although then again, it really depends on how they were stored in the car. I'm sure if they saw one sitting on the back seat you could be in for a little more trouble.

Would be a good reason to have your equipment in a bag in the boot, so you can at least explain what the items are before they get a chance to look at them.

Stercus Accidit

heyjay14 wrote: »

Hey just wondering if anyone has ever been stopped by the guards, i was just thinking what there reaction would be if they asked to look in the boot and saw a couple of airsoft toys but thought they were real.....Has this never happened to anyone?

On the way to gtac, me kevteljeur and senordingdong passed through a checkpoint, I was in full camo so they waved us through, must have thought we were army lads
We didnt fancy explaining the life story of airsoft in this country on the side of the road

kdouglas

Motosam wrote: »

On the way to gtac, me kevteljeur and senordingdong passed through a checkpoint, I was in full camo so they waved us through, must have thought we were army lads
We didnt fancy explaining the life story of airsoft in this country on the side of the road

Deadly


I wont say who, he can make himself known if he wants, but a member here had Gardai at his house on a unrelated matter he was reporting to them and they saw the box from an airsoft AK in his living room, they arrested him for it (after having a good look and even shooting it themselves apparently) and brought him down to the Garda station only to have their superintendent tell them the law was changed and to bring him home, they were full of apologies apparently.


Personally though, I've never had any problems, a friend of my sisters is a Garda and she told me she spent ages on night trying to explain to him airsoft was legal and her brother plays it, he kept insisting it was still illegal.

CrazyRabbit

kdouglas wrote: »

Deadly


I wont say who, he can make himself known if he wants, but a member here had Gardai at his house on a unrelated matter he was reporting to them and they saw the box from an airsoft AK in his living room, they arrested him for it (after having a good look and even shooting it themselves apparently) and brought him down to the Garda station only to have their superintendent tell them the law was changed and to bring him home, they were full of apologies apparently.

That was me. We had a good laugh about it on the way back. They kept apologising. Oh and the 'unrelated' matter was a neighbour who went all crazy on my bike cables with a pair of wire cutters.

davidd24

Would it not just be an option to go to your local Garda station and ask for the Seargent(sp) of the unit currently on and explain yourself that you have airsoft guns and invite the community officer up to see so if you are stoppped at least you have made yourself visible to the police and have shown to have made an effort and being forward about having/carrying airsoft equipment...

heyjay14

Thats a good idea david BUT the only problem wit that might be, they may want to send them away to get tested....and that means no airsofting for atleast a month because knowing the guards they wont be in a hurry to get them back to you.......

kdouglas

That idea was suggested before, to be honest there is no need to make yourself known to the Gardai, once you handle your airsoft equipment in a responsible manner.

heyjay14

Would carring the aeg in the box it came in be ok or would i need to use some sort of a bag?

Frank the Manc

i know a lad that was pulled out of a car by detectives in a town, he had been reported by joe public out the country as he was bringing a beretta out to his car.
they didnt want to know about it when the found out what it really was.

Masada

i would say its fine once its not visible, even if its wraped in some clothing in the boot.,
We have to remember we arnt breaking the law by transporting them and if a gaurd finds it "after" he decides to search your car then your still alright (providing its legal airsoft gun), you only have to worry if the reason he decided to search the car was that he saw what looked like a firearm in it.,
Golden rule is, dont be stupid with it, and dont give the whole attitude "you cant touch me, airsoft is legal", then you'll have nothing to worry about.,

Oh rabbit, that must have been a bit of an awkward situation.,lol more to the point though, what the hell were you doing with an AK?

CrazyRabbit

heyjay14 wrote: »

Would carring the aeg in the box it came in be ok or would i need to use some sort of a bag?

That would not be advisable. A box with a large picture of a gun on it probably isn't the best option for transporting AEG's. Wrap a black bag around it and it's fine though.

CrazyRabbit

vtec wrote: »

Oh rabbit, that must have been a bit of an awkward situation.,lol more to the point though, what the hell were you doing with an AK?

My first AEG was a AK Beta Spetz. Fine AEG. I still have it, though I use my G3-SG1 for skirmishing 99% of the time. I've been meaning to upgrade the AK to 1 joule though.

You should have seen the look on the guards face when he first seen it and picked it up. Remember though, this was not long after Airsoft became legal, so it was a bit of a surprise to them.

heyjay14

OK thats grand ill do that....;)


I wont say who, he can make himself known if he wants, but a member here had Gardai at his house on a unrelated matter he was reporting to them and they saw the box from an airsoft AK in his living room, they arrested him for it (after having a good look and even shooting it themselves apparently) and brought him down to the Garda station only to have their superintendent tell them the law was changed and to bring him home, they were full of apologies apparently.

If only the guards knew how to do there job properly:D

kevteljeur

Perhaps an airsoft gun bag might be a wise investment; as well as protecting the kit and allowing you to keep your accessories together, it hides them very well and makes them less awkward to transport. It's a problem I was wrestling with since I live in an apartment block near town and it's imperative to keep everything well hidden - and in the Garda-check scenario, it would look a lot less suspicious than even some cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic, I think.

I have one that allows me to store 2 AEGs and a GBB, for less than the price of a cheap GBB, so good value for money I'd say.

sci-ops

kevteljeur wrote: »

Perhaps an airsoft gun bag might be a wise investment; as well as protecting the kit and allowing you to keep your accessories together, it hides them very well and makes them less awkward to transport. It's a problem

I have one that allows me to store 2 AEGs and a GBB, for less than the price of a cheap GBB, so good value for money I'd say.

On this note, I purchased a rigid gun case on Friday through the wonderful world that is Ebay, received yesterday and holds 2 Aeg's, Pistol and all of my Mags. All for €71....:)lovely jubbly

kdouglas

Just dont buy the rifle cases on ehobbyasia, they are absolutely useless.

I bought one before, after hearing bad reports, thinking to myself, ah they cant be that bad, sure I wont be using it much anyway, the zips break just by opening/closing them.

Puding

For anyone looking for cheap high quality storage options i would liek to put forward the pantac range, i have 4/5 pf there cases and a number of large hold alls and quality is great and never had a problem.

o1s1n

kdouglas wrote: »

I bought one before, after hearing bad reports, thinking to myself, ah they cant be that bad

I'd rather transport my AEG in a black bin bag cellotaped closed than use one of those things. I'm pretty sure they were designed by someone who hates airsoft.

Real Steyr Dave

I don't relish the prospect of having to explain to a Garda the general gist of Airsoft in hte car... my garden is pretty open so it kinda rules out privately firing off BBs in peace. *sigh*

In fairness, the Gardai in Blarney, where I'm from, are a pretty decent, fair bunch. They seem to mostly deal with teenagers drinking in the woods near the village... which is on a regular basis I might add...:o

I was about to ask about actually informing the Gardai that I'm involved in airsoft, but that question has been well answered, thanks!
Keep it secret, keep it safe, eh? And also don't act the maggot...
I suppose it's a good idea to keep the mags well seperated from the AEG or gbb when travelling?

o1s1n

Real Steyr Dave wrote: »

I suppose it's a good idea to keep the mags well seperated from the AEG or gbb when travelling?

Yep, should do that alright. Could go a step further and remove the battery from the aeg too.

c-90

just keep the orange cap on it and in a gun bag or its box.
"Wrap a black bag around it and it's fine though." i wouldnt do that could you imagine if a guard seen a black plastic bag with an assault rifle in it:( or a box with "airsoft" and "sports" on it;)

Real Steyr Dave

Gotcha, remove the battery. Thanks.

Airsoft is pretty vulnerable when you consider the activities of militant republicans and various other unsavoury creatures using military weapons in the country....

Imagine winding down the window to a Garda and saying "no, I'm not in the 'RA!"

CrazyRabbit

Real Steyr Dave wrote: »

Gotcha, remove the battery. Thanks.

Airsoft is pretty vulnerable when you consider the activities of militant republicans and various other unsavoury creatures using military weapons in the country....

Imagine winding down the window to a Garda and saying "no, I'm not in the 'RA!"

I don't see what 'militant republicans' & 'other unsavoury creatures using military weapons' has to do with airsoft.

For the most part, Gardai now are far more knowledgeable of the existance if airsoft replicas. And I'd say they are far more common than real steel guns. So I don't think the guards first thought will be 'OMG, it's the IRA', it's more likely 'Oh here's another one of these eejits playing soldier'.

Think about it....if you were a guard and flagged down a car. You see the occupant is wearing camo clothing & what appears to be a gun in the boot inside a box/bag. The occupant is not acting in a threatening manner, is cooperating with your instructions and isn't actually holding a gun.
...In this scenario, you would not be screaming down the radio for the ERU. On the other hand, if the occupant of the car was aggressive, uncooperative and had a gun on the passenger seat, you can bet your ass that the ERU would be called.

gunner_twotone

Bags are the way to go!

You can take extra measures for younger garda like taking out the batteries and mags.

Out of sight out of mind, but if you do get a check point and they ask to check your boot your probably better to announce what you have!

Real Steyr Dave

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

I don't see what 'militant republicans' & 'other unsavoury creatures using military weapons' has to do with airsoft.

For the most part, Gardai now are far more knowledgeable of the existance if airsoft replicas. And I'd say they are far more common than real steel guns. So I don't think the guards first thought will be 'OMG, it's the IRA', it's more likely 'Oh here's another one of these eejits playing soldier'.

Think about it....if you were a guard and flagged down a car. You see the occupant is wearing camo clothing & what appears to be a gun in the boot inside a box/bag. The occupant is not acting in a threatening manner, is cooperating with your instructions and isn't actually holding a gun.
...In this scenario, you would not be screaming down the radio for the ERU. On the other hand, if the occupant of the car was aggressive, uncooperative and had a gun on the passenger seat, you can bet your ass that the ERU would be called.

Absolutely. If you're aggressive to a garda you get what you deserve.
Still, as they look so like the real steel there's always the potential for a misunderstanding to develop, particularly from an unimformed member of the public.

Tommyboy71

There is a lad I work with and he bought a UMP. When his sister (a member of An Garda Siochana) saw it she told him to get rid of it as it was illegal. Now, she may have just been trying to ruin a bit of fun for him or she may not have actually known that they were legal.

deepimpact

Tommyboy71 wrote: »

There is a lad I work with and he bought a UMP. When his sister (a member of An Garda Siochana) saw it she told him to get rid of it as it was illegal. Now, she may have just been trying to ruin a bit of fun for him or she may not have actually known that they were legal.

or she may not be up to date on the legalities of airsoft devices and is basing her view on surpassed legislation.

Tommyboy71

Exactly. You have to deal with the Gardai how you would like them to treat you. If they are going to confisccate your "armory" for testing purposes then there is nothing you can do except ask them for their details i.e name, number , station, superintendants name etc. This is merely in case there is a delay. At least you will know the name of the Garda that you dealt with.

I have done this regarding checkpoints and modified cars and as long as you are civil with them they will (for the most part) return the favour.

NakedDex

When travelling to Donegal one weekend a few months back for a film shoot, I was bringing a load of aeg's up to use as props. It's not the first time I've done it so I didn't think twice about it. The studio facility had been informed as well as the Gardaí in the area we'd be doing it so I figured we had the bases covered.
Somewhere between Sligo and Bundoran (the name of the town this happened escapes me), we came to a checkpoint and were pulled over. It wasn't until my friend, who was driving, was asked out of the car to explain why we had packed the back seat of the car with so much stuff (cases, bags and stands) that I realised he was about to ask him to open the boot. Which he did, and therein lay a large black SWAT bag and a large OD holdall carrying about 25 guns between them, with a further 7 or 8 just lying on top or behind them. The poor Garda, who didn't look long out of Templemore, went white. Luckily, his colleague was well up on his airsoft and came over for a quick gander at the collection once I explained what they were and where we were going with them.

A phone call later, to confirm our destination, and we were on our way again, leaving one slightly wiser Garda in our wake. Which goes to show, a bit of forward planning and discretion is always advisable when transporting aeg's anywhere, as the first thought a Garda or member of public who sees them will be "he has a bootfull of assault rifles".


And always remember, batteries and mags out and have the chamber cleared before you transport them.

senordingdong

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

'OMG, it's the IRA',

OMG!

LOL!

Haha....

Real Steyr Dave

That poor rookie! Goes to show the experienced gardai know the score most of the time.

Gizmodeon

Hey just wondering if anyone has ever been stopped by the guards

tee hee hee.
maybe.:D

JohnReisman

Hey Giz, thats being cheeky!!

:D:D

peter-pantslez

what about if you were zeroing in the back garden (in to a proper target with a back stop and all) and you were reported by someone who thought you had a real gun.

where do we stand on that?

CrazyRabbit

peter-pantslez wrote: »

what about if you were zeroing in the back garden (in to a proper target with a back stop and all) and you were reported by someone who thought you had a real gun.

where do we stand on that?

Not 100% sure, but I believe you would be breaking the law.

Possibly causing a public disturbance, threatening behaviour or intimidation with a firearm.

Or the guards + the neighbour could have a good laugh about it.

Best to just let all the neighbours know in advance.

peter-pantslez

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Not 100% sure, but I believe you would be breaking the law.

Possibly causing a public disturbance, threatening behaviour or intimidation with a firearm.

Or the guards + the neighbour could have a good laugh about it.

Best to just let all the neighbours know in advance.

yeah i better let them know so;)

Real Steyr Dave

I live in the country so it's a big garden well, well away from other people thank god.

A mate of mine does his zeroing in his massive shed....

peter-pantslez

Real Steyr Dave wrote: »

I live in the country so it's a big garden well, well away from other people thank god.

A mate of mine does his zeroing in his massive shed....

from my back dorr to the back of my garden is about 60 feet. unfortunately i dont have a shed big enough if i was to lay down in mine with the AEG and took aim i wouldnt fit:D:D

ED E

'OMG, it's the IRA',

Somebody actually tried to set up a team called "The Irish Rogue Airsofters" a while back. How he missed the abreviation I dont know....

SniperSight

Real Steyr Dave wrote: »

I live in the country so it's a big garden well, well away from other people thank god.

A mate of mine does his zeroing in his massive shed....

You talking about me again!?!?!?

I'd be slightly worried about a neighbour who thinks your firing a real gun that doesnt "Bang" like a real gun.
Unless of course youre just talking about them simply glancing in and only seeing the gun.

peter-pantslez

SniperSight wrote: »

You talking about me again!?!?!?

I'd be slightly worried about a neighbour who thinks your firing a real gun that doesnt "Bang" like a real gun.
Unless of course youre just talking about them simply glancing in and only seeing the gun.

iv been doing it for a while so im sure he has seen it but there is a field behind my house and houses the far side of it that can see in to my back so if any off them saw it im worried the would call the guards.

SniperSight

I suppose if there far enough away, that they can see the gun but not that your shooting a small target it could worry them enough. Hopefully not though.

peter-pantslez

yeap fingers crossed they wont

Real Steyr Dave

yeah, i as talkin bout you Andrew, but it goes for t'other fellah too!
you guys are lucky with that huge thing. miine is a bit exposed... but the shed ain't tiny either.

that said, our friend above pointed out the shed isn't ideal all the time!

maybe if i used my hallway when everyone else was out.....:o

SniperSight

Ha, yeah...
Put bubblewrap over everything... Including the cat and Ricky!!!:p:p

Going back on topic, it's a shame that we have to deal with this fear, despite the fact that the guns are no more illegal(or should be anyway) than a €2.50 sticky dart gun that could be bought in any Smyths toystore.
I guess thats just the nature of it.