Airsoft Purchase Restrictions

Crave

Ok so maybe I've been living under a rock the last while but I've been checking the forum a good bit.

So whats this I hear about possible restrictions on the purchase of rifles from abroad?

Airsoft Reloded

Crave wrote: »

Ok so maybe I've been living under a rock the last while but I've been checking the forum a good bit.

So whats this I hear about possible restrictions on the purchase of rifles from abroad?

It looks like the government is going to make it so you have to buy airsoft devices from an airsoft retailer registered in Ireland, this is good for two reasons. 1, The purchases of hot guns will decrease. 2, the money spent will stay in this country!

Not definite yet though, we will have to wait for the bill!

Crave

Is that not a bit unfair to the international market?

Plus as much as I'd like to always buy Irish sometimes the much cheaper asian retailers are hard to ignore.:(

Head_Hunter

That would allow the retailers to charge what they want for airsoft equipment, since all international competition is gone. A brilliant thing for retailers and sites, but a disaster for the paying customer.

Witcher

The restriction proposed is that the person will pay for the item from the retailer but it must be delivered to a retailers premises, no longer to a home address.

Head_Hunter

Blay wrote: »

The restriction proposed is that the person will pay for the item from the retailer but it must be delivered to a retailers premises, no longer to a home address.

So the retailer is just a middle man and you still pay the price the item is on the website?

Witcher

Head_Hunter wrote: »

So the retailer is just a middle man and you still pay the price the item is on the website?

Yeah thats basicaly it from what I can gather, lets the DOJ know whats coming in and that it's <1J

Crave

Well if thats it its not so bad. Who'll pay for the time and effort put in by the person checking the goods?

moggser

Head_Hunter wrote: »

That would allow the retailers to charge what they want for airsoft equipment, since all international competition is gone. A brilliant thing for retailers and sites, but a disaster for the paying customer.

so are you telling me you've ripped off by a irish retailer?
there is one place i go to for my needs and ive never been robbed or felt hard done by
and there will be oppertunites for retailers certain retailers to hike prices as they see fit

ive ordered stuff from abroad and you pay near as much as you do from irish retailers with the delivery and vat and that BUT with irish retailers you get a come back which is piece o mind for everyone

Stercus Accidit

moggser wrote: »

there is one place i go to for my needs and ive never been robbed or felt hard done by

But what about for airsoft?

and there will be oppertunites for retailers certain retailers to hike prices as they see fit

ive ordered stuff from abroad and you pay near as much as you do from irish retailers with the delivery and vat and that BUT with irish retailers you get a come back which is piece o mind for everyone

Thats true in most cases, but for the likes of some of the polish shops, which have reasonable prices and no vat as they are in the EU, they would be missed. In reality though, it seems Irish retailers prices are quite decent, and there are afew of them now able to compete for customers, so as long as their prices remain comparable, I'm happy.

kdouglas

Crave wrote: »

Ok so maybe I've been living under a rock the last while but I've been checking the forum a good bit.

So whats this I hear about possible restrictions on the purchase of rifles from abroad?

At the moment, there are no restrictions, nor have any been put in writing as proposals, there are some details which were published by the IAA/IASRA as a result of the meeting with the DoJ in January here: http://irishairsoft.ie/?p=501


Note: posted as an individual

moggser

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

But what about for airsoft?



Thats true in most cases, but for the likes of some of the polish shops, which have reasonable prices and no vat as they are in the EU, they would be missed. In reality though, it seems Irish retailers prices are quite decent, and there are afew of them now able to compete for customers, so as long as their prices remain comparable, I'm happy.

i was talkin about airsoft ya numbskull lol

yeah but as Keith points out its not set in stone at the min
so if you have to oreder anything do it while the orderings good

Crave

kdouglas wrote: »

At the moment, there are no restrictions, nor have any been put in writing as proposals, there are some details which were published by the IAA/IASRA as a result of the meeting with the DoJ in January here: http://irishairsoft.ie/?p=501

Thanks!

Stercus Accidit

moggser wrote: »

i was talkin about airsoft ya numbskull lol

Hang on, are you actually a character from the simpsons?

Thats the funniest dublin slang I've ever heard!

moggser

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

Hang on, are you actually a character from the simpsons?

Thats the funniest dublin slang I've ever heard!

Sam Sam Sam put the epoxy down for a minute
splash some cold water on yer chevy and take a deep one
now what are ya trying to say?

Stercus Accidit

Now with the cockney rhyming slang!

I give up, I can't follow this guy at all, and FYI, epoxy fumes are cheaper than beer :P

moggser

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

Now with the cockney rhyming slang!

I give up, I can't follow this guy at all, and FYI, epoxy fumes are cheaper than beer :P

depends sam ya can get 12 bottles of rollin rock for a tenner tastes like epoxy proably but still cheap
ok gettin back to it where is the polish shop you order from

Stercus Accidit

Not ordered from them yet, but others have, gunfire.pl

Bear in mind, that their gear will likely be hot over here, especially the clones, but, if ye get a downgrade, or a sub joule gun, they can be reasonable price wise.

Problem is, language barrier, and shipping, and physically not being able to deal with them, which is fine if there isnt a problem, a huge hurdle if there is.


The have kjw sigs at a good price, but thats about it afaik, irish retailers can come very cloe to their prices on aegs etc. so its a safer bet imo.


Also, I'm not sure if their gear goes through heathrow, and all the problems those assholes cause. Anyone know if they ever had a problem shipping with them with the vcra in england?

TheDoc

Crave theres a lengthy thread buried somewhere where this is cleared up.

As of now there is no law, might not come in, but it just might.

One thing it will not do is allow retailers to ride customers for pricing. If anything it will promote competitiveness. Retailers will go gung ho to start grabbing customers to their store, knowing now that no items can come in from abroad, a new section of the market will open up. Those who only buy online from abroad. The only way stores could start price fixing, would result in pre medatated consultation, and that is called price fixing or a cartel. Something I personally would never agree to be a part off, and I'm convinced my employer would never go down that path.

AS regards to "retailers holding onto customer items" that has not been mentioned anywhere in an official capacity, that is a idea someone bantered about and it caught on, and I wish it could get set straight, should this "importing ban" occur, it does not seem likely that retailers anywhere will "hold" items for customers. Why in gods name should items bought from an international rival, be allowed into a retailers store to be held for a customer?

I know I personally would feel rather embarassed walking into a store, to collect a product I bought from another. It is also incredably rude in my opinion and insulting.

Not to mention the amount of things that have to be teased out, storage space, whose responsible for damage, downgrading, training etc etc etc etc

One things for sure, it will slim the chance of hot guns no doubt. Lets b frank, hot guns get through from abroad, its no secret and the vast majority get through. I guess the positive is that should it be sent to a respectable retailer for holding, it will get downgraded.

andrewkeena

if these restictions come in does anyone know will it effect the importing of airsoft parts like replacement tight bore barrells,metal bodies, stocks and foregrips?

will it only restrict the import for a complete AEG or pistol?

TheDoc

andrewkeena wrote: »

if these restictions come in does anyone know will it effect the importing of airsoft parts like replacement tight bore barrells,metal bodies, stocks and foregrips?

will it only restrict the import for a complete AEG or pistol?

Originally I heard from reliable sources that it would be AEG and GBB, which is fair enough.

But at the IASRA meeting it was said all parts and accesories. Now I found that statement retarded. Alot of internal workings in AEG's can be used for other things besides airsoft guns. Gears, motors etc. So I do not realisticly see that happening.

But the likes of scopes, silencers etc have had a previous history of being snapped by customs for lengthy hauls ( kdouglas with eotech if im not mistaken, myself with tacvest, lols) So perhaps these might also fall under the blanket.

Like its being said though, its not law yet, so I wouldnt really give a toss till its in writing.

andrewkeena

ok, cheers for that DOC.

if the bill comes in hopfully they wont go overboard with it, restricting accesseries might be a bit harsh.

Crave

Problem is that if they don't restrict accessories whats to stop someone buying a plus 1j upgrade?

hoplite

Nothing apart from common sense and the law.

o1s1n

Crave wrote: »

Problem is that if they don't restrict accessories whats to stop someone buying a plus 1j upgrade?

You can buy a lot of legal things and turn them into illegal things. It doesn't make the legal thing any less legal.

(Try saying that 4 times in a row!)

NakedDex

Plus, 1J springs aren't always 1J. If you short stroke a piston, you need a stronger spring to make up for the air volume in the cylinder being reduced. That sometimes needs an M110/120. Those are technically regarded as >1J spring, but in it's use it'll be <1J. Incidental things like that mean restricting accessories would be going beyond the neccessary.

Stercus Accidit

And dependant on set up, an ms100 could be over etc.

As above an aeg's fps is a product of many parts, not just the spring.

Crave

Which proves my point, there's no point in stoping acessories, it just wouldn't work. And if they are not blocked then neither should the guns, because if anyone still wants an overpowered gun they can have one, so there no point restricting the honest players.

NakedDex

It's not restricting them, it's just a way of regulating the importation in order to make sure they are below the legal limit before they are turned over to their owners. You can still order whatever you like, so long as it's below the limit.
You and I would be careful enough to check what the power of a device is before ordering it, but some people may not be and may accidentally end up with a hot gun. Sadly, some will also intentionally order hot guns. This is a way of ensuring, you and I don't have to suffer an injury caused by, or play a game made unfair by, a hot gun owned by an unscrupulous character.

The law isn't implemented yet, and it may be some time before it comes into effect. It also may never come into effect. But if it means I get to worry that bit less about hot guns on a site, then I'm all for it. Sure, it won't stop someone getting a kosher rifle and upgrading it to an illegal condition, but we also can't stop people from speeding in their cars. All we can do is enforce the law and promote common sense.

Crave

Well at least it would stop accidental cases.

NakedDex

It'd stop intentional imports of hot guns too. At the moment it's very easy to claim you didn't know your device was over the limit, so the benefit of the doubt is given to the user of it being an accident (usually it is, but there's always a few bad eggs).
This way, the only way to have an over-the-limit device is by upgrading it. Accident suddenly gets replaced by intention and it becomes a whole other story and carries a lot more weight as an offence. Thus, it's not only an impediment to the easy procurement of hot devices, but also provides a method by which to prove it was the intention of the end user to have an illegal device, which should serve as a serious deterrent. Those who ignore the deterrents will be found out and have the full weight of the law upon them thanks to the elimination of the grey area.