starting a Irish version of UKARA/UKAPA?

J.D.R wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, (and some ignorance), what is wrong with UKARA?

The "UKARA" system that everyone refers to is a symptom, not the cause and I think has had undue negative attention unfairly directed its way that should perhaps be directed at the UK home office. It is one of several ways of availing of the 'skirmisher defence' laid out by the VCRA (more on this later) in order to buy/import airsoft guns and/or external parts into the UK.

As part of the VCRA [1], airsoft guns and some external parts therein have been moved under legal definition as RIFs [2] as an attempt to address the fact that they aren't quite toys, but aren't firearms either. As part of this legal definition comes tightened laws around who is entitled to buy/import them and under what criteria;

• Anyone over the age of 18 can own a two-tone RIF (i.e. at least 40/50% of the gun must be a rather obvious "non-gun" colour, e.g. luminous blue/green/orange.)
• Re-enactors & television/film production
• Anyone over the age of 18 who can avail of the 'skirmisher' defense..

Those are the three main categories contained within the VCRA regarding who can buy/import RIFs/external parts. I might be missing one or two and I'll point that caveat out now. The first two are self-explanatory, and the until the skirmisher defence was brought in by heavy lobbying by UKASGB [3], UKARA [4] & the ABA [5], the home office was going to write airsoft out of existence in the UK. Anyone (of any age) with existing RIFs is unaffected by this law until they attempt to cross UK borders with said RIFs

So what is this defence?

The skirmisher defence is an attempt to show (within reasonable effort) that someone plays airsoft on a not infrequent basis and isn't some random joe bloggs who decides that "dah slingbaker in de shop window look baleedin' rapi' wah?" and wants to go terrorising people in the local park. The defence is not without its flaws and short-comings, but as those who put in the ground work for its inclusion in law will point out; the alternative was to say goodbye to airsoft.

So what qualifies one for the defence? The home office have not issued any guidance on this because ... they hadn't given a great deal of thought to the matter since the VCRA was to a degree - regarding airsoft - show boat realpolitik rather than anything else. It was suggested that reasonable defence would be somebody who has played not less than three times in more than one month. In short, to have played at least three games over two or more months at a site. I guess that there is also a rationale in sites knowing their members since they are essentially vouching for them by stamping the UKARA forms before they're sent away for processing.

There are other means of satisfying HMRC [6] that you are entitled to avail of the defence, but UKARA registration/membership is probably the path of least resistance for anyone resident in the UK to buy or import airsoft guns/external parts.

Granted, many UK retailers will insist that anybody from within the UK wishing to buy from them has to provide UKARA membership and that is their own business (no different than notices of "reserve right of admission, etc.") as it does cut the numbers eligible to buy from them. But it also covers the sellers (both retailer and private I should point out) should any legal heat come down as a result of said sales.

Apart from the shortcomings and flaws in the UKARA registration system, it does also have one benefit; dealings with HMRC are far more consistent and less haphazard than with their Irish counterpart. Goods are stopped, HMRC will contact the buyer, buyer provides UKARA number (or other means of providing entitlement to the defense), and assuming all is kosher when HMRC check this, goods get released - probably along with customs charges incurred.

The defence (and the various ways of availing of it, including UKARA) does not constitute a monopoly for UK retailers since if you cannot prove defence, UK retailers wouldn't sell to you anyway. If you can, you are able to either buy from them, or abroad without hindrance. I'll also add that the UKARA registration system is as much for retailers to cover themselves as it was an attempt to provide the home office with some sort of self-policing 'metric' for proving defence.

My personal experience of the VCRA and the skirmisher defence is long and varied. I've travelled many, many times to the UK for events and skirmish days whilst living in Ireland using both air and ferry travel. A letter of invitation by site/event organiser always satisfied the powers that be (e.g. ferry police, HMRC, airport security, ferry staff, airline staff). As a UK resident, I have found the VCRA defence to be a pain in the @rse, but get yourself down to your local site for a few games and then its no longer a problem. UKARA registration is free anyway. I can now go mad ordering from inside/outside the UK as much as I want without fear of someone going "I dun lik de look o'dat!! shuuuure ye can't be having dos tings! Wont someone tink o'de children!".


[1] Violent Crime Reduction Act, enacted Oct 1st 2007

[2] Replica Imitation Firearm

[3] UK Airsoft Site Governing Body

[4] UK Airsoft Retailers Association

[5] Association of British Airsoft

[6] Her Majesty's Royal Customs