How strict are customs?

rob180 wrote: »

Would they actually take the gun out and test it?,Surely not , that's too much work for them. Thought they like big bust like finding a trillion illegal cigs or other big headlines making bust.:D

They dont(at least they used not) test them. They open the package, see its airsoft, put it back in, stick a label on it, and ship it to the Phoenix Park, where an Garda Siochana test it.

rob180 wrote: »

Hi all, iam new to this airsoft melarkey, so forgive me if i sound abit thick. The other day i went to a well known airsoft site(Redwolfairsoft.com) and bought a couple of things off them(WE Scar-L GBB open bolt and a WE HI CAPPA 501 ( Version 3 ) pistol). Then the next day i got an email from Redwoft saying that they had to cancelled my order cos the Scar was too powerful for the Irish market. Think it was nice of them to tell a novice like me rather than take my money and forget about me. So now i've found a few rifles iam interested and some of them are about fps 320-335. I know by law the fsp 328 or 1,Joule is the maximum allowed. So just say my next gun has a fps 330, will I have problem with custom? or does it have to be exactly 328fps. Thanks

I am new to Airsoft myself, and maybe it is because I would be considered a more "mature" (read older) Airsofter, but there is no way I would be trying to circumvent the Irish law which Governs Airsoft to bring something into the country which would be illegal and considered a Firearm, requiring a licence. Also you would not be allowed on a site with a device which is over the 1 joule limit, so what is the point.

I understand that the sport of Airsoft is relatively new in Ireland, and IMO the laws governing the sport are good. We can use realistic looking devices, no plastic only RIFs, no red tips, no clear (see through) devices.

If we want to avoid these restrcitions being brought in, then IMO what is required is that people coming new to the sport as well as the veterans abide by the existing rules and not try to import items considered illegal in this country, which may cause the authorities to tighten up the laws.

I believe that there is an Irish retailer who has an affiliation with Redwolf, who may be able to get the devices you require. They would have them downgraded prior to importation, and you would receive a legal Airsoft device.

rob180 wrote: »

Hi all, iam new to this airsoft melarkey, so forgive me if i sound abit thick. The other day i went to a well known airsoft site(Redwolfairsoft.com) and bought a couple of things off them(WE Scar-L GBB open bolt and a WE HI CAPPA 501 ( Version 3 ) pistol). Then the next day i got an email from Redwoft saying that they had to cancelled my order cos the Scar was too powerful for the Irish market. Think it was nice of them to tell a novice like me rather than take my money and forget about me. So now i've found a few rifles iam interested and some of them are about fps 320-335. I know by law the fsp 328 or 1,Joule is the maximum allowed. So just say my next gun has a fps 330, will I have problem with custom? or does it have to be exactly 328fps. Thanks

I brought one in about 1yr 1/2 ago. It was 340fps. Opened by customs and nothing was said.

I did however have to get it reduced as I was not allowed use it.
You should check the site you are buying from, some of them have a service where you can get the spring reduced to 1 joule. I got mine from UNCompany and they had that service for $10 usd. They also had the option where you could get the value of the gun reduced on the invoice so you wouldn't have to pay so much excise/vat.

BioHazRd wrote: »

No, but if you did get it and then for some reason the gardai took it off you for testing, you could be charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm. While sounding draconian, this has happened in the past. Granted, the guy charged in that case had other issues with the gardai, so it may have been a case of hitting him with a charge that would stick.
Just remember, a criminal charge against you is a very serious thing (particularly if you were ever to consider emigrating in the future)
If customs stop it and it's tested and found hot, the chances are it will be destroyed and you won't get any refund from the supplier. In my experience that is what has happened in the past which is not to say how it is handled now nor will be handled in the future.

sorry, i think you mis understood my intention with that comment,
it can and will happen that you will be charged as you say, with possession without a licence if caught with one over the limit,
and if one comes in over, it will be destroyed with no refund for the buyer,



but you wont be charged with importing as was sugested by tony.

it's not clever, its not legal, so dont waste your time/money trying, but at the same time, dont make a bigger deal out of things then needs be.

Alan b. wrote: »

not likely.
theres no need for trying to scare people needlessly.

He's not though that's the thing, I've heard of two cases where people were charged because the AEG's that they tried to import were a little bit warm...
I'd rather be scared than lose a few hundred quid and get a big red mark on my name...

Alan b. wrote: »

dont believe that for a second.

Up to you man, I'm not gonna force you to believe anything.

If redwolf say that a GBB is shooting around 330 on green gas it should be grand. Gas guns shoot weaker here because its colder here. This dosent work with AEGs. Tell me if this is threadjacking but could some tell me whats the story with importing something that shoots over the limit on green gas but shoots under on h134a?

Customs where okay with my mate he buys all his airsoft stuff overseas.

we choice to buy outside of the eu, paying vat when it is imported is just part of that , although if the total cost of the parcel is just 25 euros that should be under the thresh hold for vat

TJ205 wrote: »

I know of one gun that came through customs a month or two ago that shot at 510-520 fps but my mate still got it without any questions or troubles. But I'd say that is more luck than anything else, also before someone asks why he didn't know the fps of the gun when he ordered.

Fact is customs just aren't strict when it comes to airsoft, not anymore anyway. I have 2 customs officers that drink in pub I work in plus an old mate that works in TNT and they all have told me this, with the black market booming now they are more concerned with drugs, cigs and whatever else is popular on black market. Last GBB I had delivered was held for 3 days before it got processed, when I rang asking had it been sent for ballistics testing fella told me " no, that never happens, just waiting on customs to release it ".

In saying that though, I still make sure to have ALL AEG's downgraded before entering the country, just not worth the risk.