martin
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Post by martin on Nov 13, 2022 18:04:38 GMT
OK, bear with me. Trying to get my head round the difference between a RIF and a replica airgun. Legal definition I suppose?
What if you had a replica that shot plastic 4.5mm pellets or BB's?
Anyone have a dummies guide?
Martin
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CaptDAR
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Post by CaptDAR on Nov 13, 2022 18:15:22 GMT
OK, bear with me. Trying to get my head round the difference between a RIF and a replica airgun. Legal definition I suppose? What if you had a replica that shot plastic 4.5mm pellets or BB's? Anyone have a dummies guide? Martin A replica 4.5mm shooting ASG plastic blaster bb is still an Air Weapon. The very same replica in 6mm is still a RIF. |
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Post by HeadHunter on Nov 13, 2022 18:48:19 GMT
Legally there are a lot of points that make a replica gun either a RIF or an airgun (as in a Replica Airgun). Power output, RIFs are generally low powered (around the 1 Joule mark) whereas airguns (handguns) can be up to 7 Joules and as such are classified legally as a 'Firearm'. Legally you have to be a skirmisher (or occupy one of the other legal loopholes) to own a RIF or they will need be two-tone painted to reflect the fact that they are an 'Imitation Firearm', whereas with airguns no membership is needed but you have to 18+ and not banned from owning a Firearm. Plus they can be as realistic as possible with the exception of the materials it's made from (NOT from gun steel) that way they cannot be converted to fire 'live' ammunition. The size of the projectile has no bearing on it's classification, sometimes AS can be 6mm, sometimes it can be (was) 8mm, sometimes airguns can be .177, sometimes they can be .22, it has more to do with power levels than projectile size. And don't get me started on Paintball markers (aka Training 4 Engagement), these can be .50 cal and up ! And the power levels can be equally as extreme. We are all confused by the governmental bureaucracy of these types of weapons  |
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martin
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Post by martin on Nov 13, 2022 18:53:07 GMT
Nope, still not getting it.
Is it about the power level then? Or is it the ammo? Or the calibre?
How is a CO2 powered plastic BB 6mm gun a RIF but a CO2 steel BB gun in 4.5mm is not?
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gunman1964
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Post by gunman1964 on Nov 13, 2022 20:04:41 GMT
It is very confusing but i believe this is right. Please correct me on this guys if ive got anything wrong here
1. you can LEGALLY OWN an airsoft RIF non two tone painted gun but you cannot legally buy one without a valid defence , you can receive one as a gift but no payment must be made for it
2. you can LEGALLY OWN and buy a two tone bright painted airsoft RIF
3. you can LEGALLY OWN and buy a non two tone a 4.5mm bb, 4.5mm/.177 pellet or .22mm pellet firing replica airgun
4. you can LEGALLY OWN a de-activated gun (must be deactivated to current UK standard and home office registered)
5 you can LEGALLY OWN and buy a two tone painted replica blank firing gun
7. you can Legally own and buy a non two tone blank firing gun provided it is of a type made before 1870 eg most western style guns
I believe this is correct and hope its of some help
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Post by Wild Bill on Nov 14, 2022 8:52:40 GMT
OK, bear with me. Trying to get my head round the difference between a RIF and a replica airgun. Legal definition I suppose? What if you had a replica that shot plastic 4.5mm pellets or BB's? Anyone have a dummies guide? Martin The main difference is quite easy Martin. A RIF (Replica Imitation Firearm) is exactly that.........an imitation firearm. A replica airgun is a real firearm in the eyes of the law. So one is a an imitation and the other is not. Simples.  |
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martin
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Post by martin on Nov 14, 2022 17:01:19 GMT
OK, bear with me. Trying to get my head round the difference between a RIF and a replica airgun. Legal definition I suppose? What if you had a replica that shot plastic 4.5mm pellets or BB's? Anyone have a dummies guide? Martin The main difference is quite easy Martin. A RIF (Replica Imitation Firearm) is exactly that.........an imitation firearm. A replica airgun is a real firearm in the eyes of the law. So one is a an imitation and the other is not. Simples. Wow! I must be really thick then. Scenario one. I have a CO2 powered replica gun but it shoots 6mm plastic BB's. This is an RIF as I understand it, not allowed unless 2 tone or member of a re-enac group. Scenario two I have a CO2 powered replica gun which shoots steel BB's or pellets, both 4.5mm. This is allowed, no 2 tone, no special group membership. So the only real difference seems to be the plastic BB's and a calibre difference. Both are CO2 powered and both are low power replicas. I don't get it. |
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Post by Wild Bill on Nov 14, 2022 17:09:11 GMT
The main difference is quite easy Martin. A RIF (Replica Imitation Firearm) is exactly that.........an imitation firearm. A replica airgun is a real firearm in the eyes of the law. So one is a an imitation and the other is not. Simples. Wow! I must be really thick then. Scenario one. I have a CO2 powered replica gun but it shoots 6mm plastic BB's. This is an RIF as I understand it, not allowed unless 2 tone or member of a re-enac group. Scenario two I have a CO2 powered replica gun which shoots steel BB's or pellets, both 4.5mm. This is allowed, no 2 tone, no special group membership. So the only real difference seems to be the plastic BB's and a calibre difference. Both are CO2 powered and both are low power replicas. I don't get it. The 6mm RIF is lower powered. They have a 1.3 joule max limit for autos and 2.5 joules for single shot to be considered an airsoft RIF. Don't be too hard on yourself. A lot of people don't get it.  Remember Blank firers and de-activated firearms come under the RIF rules too. |
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CaptDAR
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Post by CaptDAR on Nov 14, 2022 17:15:38 GMT
Replicas of 4.5mm or 5.5mm firing pellets or bb less than 6ftlbs under Law are firearms. In England unlicensed, in Scotland licensed.
Replicas designed to shoot 6mm plastic bb under 1.3 Joules autos and 2.5 J single, under Law are Realistic Imitation Firearms and require suitable Defence to purchase. If two-tone, no defence.
There are age restrictions for both.
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martin
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Post by martin on Nov 14, 2022 18:11:06 GMT
Nope, still not there. So by this logic, if I was shooting plastic pellets or BB's out of my CO2 'airgun' replica, and the CO2 starts running out and the power drops off, I am breaking the law?
Edit: So it looks like calibre is the only difference then?
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CaptDAR
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Post by CaptDAR on Nov 14, 2022 18:31:11 GMT
Firearms Legislation (Air Weapons) is readily available to read online .gov website.
VCRA Legislation (RIF) is readily available to read online .gov website.
This thread is now closed.
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Post by Wild Bill on Nov 14, 2022 18:38:56 GMT
Nope, still not there. So by this logic, if I was shooting plastic pellets or BB's out of my CO2 'airgun' replica, and the CO2 starts running out and the power drops off, I am breaking the law? I think you are being a bit silly now Martin. You have had a good explanation. It is not our fault you don't understand the differences. The laws around this are badly written. The VCR act was also badly written. People get confused. But as far as we are concerned, a pellet shooting Colt Peacemaker is an air weapon. A 6mm airsoft version of the same revolver is a RIF. The reason the first one is not a RIF is because it is actually a low powered firearm (an actual firearm) therefore it can't be an imitation one. |
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Remember Blank firers and de-activated firearms come under the RIF rules too.