Just read this......

[Sim G]

Yes of course, the police only pick on shooters and motorists, no one else, ever...

[Sim G]

Madness, sheer madness.

Retropsective legislation eh. One would think there are more important issues than expensive air pistols in a limited market to contend with!

No, it's not retrospective, it's how the law works in the U.K. Parliament enacts "broad brush" legislation and the courts try, test and make proclamations on it. Some law never gets tested and becomes regarded as a given, some is questioned continually.

The fact is, semi automatic air pistols and rifles, except specifically chambered in .22 rimfire in regards to rifles, are s5. They have been since 1997. Whether they "need" to be is the question that needs to be answered. And that is generally fine quicker, easier and more economical if put before a court.

Should a case arise, it should at least clarify for those who do own semi auto air weapons, for at the minute they are looking at a five year prison sentence by definition....

[froggy]

Yes of course, the police only pick on shooters and motorists, no one else, ever... except harrassing peaceful & law-abiding "always helping the neighbours & love his mum and his 10 kids from 10 different idiots" members of society with silly "stop & search" ...

[Chuck]

Thanks Sim, so all these airsoft toys are now illegal then??

IMO if they were legal to buy at the time then they should stay that way, NO ONE should become a criminal through fecked up and / or retrospective legislation.

[Gazza]

There was a little lad at our air range a couple of weeks ago with a replica AR15/MP5 cross C02 rifle thingy in semi auto config. Magazine with belt fed pellets etc, looked proper intimidating until it was fired It had just been bought from the shop by his Dad.
So this is illegal? No, its not, what an effing crock
I'm still having a bad day

[Sim G]

Thanks Sim, so all these airsoft toys are now illegal then??

No. Back in 2011 the limits where airsoft become airguns and s5 if semi/auto/short firearms was set at 1.3 joules for full auto or burst and 2.5 joules for semi or single shot.

[Sim G]

There was a little lad at our air range a couple of weeks ago with a replica AR15/MP5 cross C02 rifle thingy in semi auto config. Magazine with belt fed pellets etc, looked proper intimidating until it was fired It had just been bought from the shop by his Dad.
So this is illegal? No, its not, what an effing crock
I'm still having a bad day

Sig MPX. As you said, declared Co2 mechanical as the belt in the magazine is advanced by the mechanics and not by utilising the energy of the Co2, hence legal.

[Gazza]

Looking at how the lad was rattling the shots off and the lack of impact at 10m I'd have sworn it was C02 blowback but I stand corrected.
Clever how it cycles mechanically and still performs like a semi auto .22

[Sim G]

Supposedly SIG actually consider the MPX as semi auto, but as was explained to me given the belt as fitted into the magazine and how that is cycled, decreed it not be semi auto by the UK authorities.

All the more reason for a "test case" on semi air weapons below 6/12ft lbs.

[Dark Skies]

Yes of course, the police only pick on shooters and motorists, no one else, ever...

Well they certainly couldn't be bothered to come out into their own car park to view my vandalized Porsche - even though I'd carefully preserved the idiot's full palm and fingerprints by taping a sheet of polythene over them in the foolish thought they might actually bother to take lifts. Back in the day as a fingerprint officer I'd have loved to have it so easy.

These days, of course, they avoid the tiresome public by insisting they sit on hold after ringing the 101 non-emergency number until they get bored and hang up. I tried to report a theft from my Land Rover today at our local police station and despite the three coppers having nothing else to do but chat among themselves they still pointed to a little room off the front desk where I could ring 101.
Absolutely useless! At least before they were just pretty useless and would hand over a Crime Number for your insurance.