Groups in the same boat

[Ken]

I came to be on this forum as a result of a meeting I had with an enthusiast of Military Vehicles. When I saw the VCR bill thread I clicked on as this is something I am very much involved in through my own interest which is running an Airsoft and military game site in the West Mids. Like you Airsoft players will be badly effected by the VCR bill. In fact it will kill the activity altogether in the long term. The UKASGB which is the Governing Body for Airsoft sites is fighting all the way and I thought you would be interested to see what another group is doing to argue it's cause. Together we stand, and all that. To view all correspondence on this matter try http://www.ukasgb.org

[Jack]

Thanks for the input Ken.

 

I don't think any of realise how many groups and how many hobbies this will effect but I know that we are running out of time.

[Bob]

Having talked at great length with a number of the historic deactivated weapons traders, including members of their industry association's group which met at length with the Junior Minister tasked with shepherding the guns side of this legislation through Parliament, it seems that the primary intent of Charles Clarke is to kill airsoft dead. As he is one of the Old Labour set, who bend over backwards to appear to be appeasing the 'loony left', no doubt the rationale behind this is that 'toy guns are too macho'.

 

His deputy has also said that banning the sale of airsofts and other replicas will 'send a message to the criminals' that the Government is getting tough on gun crime! When did you ever hear of a criminal, and especially a crack & smack dealing no-mark, paying attention to Government messages?

 

Once again, this appears to be little more than a badly thought-out piece of legislation being railroaded through Parliament purely to give the impression that the Government is doing something about a problem of its own making - city streets awash with unlicensed handguns - while keeping its more radical back-benchers happy and hopefully picking up a few future votes from disillusioned Daily Mirror readers.

 

Still, don't worry, there will probably be exclusions for transparent or dayglo plastic kids guns. I suspect that politicians' pea-like brains might not be able to work out that the criminal only has to buy a £1.99 spray can of silver paint from his local Woolies to turn the dayglo toy into a replica that could fool an SO19 sniper into thinking it was a cigarette lighter.

 

Bob

[Ken]

It has been some time since my last posting on the subject of the VCR Bill. My apologies for that but we in the Airsoft world really could do with your help and the help of re-enactors. Despite our intense and well put argument the Government has decided that Airsoft players do not warrant an exemption. Instead they are suggesting we use dayglo or transparent guns. This is not about control but a simple desire to humiliate and demene what they consider to be a childish activity. We are fighting on and have managed to put up a reasonable blocking action in the Lords. I know there are many MV owners who are Airsofters and I would welcome any action that those amongst you who share an interest in Airsoft to write to your MP. There is no doubt that we are being used as a sacrificial lamb on a cosmetic level. We are the thin end of the wedge and if they are allowed to get away with the spurious arguments about Airsoft then we all need to ask Who next? What is that saying "They came for the Jews.....

 

As Chairman to the United Kingdom Airsoft Sites I can confirm that we are doing all we can, but we need some heavy guns.