VCR Act

Violent Crime Reduction Act Measures Implemented - October 2007

ALMOST A YEAR after the Violent Crime Reduction Act received the Royal Assent measures in the Act relating to the sale of airguns and the sale, import and manufacture of imitation guns came into force on 1 October.

From that date air weapons can be sold only by Registered Firearms Dealers who must be approved by the local police force. An RFD is obliged to keep a Statutory Firearms Register which must include all sales, purchases and transfers of firearms, including air weapons. All air weapon sales have to be in person i.e. 'face to face' and mail order sales are now banned. It will be an offence for anybody under 18 to purchase or hire an air weapon or ammunition for an air weapon and for anybody to sell or let to hire an air weapon or ammunition for an air weapon to a person under the age of 18.

It will now be an offence to manufacture a realistic imitation firearm, modify an imitation firearm so it becomes a realistic imitation firearm, sell a realistic firearm and bring a realistic imitation firearm into Great Britain. A realistic imitation firearm is one which, for all intents and purposes, is indistinguishable from a real firearm (though neither a de-activated firearm nor an antique imitation is considered to be an imitation firearm). Some imitation firearms may still be sold, manufactured and imported if they meet certain criteria including principal colour, shape and size. All airsoft bb guns sold by Solware Ltd are legal to purchase as they meet this legislation. You must be over 18 YEARS OLD to purchase a bb gun. Please do not purchase any bb gun if you are under 18 years old - You are breaking the law if you do so and can receive a custodial sentence. Solware Ltd will do security checks on all purchases of bb guns we do this anyway and if we believe you are not we may ask for more evidence and proof. By not supply any supporting evidence we will take this as you are not of a legal age to make the purchase and cancel your order. The range of bb guns we supply are suitable for the airsoft skirmisher who is 18 years old and over.

It will be an offence for a person under the age of 18 to purchase an imitation firearm and an offence to sell an imitation firearm to a person under the age of 18.

Other measures in the Act will:

Double the maximum sentence for carrying an imitation gun in public without reasonable excuse from six to 12 months
Make it an offence for any person to fire an air weapon beyond the boundary of any premises

These are just a few of the amendments made to VCR bill in October. The main issues raised are that you have to be over 18 years old to purchase we also understand this law.

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