Two Airsoft Guns balanced against tree Whether you are an airsoft newbie or consider yourself more of a veteran, it is important to understand the law when it comes to using and purchasing airsoft guns. For those who are newer to the airsoft world, it can get pretty confusing. We have put together this guide to explain some of the most common questions regarding airsoft law, as well as explaining why there are orange tips on airsoft guns.

Why are there Orange Tips on Airsoft Guns?

This is a burning question for newbies, but the orange tips on these guns are to show that they aren’t real. However, it is important to note that this is not a legal requirement in the United Kingdom. If we go back to 2006/2007, the UK law changed to make the sale of real imitation firearms (RIFs) much harder than before. From the 1st October 2007 a law was put in place to make it illegal to sell RIFs to anyone under the age of 18 in the UK. Although if you wanted to purchase a RIF you have to be at least 18 years old and meet any of the following criteria: • You are a registered airsoft player who has a membership of an insured skirmish site. • You are a Crown Servant in pursuance of your Crown duties. • You are a television, film or theatre production company. • You are acting on behalf of or are a museum. • You are part of a legally insured historical re-enactment society or group. If you cannot meet any of the above criteria, you will still be able to purchase a RIF, but it will have to have a colour which is significantly different to a real gun, for example, bright blue or green.

New Players

It can be overwhelming for new players to get the hang of all the legal stuff associated with this sport, so it is important that you understand the law surrounding it. As mentioned above, if you want to purchase a replica gun you will need to be a registered airsoft player who has a membership. One of the easiest ways to do this is to attend three games at the same airsoft site over a time period of not less than two months, this means that all three games can’t be played within two month time frame. Once you have done this, you should become a member of that particular skirmish site, your chosen shop should be able to contact your site to confirm your membership and sell to you, but as they don’t always pick up the phone (some sites are run in people’s spare time) if your site is UKARA registered they can also put your details on the UKARA database and your chosen retailer can look them up any hour of the day or night. As long as the internet’s working at least! Registration on the UKARA database is free to the player, but most sites will make a small charge for site membership. If you’ve chosen to register your details with UKARA, you will be able to buy a replica from any UKARA shop such as us, and we will be able to check your membership by logging onto the database. Many players love the realism which comes with airsoft, so many players opt for realistic airsoft guns, but you will just need to make sure that you follow the points listed above. If you have any questions regarding this, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.