We are pleased to announce that Pellpax is now a member of UKARA (UK Airsoft Retailers’ Association), the organisation that is dedicated to the promotion of airsoft and to public safety.
The Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2006 introduced tight restrictions on the use, ownership, and sale of realistic imitation firearms (RIFs). In response to these new laws, an association of UK airsoft retailers was formed, for the purpose of producing a system for monitoring the sale of RIFs, and thereby protecting the airsoft sport and trade.
UKARA operates an effective and politically acceptable system, which protects retailers of airsoft equipment, whilst maintaining the safety of the public. The UKARA database holds a record of all participating airsoft players and game sites, and is available to retailers for verification of sales and purchases. This system allows retailers to check that RIFs are being sold only to legitimate purchasers.
Permitted RIF purchaser groups include, amongst others, film and theatre producers and participants in organised historical re-enactments. But it’s airsoft players who form the largest RIF purchaser group in the UK, and skirmishers can find an increasing range of airsoft equipment at Pellpax. If you’re new to the game, and thinking about buying your first airsoft gun, expert advice is available from our staff members.
The UKARA chairman is Frank Bothamley, a former designer of DB2 databases, who co-founded Firesupport Ltd and Free Fire Zone, an airsoft skirmish site near to Peterborough. I asked Frank about the work that UKARA carries out on behalf of the airsoft industry.
“We successfully lobbied for the airsoft limit to be set higher than 1 joule. We achieved a recognised definition in law for airsoft guns, and we got 6mm and 8mm pellets officially tested to prove that they were not lethal at the limits advertised by the Home Office. We meet regularly with the home office and have contact with FELWG [Firearms and Explosives Licensing Working Group]. We continue to speak to the CPS [Criminal Prosecution Service] and border controls about the impact of PCA [policing and crime act] 2017.”
At Pellpax, we stock many brands of airsoft guns and accessories. We have recently added ICS products to our range, including the ICS WW2 M3 Greaser AEG, which has an effective range of approximately 50 metres, and the small, compact ICS CXP-08. We’re also pleased to have available some two-tone airsoft rifles and pistols for customers who are not yet registered to an airsoft club in the UK. Note that it is against the law to alter the appearance of these items in order to render them more realistic.
When it comes to maintaining your airsoft equipment, we can recommend some superb products, such as ProShot Precision Gun Grease, or the water-repellent ProShot Precision ‘A’ Grade Silicone Gun Oil Aerosol. We also stock some convenient cleaning kits by ProShot. To talk to someone about our airsoft rifles, pistols, and accessories, or for advice on accessing local skirmish sites, just give us a ring, and we’ll be glad to help. And check out our range of airsoft guns and accessories here.
