AIRSOFT importing from USA

Fallschirmjager

Dear all,

since the price of AIRSOFT in the UK etc is so huge, i have looked at the US and Hong Kong. THey are nearly half price. The problem is-- importing them.

Anyone else here impoirted AIRSOFT from outside the EU?

thanks in advance

Sparks

I don't think you can get a licence for them in the Republic Fall, since they don't have serial numbers. If you can, let us know how, would you?

Fallschirmjager

ha hah ah will do sparks...

sorry what i read here so far said 2 things

1. you need the rifle serialised (not like neighbours!)

2. the new law said they were LEGAL

i was hoping someone who imported here would know


why is it in IRELAND, all our laws begin with ..

arra...kinda....ya know..maybe

Sparks

Fallschirmjager wrote:

sorry what i read here so far said 2 things
1. you need the rifle serialised (not like neighbours!)
2. the new law said they were LEGAL

Well, point one is the sticky one. If it's got a serial number, you're sucking fuel oil, as everything else is straightforward. It's the ones without serial numbers that are dodgy. Mainly because there isn't a lower muzzle energy limit before something's considered a firearm in Ireland, the way there is for airguns in the rest of Europe.

why is it in IRELAND, all our laws begin with ..
arra...kinda....ya know..maybe

Actually, in this case, I think it's more because the basic law was written in 1925 and hasn't been updated by people with technical knowlege of firearms since then. So some classes of firearm don't have perfect coverage - shotpistols, for example (are they handguns or shotguns?), BB guns and airsoft guns which don't have serial numbers, paintball guns, and so on.

Fallschirmjager

Bubbles,

do you know what the proper paperwork is...i suppose that the 50 million dollar question isnt it?

Fallschirmjager

Sparks,

i assume i need to go get a license from the local Gardai?

if i have that could i import ?

Sparks

Yes Fall, you need to get the licence from your local garda station. Here's how.

If you have the licence, then there should be no problem with you importing it. There's a modicum of confusion over procedures at the moment with the Criminal Justice Bill looking like it will amend the Firearms Act, but right now you just need the licence and the EU firearms pass and a section 7 authorisation (the latter two you are entitled to when you get the licence, you just ask the local garda and you should get them without question).

Fallschirmjager

Sparks,
thanks mate...

finally i get a good straight answer.. i really appreciate it
excellent site as well....

civdef

and the EU firearms pass and a section 7 authorisation

Not for something being brought from outside the EU, as is suggested in this thread.

It would also be worth your while finding out what safety standards the airsoft complies with. if it meets the accepted definition of a toy, you don't need any, as it's not a firearm.

Sparks

civdef wrote:

Not for something being brought from outside the EU, as is suggested in this thread.

Ah! Whoops, yes, civ's correct.

It would also be worth your while finding out what safety standards the airsoft complies with. if it meets the accepted definition of a toy, you don't need any, as it's not a firearm.

Er, not really. It's already been stated by the gardai earlier this year (though I can't find the darn article) that they consider airguns to be firearms and not toys, even BB guns and the like.

Zakalwe

Aren't those "Airguns" actually spring or electrically powered?

Sparks

Yeah Zak, but they're still thought of as airguns because there's no propellant used. Sortof like the Feinwerkbau 300 series of "air" rifles, which are actually spring powered.

Fallschirmjager

gentlemen,

thanks. i think the best thing to do is to goto the license route. i suppose if i have one -- they cant be annoyed at me.

Civ/Sparks, just a quick question to ensure i understand your thoughts....

if i get a license...can i then import from the US or do you rekon this is a bad idea?

the fear i have is that airsoft look very realistic (even tho for the most part its plastic) and i can imagine a customs guy opening the box and falling off his chair!

if i can order from the US , Japan etc...do i have to give my firearms license number or something to get the delivery, or do customs hold it until i have proved i can receive it?


sorry, but since they are not cheap to begin with..i dont want to get the feared customs thing...'ah now young fellar, do you have form 23456356-a sub section 2 para 4 filled in?, no?, well you cant have this ...i will bin it with the BSE meat here in dublin airort!'


thanks again...

gouda

Sparks wrote:

So some classes of firearm don't have perfect coverage - shotpistols, for example (are they handguns or shotguns?), BB guns and airsoft guns which don't have serial numbers, paintball guns, and so on.

Actually,paintball guns are firearms,which is why paintball companies have to meet the same security requirements as firearms dealers i.e. very secure storage,monitored alarm,panic button,gms backup etc. I think the others ,bb,airsoft are also classed as firearms or imitation firearms. The only ones classed as toys must have this blaze orange thing on the muzzle to clearly identify it as a toy.

oldzed

When your super looks for a 1600€ monitord alarm system with a 300€ a year monitoring fee and cctv and a decent gunsafe and asks you what club you are in and what range you are going to use it on on will you still go ahead ??, I know it only fires plastic balls and can knock over coke cans at best but you may as well be trying to licence a colt 45 . and if you are caught with it and its unlicenced the law makes no distinction between them , plus you will pay 38€ a year for this pop gun .

Fallschirmjager

jeeze oldzed...thats a bit depressing...

Sparks

Indeed. And what oldzed says is not only possible (though normally only if someone's pissed off the Super will he be going down that route, most of the gardai I've dealt with personally have no trouble with target shooting - airsofting, however, well, they may well have a bit of a problem since you lads shoot at each other with the things and even I get hairs on the back of my neck standing up at that mental image), but it's perfectly legal as well, and it's been defended (indirectly) all the way to the supreme court by shooters.

Fallschirmjager

the gas thing is i dont even want to shoot the fecking thing...its more of a collector agenda for me...

sad i know but there you go...

Sparks would you recommend i still become a member of a club to ease the route a bit?

Sparks

It's generally one of the easiest ways to assure the Gardai you're not just some random loon, Fall, but I can't think of too many clubs that would support airsofting Fall (the whole shooting-at-people part of airsofting just runs directly against the grain for most of the target shooters I know of, in all the shooting groups). There are a few clubs up North though, you might want to try talking to them, if there are clubs down here that support it then they'd know who they are. You may even be trying to reinvent the wheel.

Fallschirmjager

cool, i suppose i best ask as i dont want to break the law. i never realised some fecking abs plastic could cause so much trouble...

i just cant see the local garda understanding ..i can see the conversation going like..

Garda: so let me understand this...you want to buy realistic guns made of plastic to collect them? is tha rite?

me : ahem (turning red) well yes

Garda: you dont wat to actually fore these pastic balls fromthe plastic gun? is tha rite?

me (even redder)...ahem well yes

Garda : rite..I twell ya what , give us your address and we will get rite bak to ya....

oldzed

the security i spoke off has been imposed on several people who recently applied for handguns and i know 3 of them personally . airguns /airsoft guns with a muzzle energy less than 2 joules have been taken off ticket up north recently and this covers the airsoft stuff like fall is after . I cant see a pistol club adjusting to shooting at 4 yards to accomodate plinkers but who knows , fall , if you are after replicas try battle orders ,non firing replicas are unrestricted like toy guns and there are many replicas including 92f's and 45's etc , alternatively go after a blankfirer with an authorisation from your super.

Fallschirmjager

thanks oldzed....

just to clarify what do you mean with :

airguns /airsoft guns with a muzzle energy less than 2 joules have been taken off ticket up north recently and this covers the airsoft stuff like fall is after

i am far from an expert, in fact with some binoculars i can just about see the start line! but i think airsoft has less then 1joule of energy..that could be complete cack tho TBH....

as for the battle orders, i never heard but i guess google has so i wil gve that a look see as well..
thanks for your time...

Fallschirmjager

actually i think i will stay on track with the AIRSOFT. WHy?

well why do i have to fecking feel like some yobbo?

so bugger this ...i aint breaking the law, i wont be breaking it...so

:mad:

typical ireland...i made to feel guilty for nothing...

man i goona go and check over the hols, get the license to hold a few of these and im gonna make it someone elses problem to tell me why shaped plastic is sucha threat to the national good!

Zakalwe

Perhaps it's possible to get a "deactivated" Airsoft gun? Then it has all the look of the real thing, but without the legal problems. I gather you just want it for collection and not to actually shoot?

Fallschirmjager

hmmm...now didnt think of that but i guess the question will be whats deact (friom the guards pov).

from what i understand there is a fairly large range of companies offering custom work on airsoft on internals..

but hey it a route i can ask the Guards...thanks!

Zakalwe

Deactivating a firearm involves modifying it so as to make it extremely difficult to turn it back in to a working firearm. Normally welds, and or cuts are made to the reciever and the barrel is drilled and/or plugged.

Fallschirmjager

good point...sorry i just thought of the guts being removed but the barrell blocked..i will ask dude thanks again

Irishglockfan

Fallschirmjager
if you dont want to fire this thing at all.Why not just buy a prop or theatre gun?These are made of WOOD.No moving parts,ever.All you could do is club somone [awkwardly] to death with it.AFIK it is not required to liscense clubs or oddly shaped bits of wood over here yet.
Buy a copy of guntrader in Easons,there is a company that specialises in them ,they usually advertise towards the back.No doubt some super will moan about the "looks" of the thing.But you cannot do anything about it as it is not a firearm.

oldzed

hi fall,
try this link to battle orders , scroll down past all the western wheelguns and flintlocks and theres a few pieces that may intrest you , walther p38.ppk and p08 luger and a few others

http://www.battleorders.co.uk/acatalog/Battle_Orders_Flintlocks___Metal_Replicas___modern___western_11.html

zed

Rovi

oldzed wrote:

hi fall,
try this link to battle orders , scroll down past all the western wheelguns and flintlocks and theres a few pieces that may intrest you , walther p38.ppk and p08 luger and a few others

http://www.battleorders.co.uk/acatalog/Battle_Orders_Flintlocks___Metal_Replicas___modern___western_11.html

zed

Cool link zed, lots of nice stuff there.

I noticed something that strikes me as a little odd, though!
Scroll down to the seventh item- BUFFALO SOLDIERS CAVALRY PISTOL.
I was under the impression that Buffalo Soldiers were black/coloured soldiers during the conquest of the American West, usually (always?) led by white officers.
The buffalo on the grip of this revolver looks to me like some type of Asian/water buffalo.
Am I mistaken here, or are they?
Surely it should feature a Bison instead???
.

Von Manstein

Fallschirmjager wrote:

cool, i suppose i best ask as i dont want to break the law. i never realised some fecking abs plastic could cause so much trouble...

i just cant see the local garda understanding ..i can see the conversation going like..

Garda: so let me understand this...you want to buy realistic guns made of plastic to collect them? is tha rite?

me : ahem (turning red) well yes

Garda: you dont wat to actually fore these pastic balls fromthe plastic gun? is tha rite?

me (even redder)...ahem well yes

Garda : rite..I twell ya what , give us your address and we will get rite bak to ya....

How true......

I applyed for permission to get a "deactivated" gun and it took a month for them to ring me. Then it took a further month to get permission. Then I applyed to get a firearms importation license.....that was 2 maybe 3 months ago (I cant remember) and they still havent replyed.

I've kind of just given up......The whole law over here regarding firearms, replicas, airsoft guns etc is just disgracefull!

Also, A funny thing I noticed is there selling RC German Leopard 2A5 tanks over in Maplin. Thing is the tanks turret is a "pellet gun" which fires pellets! 200 round capacity. Little do maplins know that under Irish law there considored firearms (barrel which fires a projectile - 1925). So basicaly they are selling a pellet gun on wheels for 74.99 euro :P

Im tempted to buy the thing.

Do u know those potato guns they sell these days? They have a barrel and shoot a piece of potato (projectile!).....Im guessing there firearms too.

BTW do u think I would have any hassle importing this over from Japan...

http://www.wwiiguns.com/shop/products.php?p=374752

Pls note that this fires no projectiles whatsoever neither does it have a barrel. Is there any way customs could detain it - legally that is?

Von Manstein

Rovi

Von Manstein wrote:

BTW do u think I would have any hassle importing this over from Japan...

http://www.wwiiguns.com/shop/products.php?p=374752
Von Manstein

Or how about this-
http://www.worldwidearms.com/popup.cfm?p_n=97204&p_i=97204
The genuine article (they claim!), deactivated.
And from England, and thus within the EU, which might make things a bit easier.

Check out their on-line catalogue-
http://www.worldwidearms.com/products.cfm
Loads of cool items if you're interested in replicas/deactivated stuff.
.

Fallschirmjager

well does thoes that not beat all....

man oh man...the kar is way cool...


as for the deactivated guns...jeeze...god if i won the lottery i would feck of to a country without these moronic restrictions...


so i can buy a legal one from battle orders or i can buy an ILLEGAL one that fires plastic pellets...at .7 joules.....so i could sting a bank teller to death...go figure...

the one good thing is i can now buy one of the STAR WARS replicas an import them ...cool!!!

Micheal Wittman

Fallschirmjager wrote:

well does thoes that not beat all....

man oh man...the kar is way cool...


as for the deactivated guns...jeeze...god if i won the lottery i would feck of to a country without these moronic restrictions...


so i can buy a legal one from battle orders or i can buy an ILLEGAL one that fires plastic pellets...at .7 joules.....so i could sting a bank teller to death...go figure...

the one good thing is i can now buy one of the STAR WARS replicas an import them ...cool!!!

Theres nothing that says replica guns are illegal so u can definitely get them.
I have a replica Luger (heavyweight, cocks and dry fires!). I also have a PFC blowback Mp40 smg. Prett snazzy thing, its worth 500 euro!

I recommend you try the following sites....

http://www.modelguncollector.co.uk/

http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/

They sell real deactivated guns at the above site. But its still nice to see them. Again, deactivated guns are alowed in Ireland...Its simpy a matter of checking with the superintentent first (and waiting for a reply)

http://www.wwiiguns.com/

The best money can buy

http://modelguns.co.uk/

Most of the above sell model guns but some sell pelet guns and such. In general replicas cost a lot more (even more than the real thing )

If your looking for star wars movie props try searching under "movie props" in google. I remember seeing a lot of english based sites selling star wars stuff, Band of Bothers etc

Hope this helps

Fallschirmjager

Wittman (god bless the panzers!! )

jeeze this is getting better by the minute...

i started off with airsoft and now im in deact heaven..!!!!

they are excellent sites....thanks !!!

l3rian

When your super looks for a 1600€ monitord alarm system with a 300€ a year monitoring fee and cctv and a decent gunsafe and asks you what club you are in and what range you are going to use it on on will you still go ahead ??, I know it only fires plastic balls and can knock over coke cans at best but you may as well be trying to licence a colt 45 . and if you are caught with it and its unlicenced the law makes no distinction between them , plus you will pay 38€ a year for this pop gun .

are you serious? its just a plastic bb gun

Sparks

l3rian wrote:

are you serious? its just a plastic bb gun

Unfortunately, the superintendent could ask for that - in the real world, it would be most unlikely. Mind you, I could see security systems like that being asked for in those cases where people would have a lot of firearms (several rifles, shotguns and fullbore pistols) but in those cases, to be honest, you'd want to have poor priorities to not have such a system already. (I mean, you'd have spent close to twice that on your firearms already...)

Horsefumbler

Sparks wrote:

you need to get the licence from your local garda station.

I've just been reading some of the posts on this thread and i just thought i'd mention something. I got an m4a1 colt aeg and my brother an ak47 and glock from an english website and we didn't get any licence. Just don't plan on getting caught with them type thing

Is this illegal ye?

Zakalwe

Horsefumbler wrote:

Is this illegal ye?

As far as the current law is concerned it's just as illegal as having 2 assault rifles and a pistol with ammunition. Technically you could do serious time for it.

If anyone sees you and your brother playing around you might have the ERU on your door.

I can just imagine the headlines. "Kalishnakov replicas used for combat simulations"


Don't do anything to make shooters in this country look bad. Ideally ring up your local super and see what he says.

Barry Aldwell

Zakalwe wrote:

Don't do anything to make shooters in this country look bad. Ideally ring up your local super and see what he says.

Speaking hypothetically, of course, lest he take it as a confession and send the ERU round to have a chat.

Pataman

What about the skirmish paintball jobbies, they have a fair muzzle velocity. Do they have serial numbers? Are they licenced in the same way?

Fallschirmjager

Pataman wrote:

What about the skirmish paintball jobbies, they have a fair muzzle velocity. Do they have serial numbers? Are they licenced in the same way?

pataman...again i am running to catch up here ...but from what people have said...it looks like you will need a license...or at least to have informed the local police to ensure your ass ic covered...


:rolleyes: :mad:

Irishglockfan

Yes the paintball things are supposed to be liscensed as well.You can basically sum up the definations of firearms in Irealand as;
anything that fires anything out a barrel or proably looks like it could do so is classified as a firearm and requires a liscense.

Now thats the theory.In practise there are no doubt hundreds if not thousands of airsoft,paintball,blank firiers,deacts etc,sitting quietly in peoples cupboards,or over the mantle piece,doing no one no harm,and the Gaurds know about it as well.
Prime example being crossbows,there were hundreds of them sold in the 80s freely in Ireland.Until one was used in a robbery and a garda got shot in the leg with a bolt,then they became firearms,total liscensed in the State crossbows 80!!where did the rest go to?Not that it matterd because the ammo[bolts] was only buyable on ticket.yet no doubt those in the know bring back a few bolts from the US or wherever.The rest I would say or Inop due to lack of bolts or parts.
It is when someone with the IQ of a small rock goes and does somthing stupid with such an item[like waving it around in public to impress his mates or the girlies down the pub] that all Hell breaks loose.

So AFICT the problem is delt here with the 13th commandment[Do as thou wilst,dont get thyself caught] and the nod&wink,and dont do it in public as you will frighten the horses.
I'm sure there is a very strong case to make them a no liscense item,but I think the gaurds have to look at it as what will the common or garden gurrier /moron do with the item?[No doubt try and reclaim its cost price down in the local post office within ten mins of purchase.]