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Policing and Crime Bill Uncategorised

Firearms Industry Body Attempts to Ruin UK Airsoft

There has been an unprecedented attack on UK airsoft. Charles Henry John Benedict Crofton Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury, President of the Gun Trade Association, has tabled an amendment which aims to do away with the airsoft exception in the Policing and Crime Bill. That means we will not get our promised lethal threshold…

There has been an unprecedented attack on UK airsoft. Charles Henry John Benedict Crofton Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury, President of the Gun Trade Association, has tabled an amendment which aims to do away with the airsoft exception in the Policing and Crime Bill. That means we will not get our promised lethal threshold of 1.3J for full auto and 2.5J for semi auto/single shot, instead, we’ll be stuck with the 1J legal limit for airsoft, forever, across the whole of the UK.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2016-2017/0055/17055(e).pdf

This is a replication of the attack we faced earlier in the year from the Gun Control Network, working through Lynn Brown MP. This time, it has gone further and an amendment has been proposed. The Earl of Shrewsbury is a party whip who has vast power, influence, and wealth, who is quite capable of damaging our hobby by lumping us with a paltry 1J limit (328fps with a .20g BB).

We have two things going for us; One is that we are in the right. The forensic evidence supports our position (as do the government). The other advantage we have is that there are tens of thousands of us and we have a very strong presence on social media. At the moment both UKAPU and UKARA are making enquiries and looking at strategy. Soon we will ask the community to get involved and spread the word. The community is just about all we have to fight with.

We are doing everything in our power and we are preparing a campaign, so please watch our page closely, get the word out and prepare to fight hard for the future of your hobby.

Airsoft does not have the money or influence of the firearms trade. Grass roots lobbying from players is a proven and potent weapon, but this time, we are going to need an overwhelming and enthusiastic response from every single one of you.

This time, we need you, the community to stand with us as one. Together we can spread our message out and beat this latest challenge, but we need you, your friends, and everyone else involved in Airsoft to communicate the same message to those in power.

Matt Furey-King, Chair UK Airsoft Players Union