WorldWide Airsoft Regulations part 4

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Romania

Law nr. 295 from 2004 (Regimul Armelor şi Muniţiilor) regulates all use of weapons and associated ammunition:

* The law is quite unclear (in what concerns airsoft weapons) as to whether this kind of weapon classifies as "non-lethal weapon" or "toy".
* The law regulates the use of air-powered weapons (e.g. sport/competition use, that use a metal projectile) under "non-lethal" category and solely requires that you (1) are at least 18 years old and (2) register your weapon at the police precinct nearest from your location.
* The law specifies that usage of night vision (infrared) or laser aiming devices designed for military use is completely restricted to members of the army and associated entities even if the aiming device is used on a lower-restriction category weapon (e.g. such as on an airsoft gun). The law, however, does not restrict in any way the use of aiming devices not designed for military use.
* The law specifies that, should you attempt to use a non-lethal or replica gun to perform (or attempt to perform) armed robbery, you shall be prosecuted as if a real gun was used.

** Airsoft and paintball replicas can not be covered by Law nr. 295/2004 regarding the Guns and Ammo regime (Regimul armelor şi al muniţiilor), they are not listed in the law's annex as a gun because of their destination and mode of operation, therefor there's no need for an authorization to buy, own and use them.

** A new addition to the law 295/2004 was made at 17/02/2008 called OUG 28/2008 wich restricts evenmore the forms and regulations.

Slovenia

* One has to be at least 18 years to buy airsoft guns.
* If the velocity of an airsoft gun is below 100 m/s (328 ft/s) i.e. equivalent to 1 joule, it is considered to be a toy.
* If the velocity is higher than 100 m/s (328 ft/s), the airsoft gun is classified as a section D weapon in the Firearms control legislation of Slovenia. Additionally Air Soft Clubs and National Shooters Association in Slovenia recommend that airsoft gun velocities should not be above 100 m/s (1 J).

Singapore

Used to be legal,no age limit to purchase Airsoft guns.One year after the sport was introduced in the country it was banned due to safety issues.A petition is underway hoping to legalise Airsoft.Currently,only a few clubs in Singapore managed to set up IPSC shooting using Airsoft guns,with permission from the government and firearm licenses.Currently,the clubs allow purchasing of Airsoft pistols but not allowed to be brought back home.There are no skirmishes except the shooting of paper targets.

Spain

Airsoft guns are regarded as low power weapons and AEGs must have:

* Semiautomatic rifles and pistols: less than 2.4 joules
* Other automatic electric guns: less than 1.00 joules and local police validation.

Sweden

One must be at least 18 years old to buy airsoft guns. it is allowed to use airsoft guns in Sweden even if you are under 18 years. but you want one, your parents (hopefully over 18) will decide and buy it for you.

In order to possess a gas, air or spring operated firearm without a license the impact energy of a projectile fired at a distance of 3 meters must be less than 10 joules. If it is semi or fully automatic the impacet energy must be less than 3 joules.

Switzerland

* Airsoft guns are not considered as subject to the weapon legislation and no permission is necessary.
* All kinds of laser sights are forbidden.

United Kingdom

There are currently certain restrictions on the possession of airsoft replicas, which came in with the introduction of the ASBA (Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003) Amendments, which prohibit the possession of any firearms replica in a public place without good cause (to be concealed in a hard gun case or sealed container only not to be left in view of public at any time) . The prohibition of self-contained gas cartridge weapons similar to that made by Brocock can arguably apply to Moscarts and BB-Shower grenade systems, however a formal case precedent has yet to be set. There were initial concerns among the airsoft community that the Violent Crime Reduction Bill (passed an Act in November 2006, but not yet commenced) would in future prevent airsoft skirmishers from buying realistic imitation firearms. However, on the 20th of September 2006 the Association of British Airsofters (ABA) received a letter from Tony McNulty (Minister of State for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing at the Home Office) saying that he has "decided to provide a defence for airsoft skirmishing in relation to the ban on the sale etc. of realistic firearms". There has been confirmation airsoft will receive an exemption. This letter has been scanned and reproduced on the ABA website [3]. Note that membership of the ABA may be required in order to view the letter.

Since then, the Bill has received Royal Assent, and while now Statute Law in the UK, is still a matter of some (at times heated) discussion in the UK Airsofting community - not least of which the question as to how the Act, and Specific Defence, will work, the process of which is still being decided upon at the Home Office, at the time of this edit (5th December 2006).

The Defence will be based on whether or not a person is a Skirmisher. One of the measures put in place by retailers to aid in identifying Skirmishers is a database of skirmishers registered in a central database. A person must be a regular skirmisher (i.e. skirmish 3 or more times in no less than two months) in order to be registered, and the airsoft site they register/skirmish at must hold public Public Liability Insurance. Once a skirmisher is registered they receive a membership card and must produce this before buying or trading airsoft weapons from these retailers, though not a legal requirement (As long as you can prove that you are an airsoft skirmisher you may purchase Realistic Imitation Firearms or RIFs. (Airsoft guns deemed to be realistic.) It is expected that HM Customs & Excise will also have access to the database to verify the identity of importers.

The VCRA (Violent Crime Reduction Act) came into effect as of the 1st October 2006, thus meaning that RIF (Realistic Imitation Firearms) can only be purchased by registered members of an airsoft skirmish site (accessories and ammunition are not covered by the VCRA). Only those people over the age of 18 can purchase Replica Imitation Firearms. IF (Imitation Firearms), however, are still legal and may be purchased by anyone 18 or over and used by any age, regardless of membership status. These usually take the form of "Two-Tone" guns - normal Airsoft guns, that have been painted in bright colours in order to mark them out clearly as Imitation Firearms and not Realistic Imitation Firearms.

United States

* Under Federal Law,
o Airsoft guns are not classified as firearms and are legal for all ages under federal law, as well as the laws in each state. However, in some major cities and population centers the definition of a firearm within their respected ordinances includes propulsion by spring or compressed air, thus subject to applicable laws.
o A 6 mm minimum orange tip must be present on the barrel end of the airsoft gun to identify it as such for any commercial sales. [1] Once sold, local laws may vary on whether or not the orange tip must be kept - in many places, no laws exist restricting one from removing or replacing the orange tip, but one should check the local laws before making such a modification.
o Airsoft guns' trademarks must be removed where the manufacturer does not have an existing license agreement with the manufacturer of the real fire arm. For example: Classic Army has a licensing agreement with Armalite, so the trademarks can stay on imported replicas of Armalite's weapons. In practice enforcement is hit or miss. You might get an "unlicensed" gun through customs with trademarks intact, while a licensed gun might be held in Customs by an uninformed customs agent. House Resolution 607, sponsored in early 2007, would change this if passed, allowing imports to retain trademarks even if there is no agreement between the real firearms manufacturer and the replica manufacturer.[2]
o In addition, the similarity between genuine firearms and airsoft replicas is close enough to provoke interaction with local law enforcement personnel if an airsoft gun is carried openly in public.
o If someone were to, for example, attempt a robbery with an airsoft gun, they would be charged as if the airsoft gun were a real firearm.[citation needed]
* New York City requires that all realistic toy or imitation firearm be made of clear or brightly colored plastics; furthermore, New York City makes possession of any air pistol or air rifle or similar instrument in which the propelling force is a spring or air, unlawful without a license. See New York City Administrative Code § 10-131(b) and New York City Administrative Code § 10-131(g)(1)(a)[3]. The rest of New York State is unaffected by these laws, and there are no state regulations limiting or prohibiting airsoft.
* Michigan allows the purchase of Airsoft guns. However, they must have an orange tip on the barrel.
* Texas allows Airsoft guns to be owned but most cities require that the Airsoft guns be discharged only while outside city limits.
* Some cities in Illinois considers shipping or distributing airsoft guns illegal.