UK Airsoft collector thrown in jail for 16 years

[Alan Smith]

I've heard that the real life violent criminals in England have become increasingly well armed via surplus military guns smuggled in from out-of-country, so I would not be surprised if the above report of the Defendant in question having been in possesion of a live Uzi, AK, and ammo is "spot on" (to borrow one of my favorite terms from our British cousins).

Per a good friend of mine at BATFE, you just don't see criminals here in the U.S. armed with real live military automatic weapons. Maybe a few illegal conversions from semi- to full auto, coupled with some full auto stolen from the military or law enforcement, but the bulk of the crime seems to be with common semi-auto firearms.

[History]

I don't think its so much the will of the people its what the Government and papers throw at the them,the only time we have any say in matters is at election time when they want your vote and promise you the earth. After that they genarally do what they like and of late quite a few of them have shown to be crooks.Bet they never thought they end up doing a stretch!

Exactly! Same thing is trying to be done here and will be. Kids today dont care about firearms like when I was a kid.

[Patrick Dempsey]

'Old spec' UK deacts are surely legal to own and trade, but even without any deeper knowledge of UK laws, I'm rather sure that it would be today highly illegal for a private person to import say 1990s Finnish or Austrian 'old spec' deact to UK. That is, without first making it 'UK new spec' and having it then certified by a UK proof house.

Indeed.

A deactivated weapon from outside the UK is considered 'live' to all intents and purposes if brought into the UK, as officialdom doesn't recognise the work carried out by other nations to render it inoperable.

A custodial sentence is a very real risk. Especially for those who hop across the channel by car to French arms fairs etc.

[Aktivisti]

A deactivated weapon from outside the UK is considered 'live' to all intents and purposes if brought into the UK, as officialdom doesn't recognise the work carried out by other nations to render it inoperable.

My point exactly - now if one tries to read between the lines, this might have been the case with this "collector" now and in -05.

[SiPo]

A deactivated weapon from outside the UK is considered 'live' to all intents and purposes if brought into the UK, as officialdom doesn't recognise the work carried out by other nations to render it inoperable.

Thats right, but what a complete joke this is. Have you seen a German deact compared to a British deact? The German ones are nigh on "butchered."

I still had to import this "butchered"deact from Germany as a live weapon before having it checked to ensure it was deactivated to UK standards.

Unless it is a rare weapon, which in my case it was, I wouldn't bother.

[Uncle Goose]

Exactly! Same thing is trying to be done here and will be. Kids today dont care about firearms like when I was a kid.

Same here in Belgium, they tighten the laws on it in every way they can. It's not the people who do that, it's a handful of politicians who promise the people security, but all they do is open the doors for illegal fire arms. Whilst this is going on the ordinary people become scared of guns because they don't know them. it's not the gun that kills but the human, this got very clear when Kim de Gelder killed 3 babies and a caretaker some years ago, only he did it with a large kitchen knife, not a gun. But there seems to be no ban for kitchen knives in the making. Go figure.

[SINGLE CLAW]

WARNING WARNING TO ALL , This will happen here in the USA if People and Collectors such as our selve refuse to step up and do something to STOP IT . Many talk a Good Talk but hide when its time to get out and FIGHT for Your 2nd Amendment Rights . So all should wake up and Pass the Word , THIS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED HERE in the USA . DO SOMETHING To Help stop this Assault NOW.
Best Regards .

[Aktivisti]

WARNING WARNING TO ALL , This will happen here in the USA if People and Collectors such as our selve refuse to step up and do something to STOP IT .

This fellow broke the law and got sentenced, simple as that.

Try to import EU style deact MGs to USA without first cutting the receivers, and you will get too.

[Mr. Scratch]

This fellow broke the law and got sentenced, simple as that.

Try to import EU style deact MGs to USA without first cutting the receivers, and you will get too.

Yes, evidently he broke the law.

However, there is a such thing as punishment being proportionate to the crime. Throwing a guy who the police themselves admit never had any intention of hurting anyone, for owning "weapons" that probably won't actually fire, into the clink for 16 years like he's a hardened criminal is not proportionate to what he did. It is especially ludicrous when you consider that real criminal predators, who actually do hurt people, get much lighter sentances.

IMO this sentance is the result of the safety-focussed mass hysteria that is currently gripping the UK. We have similar hysterias here in the US from time to time, and they usually require a lot of innocent people to have their lives ruined before ordinary folks start saying "enough".

[sscrooge]

I agree he must have had some live automatics to get jailed, i had this ww1 rusty relic seized from me a couple of weeks ago and taken to the armoury to be checked out ,they had it for a week then i got it back only damage i could do with this is if i clubbed somebody with it,, rgds Dave

[P08]

Even if the guns are real and functional 16 years is totally out of line. There are murderers who got less than 16 years. This guy didn't hurt anyone. Where's the balance?

[Tobysauer]

If you have money anything becomes available in the Uk, reading between the lines I think this guy was a supplier and this is why he was banged up

[sturmann]

Salut ,

Bummer !!
I could have done with that Elcan on my M4