Vcr And Overseas Purchases

[el maipino]

I know that with the new VCR bill now in force face to face with an RFD is required for some items.

As I understand buying items from abroad is still fine, postal/online wise.

But if I purchase a restricted item such as a silencer or spring from an overseas seller can the item be shipped direct to my home or does it have to also go thru the RFD route with me collecting it in person?.

[Raygun]

It's my understanding that it's the seller who has to comply with the legislation, not the buyer.
The legislation can't be enforced on someone outside the U.K. so therefore there should be no reason why you can't order from abroad.

ATB
Ray.

[Garvin]

I know that with the new VCR bill now in force face to face with an RFD is required for some items.

As I understand buying items from abroad is still fine, postal/online wise.

But if I purchase a restricted item such as a silencer or spring from an overseas seller can the item be shipped direct to my home or does it have to also go thru the RFD route with me collecting it in person?.

Springs are definitely not restricted by the VCR act so can be bought from UK dealers and posted to your door, striking posties willing.

[funkedup]

Ahh, I have mentioned this in another thread.

So then. If say, Theoben won't post me a Rapid Valve body to my door but a certain chappy in the US would, thats ok then?

If so, he is the chap I shall be using for future mail orders

[Flannelmeister]

Might be the best thing if we all ordered what we need from abroad if we can. As I and others have said in another thread, from extensive reading of legislation it is only air guns that have to be face to face according to the letter of the law.

If some companies choose to extend that to spares and parts then, frankly, they deserve to lose the business to overseas suppliers.

[Stuart_B]

I think the companies are struggling due to the purposfully misleading/confusing vcr law

[el maipino]

Thanks for the replies. I thought it was the VCR bill that restricted silencers as the usual big sites all say they will not ship silencers out to the home now. If it is themselves restricting them and not the new law then thats another matter.

[Portland Jon]

The VCR Bill does restrict the sale of silencers so I now have to ship mine to the customers nearest RFD. That was explained to me by my local FLO.

Jon

[Smokeless Coal]

I understand customs are under orders to "trap" stuff coming from abroad. It was aimed at replicas but you could find that airguns dont get through. Thus some companies will no longer send to UK due to insurance claims and loss.

If you order something and it gets held by customs what are you going to do about it? Would you be prepared to fork out megabucks in legal fees?

[Jerry Cornelius]

If you order something and it gets held by customs what are you going to do about it? Would you be prepared to fork out megabucks in legal fees?

I would write them a polite letter asking them to cite the statutory authority for holding onto whatever they were holding onto.

Customs might think they can do what they like, but they can't.

[Flannelmeister]

The VCR Bill does restrict the sale of silencers so I now have to ship mine to the customers nearest RFD. That was explained to me by my local FLO.

Jon

Jon, can you tell me what part of the new legislation he pointed you to?

I have read the full text of the VCR Act and checked all Statutory Instruments amending the 1968 Firearms Act from the last 2 years. Nowhere can I find a section/amendment that says silencers, or indeed any other airgun spares or accessories have now to be sold on a face-to-face basis.

[Portland Jon]

Click Here and read paragraph three.

Jon

[jtw000]

I have mailed Pyramidair already. They ship from the US and are happy to ship to me. Their postage is high but still once you translate the dollar to pound rates you're buying air pistols for roughly what they used to be mail order in the UK, sometimes, with US made guns, considerably less.

[Flannelmeister]

Click Here and read paragraph three.

Jon

Thanks Jon, that's interesting.

Do Home office Circulars amend the Law in the same way that Statutory Instruments do? I think not.

Frankly, that "advice" while showing what the Home Office would LIKE, does not appear to mirror the reality of the Law as enacted where there is no definition of "Air Weapons" (and I'm not happy with that terminology) within the Act that extends it to cover their component parts and accessories.

Indeed only Statutory Instrument 2007/2605 makes any reference to component parts and accessories and solely with regard to the records that RFDs are obliged to keep.

If somebody was to challenge this advice/wishlist I think any prosecutor would be hard pressed to show any law was being broken.

Having said that, I appreciate it is not my livelihood at stake and it is easy for me to sit here and point to the inconsistencies between what the law says and what the Home Office would like it to say.

[seekay]

Click Here and read paragraph three.

Jon

After reading section three it only mentions air weapons, does this mean C02 is not affected other than the colouring of replicas.