Realistic Imitation Firearms & You

Buying Realistic Imitation Firearms (RIFs) from Mountain Steel UK

How to purchase a Realistic Imitation Firearm from Mountain Steel:

Confirm you are over 18. You do not have to be over 18 to use one of these items with adult supervision, but to purchase one, it is a legal requirement. You will be asked to confirm you are over 18 and we will run checks to make sure.

Confirm you will be using your RIF for one of the 'Permitted Activities' as defined the the VCRA (Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006). We will ask you to do this as you are placing your order. (Skirmishing, Re-enactment & certain permitted events.)

Confirm that you have insurance for the intended 'Permitted Activity'. We will ask you to confirm this as you are placing your order. Most Household insurance covers this for skirmishing at home, but you will need to double check this!

What is the Violent Crime Reduction Act (2006)

Simply put, the Violent Crime Reduction Act (2006) is part of our legal system that covers a range of issues around alcohol, firearms and a number of other miscellaneous legal issues. For our purposes, we're specifically focusing on the Act's provisions for Realistic Imitation Firearms and the legal bases for purchase, sale and ownership. It is important for our customers to have a rough understanding of this act and the measures we have in place to ensure that we are in compliance and that you have a smooth transaction with us.

What is a Realistic Imitation Firearm?

"A RIF (Realistic Imitation Firearm) is any item which looks like a real firearm when viewed from a short distance away by a person without any specialist knowledge."

This means that any item that looks like a real firearm, regardless of if it's working or not that 'could' be a real gun is defined as a RIF and falls under some specific controls and regulations. RIF's are possible to own and use if certain conditions are met.

What are the Conditions for Buying a RIF?

There are three main conditions.

RIF's can only be sold if it is to be used for certain permitted purposes and activities. This includes historical re-enactment and skirmishing.
They must only be purchased by someone over the age of 18. Just like many of our other items such as knives and crossbows, we will require proof of age before being able to ship any RIF's to you.
The permitted activities must be insured. Typically most household insurance policies will cover this if you were to be skirmishing at home.

In order to purchase one of our RIFs you will need to confirm that you meet all three conditions above and be aware that we will conduct a proof of age check before the purchase is authorised.

What is a 'Permitted Activity'?

Permitted activities are the use cases for these items that comply with the VCRA (Violent Crime Reduction Act). The specific definition given in the act is as follows.

“The acting out of military or law enforcement scenarios for the purposes of recreation."

This is primarily intended to cover those who wish to engage in 'skirmishing' activities. This is where individuals or teams attempt to fire at the opposing team in order to hit them before they themselves are hit. Essentially acting out a military or police encounter, though, the rules on this can vary from game to game.

What are Blank Firing Guns?

A blank firing gun is device that 'fires' an empty or 'blank' cartridge resulting in a loud bang. These devices have no projectile and are usually considered safe if used correctly. The cartridges contain small amounts of gun powder to generate the required bang and flash. In the UK the law states that blank firing guns must be top or side venting such that the gasses are vented from the top or side of the device rather than through a barrel at the front of the 'gun'. In addition blank guns must feature permanently blocked barrels which cannot be modified or converted to fire live or 'real' ammunition. All of our blank firing guns are partially brightly coloured so they can be differentiated from real firearms.

What are Paintball Guns?

Paintball guns are devices that use compressed gasses such as CO2 to fire a frangible projectile out of it's barrel. These projectiles break up on impact with a splash of paint, the Home Office does not consider these to be weapons as they are unlikely to cause serious injury, and were not designed to be weapons. These items can still be considered as RIFs if they look sufficiently similar to a real firearm and could cause confusion to a person with no specialist knowledge of firearms.

Where can I use my RIF?

First, it's important to remember that RIFs can not be used or taken into public places, and must only be used on private land where you have permission from, or are the land owner. Using a realistic imitation firearm in public can and will get you arrested, is not sensible and is more than likely to cause alarm to the general public. As a general rule, they are best kept at home, at organised skirmish activities or re-enactments. Blank pistols can also be used at licensed shooting ranges with permission from the range. Please be aware that the sound from a blank firing gun can be very similar to a real firearm and using them where other people can hear is likely to cause alarm. Please be conscious of this and ensure that you are using your RIF safely and sensibly. It is also advisable to keep blank cartridges in a different place to the blank pistol and far out of the reach of children.

BB Guns and Blank firing Guns, Conditions of Sale:

CAUTION

Some of our GelSoft guns, BB Guns and Blank firing Guns are the colour(s) of real guns. These have the appearance of real firearms and are considered to be Realistic Imitation Firearms [‘RIFs’] under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. If you are purchasing a RIF you have to confirm to us that the gun will be used for skirmishing or historical re-enactment, including target practice, in circumstances where third party insurance cover is in place for that activity.

This should be on private property where you have permission to use them. All of these items are classified as Realistic Imitation Firearms and can only be purchased by those over 18 for use in permitted activities such as skirmishing and re-enactment where suitable third party liability insurance is in place. We only sell to those over 18 and you may be required to undergo an age verification process.

REMEMBER

None of these guns should be used in circumstances where alarm or distress may be caused to others. Remember, it is an offence to have any type of imitation firearm in a public place without a reasonable excuse and you may be arrested. Purchasing any of these types of gun from Mountain Steel is confirmation by you that you have read, understood and will comply with these conditions of sale and that these items will be used for permitted purposes in compliance with the law."

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