Are airsoft guns still considered as weapons?
Here’s the correct situation in the UK. Airsoft guns are legal. There are no laws effecting possession and ownership, providing they’re not carried in a public place, or ‘brandished’ in a manner which would constitute a threat to another person. These regulations are contained within the Firearms Act and the Antisocial Behaviour Act. Airsoft guns are in a bit of a legal grey area in terms of their power levels. The firearms act defines any airgun which fires with a power of more than 1 footpound as a firearm. This leaves automatic airsoft guns with a legal maximum of 380fps with 0.2g ammo. Semi auto and single action guns can theoretically be higher, but as they’re then technically firearms, shooting someone with one could be constituted as an offence. This has never been clarified in the courts, so without precedent nobody can be definitive. Many UK airsoft sites allow single shot sniper rifles to operate with a limit of 500fps (with 0.2g ammo). Section 36 of the Violent Crimes Reduct
