[BennyT]

This just went up on paintball.se, the swedish equivalent of PBN.

German SWAT team raided a paintball game and apparently now all markers with adjustable regs are considered illegal in Germany. So... I don't know what that means for paintball there... but nothing good. Players are going to be fined for possession of illegal firearms. So next game you're at, live it up for everyone in Germany who won't be playing anymore.

Full story here:

http://www.paintball.se/forum/showthread.php?t=37350

[BlackAngelSS]

What a shame. thats what happens when Liberals ruin, i mean lead a country. Actually our Leaderships looking pretty crappy as well . Im suprised they dont try to extradite me for my avatar

[BoogyMan]

This is really sad! I can't believe they used the term "weapons" and "firearms!" Are we really that disasociated with the rest of the world that I think that type of language when talking about paintball guns is completely outrageous???

[BennyT]

Translation of the police report:

Investigations of police and district court "Tiergarten" [=Zoo] in Pankow [that's a quarter in Berlin] lead to the confiscation of 58 so-called "Gotcha"- or paintball arms. Around 60 police officers of boards 1 and 6 as well as of the State Office of Criminal Investigation sought a "paintball"-event in Buchholzer Straße [that's an address] around 10:30. 58 of the inspected CO2-arms were confiscated due to suspicion of manipulation. They are now being examined in detail by experts of the State Office of Criminal Investigation. The officers introduced preliminary proceedings against 54 people due to the suspicion that they have violated the weapons law. One man who had been searched for by warrant in another matter was arrested. All others concerned were released after identification. The Criminal Investigation Department has taken up further investigations.

[BennyT]

all youtube videos of the incident posted so far have been flagged and the user accounts blocked or removed.

[BoogyMan]

Ya nothing like censorship! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

[Mephysteaux]

I read about this on the news board, a guy from Stockholm Joy posted about it after he got a phone call from a guy who was there.

Basically, here's what I heard. In Germany, it is illegal to have a paintball marker that shoots over 214 FPS, or in any mode other than semi. German police got a tip that some people would have illegal markers at this tournament and raided it. Basically, it wasn't so much that these markers were shooting illegally, but that they were capable of shooting illegally, even though they had been approved by the government before they were sold.

This is definitely a case of the German government being uptight and backwards, though, and I hope they come to their senses and iron out their laws so this doesn't happen in the future.

[deadpooll]

Originally Posted by BennyT

all youtube videos of the incident posted so far have been flagged and the user accounts blocked or removed.

What the hell? Are we in China for pete's sake? I thought there was such a thing as freedom of speech or press. Since this is a newsworthy event why the hell are the videos blocked? Total bull. Big brother strikes again.

[Mephysteaux]

I had heard that they were told to take the videos down by their lawyers, but I could be wrong.

[RogueShooter]

Youtube is a service provided free-of-charge by a private entity. They can censor whatever you put on there because its THEIR site. There's nothing stopping you from getting your own servers and hosting the vids yourself though.

[thewinemisfit]

Originally Posted by Mephysteaux

In Germany, it is illegal to have a paintball marker that shoots over 214 FPS, or in any mode other than semi.

See Benny, Your pump works just fine.

[deadpooll]

Originally Posted by RogueShooter

Youtube is a service provided free-of-charge by a private entity. They can censor whatever you put on there because its THEIR site. There's nothing stopping you from getting your own servers and hosting the vids yourself though.

True, I can post it myself but nothing has the reach and name recognition Youtube does. My opinion is they are really just backing down beacuse they are afraid of repurcussions. Not to say someone isn't in the background pushing them to block it. Besides, doing stuff like this is just the start. China does this crap to websites all the time.

[Crimson Death]

Don't live in Germany.

[13thFreak]

when i was in Germany 8 years ago Paintball was all but illegal at the time. we had to go to some back alley gun shop and convince the owner we were not police to get him to sell us the 14 Co2 cartridges he had been holding onto for years. and im not exaggerating about the alley gun shop. everything about it felt like some black market weapons deal or something. i also found a 15 year old Scott mask still in the package and on opened bag of paint that was nasty as all hell. he wasnt brave enough to keep any markers though.
luckily Fort Badstein the US Army base had some supplies and allowed us to use a spot on base but very few troops played at the time. we had to request supplies from home for most of the good stuff.
i also had quite a time getting my gear back home even though it was stowed in my luggage not my carry-on. you should have seen the faces when they heard "gun" from one of the other officers.
Germany is far more open with some things than the US but far more strict on others than the US.

[BennyT]

Swedish teams I played with are backing out of the Euro Big Game as a result. Don't want to be party to any raids. Anyone thinking of coming over for some European pball in 2010, we're looking the Jämsa game in Finland the big game in Estonia.

The lawsuit culture is nil here (Sweden, Finland, Estonia).
The fields and players rely on Common Sense, which is refreshing. If you're an idiot, you're an idiot, you can't get a settlement (IMAGINE THAT!!!?).

But none of us want to take our chances in Germany after all this. I only have a 3-spring kit with me and that won't get me below 245fps, so there is no way we're chancing malhwinkel. such is life.

[Lordastaris]

I can imagin this at a game...them running in some people on the feild thinking wow those are some cool looking gear + mil weapons...someone tries to fire at them to get them out they shoot 1 and people yell at them for their weapons being over 280 fps lol......ok on topic that really sucks. I do not see why they would outlaw paintball. I know some guns are outlawed because their to real looking but I mean the entire game its self

[MCImes]

Thats a sad picture into our future I think.

Also, just a thought... America is the free-est place on earth and we are getting less free every day. where can we go to be left alone?

Hopefully people over there get pissed and tell the government to be reasonable. They're germans though...hopefully they gont get too pissed. jk.

[Windhund]

holytappdancinjebus---Imagine if it were a WWII scenario with German uniforms and "illegal" markers!!! Or they were wheeling out anti-tank weapons that weren't "manufactured"....hmmm sounds kinda familiar Sounds like the fascists are taking over again...

[scoochpbduck]

yeah...i hear they even made soft toilet paper contraband in germany

[BlackAngelSS]

Originally Posted by Windhund

holytappdancinjebus---Imagine if it were a WWII scenario with German uniforms and "illegal" markers!!! Or they were wheeling out anti-tank weapons that weren't "manufactured"....hmmm sounds kinda familiar Sounds like the fascists are taking over again...

Yeah Wes, The lawyers and sue happy idiots are going to ruin it here too

[NaTe SuN]

somebody should do a naked porn theme scenario there