Japan to ban powerful toy air guns

[pugs144]

Hmmm

From another source, not as bad as it sounds.

Police agency to ban souped-up air guns
02/07/2006

The Asahi Shimbun


The National Police Agency will ban ownership of remodeled toy air guns strong enough to pierce the skin, in reaction to drive-by shootings involving these strengthened weapons, officials said.

To regulate these guns, the NPA will submit a bill to revise the Law to Control the Possession of Firearms and Swords to the regular Diet session as early as March, the officials said.

The NPA is considering a maximum prison term of one year or a fine up to 300,000 yen for those found in possession of such remodeled guns.

The owners of an estimated 800,000 remodeled air guns will be required to scale down the weapons' power at specialty shops. Air gun dealers will cover the remodeling fees, the officials said.

Japan has stringent laws restricting the ownership or use of guns, including air guns designed for hunting and competition. Toy air guns, which usually shoot plastic pellets with compressed air or low-pressure gas, are excluded on the grounds that they are not strong enough to harm people.

But these toys can be remodeled to shoot metallic projectiles at higher speeds. The remodeled toys are sold over the Internet.

A series of drive-by shootings involving those guns occurred last year.

In late September, two passenger cars in Wakayama Prefecture were shot by another driver with a remodeled air gun. The projectiles created a hole with a 5-millimeter diameter in a window of one vehicle and shattered the rear window of the other.

Similar shootings occurred in Osaka Prefecture in August and September.

The NPA will consider toy air guns with a power of 3.5 joules per square centimeter or stronger as illegal, the NPA said. That power is strong enough to make people bleed, according to the officials.

The power of the guns can be measured at specialty shops.(IHT/Asahi: February 7,2006)

[The Saint]

We've got a more-or-less official 500-something fps limit in Canada, the Brits have their 300fps. It looks to be really more of a celing on power than a serious ban. Consider what people in Asia sometimes upgrade their guns to, it doesn't seem like that bad an idea.

[firemachine69]

No, it doesn't seem all that bad... I'd rather be limited in energy and velocity terms then have to go through licensing and registration.

[Aquamarine]

There's nothing wrong with what they're doing. Two days before I left Yokohama in December, the Japanese govn't put a law in stating that only those over 18 can purchase airsoft guns... and y'know what??? The store owners are following the law!

Wow, if only Canada and America would follow suit.

[MadMax]

It looks like they're implementing a limit pretty close to the 1J limit in the UK.

a 6mm pellet has a frontal area of 0.282cm^2. At 3.5j/cm^2 that's 1J. A stock AEG (280fps) is about 0.7J. They're implementing a 100m/s limit w' 0.2g pellets ~333fps

[Psycho]

the NPA will submit a bill to revise the Law to Control the Possession of Firearms and Swords

swords need licensing too?.. lol. funny

[MadMax]

I think sharpened swords are restricted here in Canada too.

[yanhchan]

Thats the problem with the internet....any kid can buy a sharpened sword if he persuades his college friend. I know a 16 year old that just one of them Katanas...this is also the dude that got the springer from Kuramae.

[Greylocks]

Originally Posted by MadMax

I think sharpened swords are restricted here in Canada too.

No, unless you mean there's an age restriction and the common sense of not carting it around in public.

[Sgt_Lynch]

Hard to believe a 16yr old can afford a Katana. I bought a set when I was in Japan... cost as much as a compact car.

[yanhchan]

I believe its one of those cheap imitation ones but its quality seems in between. I have no idea how much it costs but that kid is spoiled and its just after chinese new years so who knows how much he spent on it.

[Kid]

Katanas only cost about $150 here... or half that online.

Anyone that bought an airsoft gun could buy 5... or so.


It's weird, but kids have alot of money these days.... :innocent:

[Hedonism Bot]

A Katana you spend $150 on is prob. more of a toy or decoration then an actual sword.

[GraveTech]

Originally Posted by firemachine69

No, it doesn't seem all that bad... I'd rather be limited in energy and velocity terms then have to go through licensing and registration.

I don't think licensing would be that bad. It would require people to be of proper age and to go through the proper training. If it was ammended to the gun control laws that persons owning an airsoft rifle were required to have a valid FPAL and go through the CFSC it would get rid of a few problems. As to registration there is no way to do this unless you brought all your airsoft gear to a local shop and had them stamp it with a registration serial number. That would cost millions to set up and with all the AEG/GBB/SPRs out there, it probably wouldn't work.

Just my thoughts,
Gravetech

[DarkAlman]

In late September, two passenger cars in Wakayama Prefecture were shot by another driver with a remodeled air gun. The projectiles created a hole with a 5-millimeter diameter in a window of one vehicle and shattered the rear window of the other.

Similar shootings occurred in Osaka Prefecture in August and September.

Similar shootings occured at my local McDonalds last August and cost me a 450 dollar rear windshield.

Limiting the power of airsoft guns won't solve any problems, you have to get airsoft and other pellet guns out of the hand of idiots stupid enough to do drive by shootings with them.

Although they've been trying to do the same thing with real guns for decades with only limited success.