Realistic replica guns readily available

[made Man]

got this from CGN.

Judith Lavoie
Times Colonist

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Language of the online advertisements is caressing and persuasive, describing models as sleek, finely detailed or rugged.

Replica weapons sold in Canada are supposedly used for target practice or paintball. But Victoria police, along with other police departments, regularly faces realistic fake guns on the street and have to make split-second decisions on how to react to someone who could be toting a toy or a weapon capable of killing.

Police are confiscating at least one fake weapon a week and fear it is only a matter of time before someone dies.

There's no difficulty in getting hold of anything from a fake grenade launcher (complete with plastic tipped "grenades") to a vicious-appearing assault rifle.

The guns are available online, usually with a caution that they cannot be sold to anyone under 18, and also at local chain stores and sports stores.

Realism of appearance is paramount, and performance is judged on similarity to real weapons, according to online advertisements for the replica guns.

"Large guns -- reach out and smack someone," says one.

"If you are serious about sniper warfare, there's no better weapon."

"The weapon also produces a satisfactory crack when fired."

A Wal-Mart Canada spokesman said the company will review its policies, following pleas by Victoria police for replica weapons to be kept off the streets.

"We will certainly take a look at it. We do try and be extremely sensitive to these issues of violence, especially when a local issue is brought to our attention," said Andrew Pelletier, Wal-Mart Canada vice president of corporate affairs.

No complaints have been received from Victoria, he said.

"But we will review it and, if it's appropriate to make an adjustment, we will make an adjustment."

Canadian Tire spokesmen could not be contacted yesterday.

Island Outfitters is one local sports store selling realistic-looking pellet guns.

"People buy them for targets," said cashier Chelsea Brown. "It's mostly younger guys that buy them, and usually parents come in with the kids."

Purchasers are warned to wear protective eyewear and not to carry the guns in public, Brown said.

Neil Boyd, a criminology professor at Simon Fraser University, said young men appear to be carrying the weapons because they can be intimidating without the inherent risks of carrying a real weapon.

"It's a macho reference point. It allows them to play a certain role."

Unless someone belongs to a target-shooting club, there appears to be little reason for replica weapons to be carried in urban areas, Boyd said.

If replica guns are used during commission of a crime, they are treated by the courts in the same way as a real weapon. If someone is directly threatening he can be charged with uttering threats, said Victoria police Insp. Les Sylven.

However, simply carrying a replica gun is not illegal.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has twice called for the manufacture, sale and possession of replica guns to be prohibited and the Canada Safety Council has asked the federal government to bring fake weapons and pellet guns under the Hazardous Products Act.

jlavoie@tc.canwest.com

Now, which website has

"Large guns -- reach out and smack someone,"

in the picture/link? 3 guesses.

[Mr Jon]

ASCA.... do I win the prize.... ah hell this ain't no good

[MMMiles!]

Well that link will be down inside of two weeks anyway, but it's always nice to see how we're portrayed in the media. Maybe they should try and buy a gun off ASCA and see how tough we make it on them. Idiots.

Thanks for the heads up though...

[Ilya_7]

lol, she's obviously done her research.

as for weapons on streets... issue many strict warnings to the public that if one is on the streets and seen as threat to law enforcement that they will react.

go ahead shoot the dumbasses who carry replicas onto the streets, they're the ones giving us a bad name and fueling childish observations such as this.

[wolfman01]

Clean the gallery of people pointing guns at the camera. And people with the avatars like that, do the same. If anyone actually cares and pokes their nose around online, it would be good to see the "Gamer" and not the "Angry Chairsofter"

Just a thought.

[takatorikku]

That's right Chief, ban the replicas because we all know they're the ones causing all the trouble. Idiots. It's the actions of the person using the replica that should be punished, not the destruction of a finely molded piece of plastic that is harmless anywhere but in a man's hands.

We should conduct a video test where someone gets shot by an airsoft gun a few times then get repeatedly beaten over the head with a baseball bat, maybe they'll ban American's favorite past time while they're at it.

Bakas, all of them.

I also decided to add what i said in a conversation with contribution from BBS:

"we might as well ban cars while we're at it and force everyone to ride bicycles. then again, i'm pretty sure you can beat people with a bike, so everyone will have to walk. then again, you can kick someone severely, so off go our legs. you know what, let's just commit mass genocide so we don't have to worry about moronic humans"

[Luckyorwhat]

Originally Posted by wolfman01

Clean the gallery of people pointing guns at the camera. And people with the avatars like that, do the same. If anyone actually cares and pokes their nose around online, it would be good to see the "Gamer" and not the "Angry Chairsofter"

Just a thought.

Now this is nothing person, I don't want to insult you - but did you read the article, or think before posting? The 'standard' 'flog the commoners' routine won't cut it. The article has nothing to do with people posing with their toys and taking pictures. You're actually going to have to think about the situation, and think about solutions, with your own brain.

Problems :
#1 criminals using replica guns
#2 idiots being careless with replica guns

Now the thing is for you to propose a solution that doesn't harm you, and other innocent people, but does affect the problem groups.

Otherwise the standard gov't solution will come down: Ban everything and start throwing people in jails. This solution is not good, because you see it does not reduce idiots, and it does not reduce criminals. The standard gov't solutions are collective punishment, where you and I become criminals for owning airsoft, and that is all. Criminals robbing a store don't care if airsoft is illegal, idiots are still idiots, but you and I suffer.

Also keep in mind that if you try to appease anyone they view that as an admission of both guilt and weakness, and will only push harder against you. If you give an inch, they will take a mile.

Good luck!

[Capt. Tyco]

This just looks like a follow up on that story on A Chanel the other night. To be quite honest it has been a very slow news week in Victoria over the past couple of weeks. This just goes to show how slow it apparently is.

[Lakonian]

Originally Posted by Capt. Tyco

This just looks like a follow up on that story on A Chanel the other night. To be quite honest it has been a very slow news week in Victoria over the past couple of weeks. This just goes to show how slow it apparently is.

Well.. atleast they're not talking about the whole gay marriage thing anymore... that was annoying.

[Capt. Tyco]

It did have a better entertainment value though.

[SnakeDoctor]

Lucky your very right. A solution that can help the Airsoft reputation to be showed as a past-time that people with MATURITY play.

The people on the streets with their guns aren't considered to be playing Airsoft, because they are in a designated field. There just acting like idiots to think that someone who sees them in camo and look-a-like guns wouldn't call the cops on them.

A program or something should be put in place through all the retailers, that when they maybe sell the guns either in person or through mail, that they could maybe send a pamphlet or give them one defining the rules of Airsoft and the laws surrounding it.

Many times people don't do their research, they don't come on this website, and go ahead and buy the guns. Thats why people are running around. They just simply aren't INFORMED. Thats the root problem, if they knew they could be charged, if they knew their $500 guns would be taken and destroyed, only the idiots who are criminals would use it for a crime.

Uninformed people, thats the problem.

[Savage Haggis]

Originally Posted by SnakeDoctor

A solution that can help the Airsoft reputation to be showed as a past-time that people with MATURITY play.

Snake, please see Age Verification FAQ & Regional Age Verification FAQ

The people on the streets with their guns aren't considered to be playing Airsoft, because they are in a designated field.

Huh!?/WTF!?

There just acting like idiots to think that someone who sees them in camo and look-a-like guns wouldn't call the cops on them.

Snake, to whom is that accusitory finger of yours pointed, in this instance?

A program or something should be put in place through all the retailers, that when they maybe sell the guns either in person or through mail, that they could maybe send a pamphlet or give them one defining the rules of Airsoft and the laws surrounding it.

Snake, see the following, in sequence -

Many times people don't do their research,

They just simply aren't INFORMED.

Thats the root problem

Uninformed people, thats the problem.

Glass houses, Snake, glass houses. (Look it up.)

[Greylocks]

SnakeDoctor, is there any reason why you are not following the rules you are promoting?

Or is your own MATURITY not high enough yet to understand and follow them?

The laws have nothing to do with maturity, but with legal responsibility. Inform yourself on that too, you need it.

[wolfman01]

Originally Posted by Luckyorwhat

Now this is nothing person, I don't want to insult you - but did you read the article, or think before posting? The 'standard' 'flog the commoners' routine won't cut it. The article has nothing to do with people posing with their toys and taking pictures. You're actually going to have to think about the situation, and think about solutions, with your own brain.

Problems :
#1 criminals using replica guns
#2 idiots being careless with replica guns

Now the thing is for you to propose a solution that doesn't harm you, and other innocent people, but does affect the problem groups.

Otherwise the standard gov't solution will come down: Ban everything and start throwing people in jails. This solution is not good, because you see it does not reduce idiots, and it does not reduce criminals. The standard gov't solutions are collective punishment, where you and I become criminals for owning airsoft, and that is all. Criminals robbing a store don't care if airsoft is illegal, idiots are still idiots, but you and I suffer.

Also keep in mind that if you try to appease anyone they view that as an admission of both guilt and weakness, and will only push harder against you. If you give an inch, they will take a mile.

Good luck!

You think that was my whole solution to the problem??? Droc posted up last year when the school shootings took place in Montreal, a picture of the shooter and a airsofter both pointing guns at the camera. Very little difference except one guy was a phycopath and the other was one of us. We should try to at least avoid a out lash from busy bodies that could use our wanna be poses against us. That is just a small issue we could clean up. If we are so responsible and respectable...And some are, then maybe getting rid of the "threatening looks" would be an easy fix from our side. The rest of the political solutions regarding laws and airsoft I haven't even touched on. But the fact that the writer is using quotes from ASC armoury just means they can find more on airsoft that can be taken out of context!

Now think before you post.

[SnakeDoctor]

No. You guys are just to aragant to see it. So you can sit here and pout all you want day after day after day about how 'idiots' cause these problems. But when you aren't willing to see the issue, than the only idiot here is you.

So pout all you want, but the problem won't go away until someone realizes what has to be done to change the problem.

If the issue keeps existing, than the solution that was put into effect, simply isn't working. Which means a new solution has to be made.

My age has nothing to do with realizing the problem. You just seem to use it as an excuse to make it look like I don't know anything.