Owning Replica Guns

Sparks

because if they are not obviously deactivated (hole drilled in the base or side) you could be charged with possession of ammunition without a licence.

Heck, even if they are obviously deactivated, given that recent farce of a court case brought against a chap who had spent brass cartridges and who was charged with possession of ammunition without a licence. Thrown out of the Wicklow court, but not before going through the Bray court and presumably being highly inconvienent for the chap involved.

bullets

If the OP tires the Military boards the lads may be able to advise of
what he/she wants.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=659

The Re-enactment groups or even collectors always want as close to
the real thing as possible as ascetics (spelling??) are very important to them.
Having a replica or deactivated gun that will let you stick inert drill rounds
or the like into the magazine it only adds the the pleasure on owning one and displaying
it on your wall/shelf or mantle piece.

~B

dimebag249

Replica's seem dangerous to me. Criminals can still hold up a post office with them. Reinactment/airsoft also seems somewhat irresponsible. Pointing any gun, or something that might resemble a gun to an outsider has the potential for bad press for the rest of us, and for accidents. What if your friend has a replica firearm and inert ammunition, while you have the live firing version and live ammo? Anybody see the potential for trouble? I guess if it's done safely and with reverance for the dangers involved with using anything even vaguely gun shaped than recreationists/airsofters have as much right to practice their sport/hobby as anyone, but I think having being brought never to point a gun at anyone no matter how sure of it's safety pointing an AK-74 seems wrong. I definately think kids shouldn't be allowed to use them, but then again there are enough adult idiots going around with firearm certificates...

o1s1n

dimebag249 wrote:

Replica's seem dangerous to me. Criminals can still hold up a post office with them.

Criminals can hold up a post office with a gold club, baseball bat, machete, kitchen knife, nail gun, water pistol, display sword...etc...are we going to ban all of them too? No, we're not. That's a tabloid shock tactics argument you're trying there. It doesn't last very long after scrutiny.

dimebag249 wrote:

What if your friend has a replica firearm and inert ammunition, while you have the live firing version and live ammo? Anybody see the potential for trouble?

What are the chances you don't disarmed your weapon properly after shooting real steel and accidentally kill someone? You check it first, that's how. All airsofts are checked for legality with a chronograph before engaged in any kind of game.

dimebag249 wrote:

but I think having being brought never to point a gun at anyone no matter how sure of it's safety pointing an AK-74 seems wrong.

You're equating airsoft to firearms. It's nowhere near the same. When eye protection is worn, airsoft is a lot safer to play than paintball, soccer, rugby, golf..I could go on.

dimebag249 wrote:

I definately think kids shouldn't be allowed to use them, but then again there are enough adult idiots going around with firearm certificates...

Isn't the minimum age for a firearms license 16? Last time I checked, anyone under 18 was considered a child. Personally I'd much rather my child be allowed to shoot airsoft rifles than firearms.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at shooters here. I totally agree with you being legally allowed to posses firearms for whatever reasons you have. It just annoys the hell out of me when uninformed people have a go at my favorite sport. Which I'm sure you can all relate to.

dimebag249

o1s1n wrote:

Criminals can hold up a post office with a gold club, baseball bat, machete, kitchen knife, nail gun, water pistol, display sword...etc...are we going to ban all of them too? No, we're not. That's a tabloid shock tactics argument you're trying there. It doesn't last very long after scrutiny.

Yeah but if a realistic replica can be purchased over the counter it's easier to commit a crime with it. When that happens it's bad press for all shooters. Wasn't there some crazy media scaremongering recently over someone selling perfectly legal airsoft guns in Galway? Better for all of us if a scumbag was to use an illegally held firearm.

o1s1n wrote:

You're equating airsoft to firearms. It's nowhere near the same. When eye protection is worn, airsoft is a lot safer to play than paintball, soccer, rugby, golf..I could go on.

Read again o1s1n, no I'm not. It's bad practice to point guns at people, real or not, unloaded or not. In my opinion it breeds unsafe habits. Makes kids comfortable with pointing guns at people.

o1s1n wrote:

Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at shooters here. I totally agree with you being legally allowed to posses firearms for whatever reasons you have. It just annoys the hell out of me when uninformed people have a go at my favorite sport. Which I'm sure you can all relate to.

o1s1n, calm down dear. Please re-read my post, you'll find I wrote something like "I guess if it's done safely and with reverance for the dangers involved with using anything even vaguely gun shaped than recreationists/airsofters have as much right to practice their sport/hobby as anyone", I would have thought you too would want your sport practiced in as safe a manner as possible, with regard to all safety concerns, I know I do. Go back and read my post again o1s1n, I wasn't ripping on airsoft, I've got nothing against it, I'd get an AEG if I had the cash, unfortunately I can only afford real guns. (seriously those things are expensive!)

dimebag249

dimebag249 wrote:

It's bad practice to point guns at people, real or not, unloaded or not. In my opinion it breeds unsafe habits. Makes kids comfortable with pointing guns at people.

I'm with you on that - thats one of my main gripes with Airsoft - the idea of people chasing and shooting people with a gun that looks and feels like an AK or whatever is slightly disturbing.

Chopperdog 2

Deleted User wrote:

I'm with you on that - thats one of my main gripes with Airsoft - the idea of people chasing and shooting people with a gun that looks and feels like an AK or whatever is slightly disturbing.

+1

Maybe this thread is more appropriate for the Airsoft forum.

Clare gunner

I have to swing with the saftey issue guys on this.Dont get me wrong.I've paintballed and airsofted as well,and have been here long enough to remember when paintball was in the cammo and mil surplus era with single shot pistols in the 80s.It got then the same bad press as airsoft is getting now."killer games" Rambo training camps" etc etc .
And the weapons didnt then look very realistic.Nowadays if you paintball it is dayglow kit you are wearing and shoot in a soccer playing pitchwith inflatable barricades.It is now an accepted yuppie sport. The trouble with airsoft weapons is they look so damn realistic.

Now ,we know that they are fake as Hell,but to the uninformed great unwashed out there they look like the real thing,including in that Garda Oaf. Add into that we have folks cammoed up driving milsurp Jeeps,etc.And heypresto you now have a "sensational" story for the local sewer rat...Er reporter.Para military training camp for wanna be rambos or criminals in your neighbourhood.Read all about it in the daily Scum!.Type headlines will be pushed around aplenty in the next few years at airsofters.

Dont worry too much about that,it happend and will proably happen with the practical pistol,shotgun,rifle crowd as well.Happened everywhere else in Europe,wont see Ireland being the exception either.
BUT your big problem will be image and [2] if a sinister element tries to infiltrate the sport,like what happened with the neo nazis in Germany in the 90s.They started to use airsoft matches as training and recruitement grounds.
You could imagine the fun ,if say ex INLA or gangs started doing this in airsoft matches here.:eek:
That would be my "saftey" issue,not so much as physical saftey but PR saftey.

sidneyreilly

dimebag249 wrote:

and for accidents. What if your friend has a replica firearm and inert ammunition, while you have the live firing version and live ammo? Anybody see the potential for trouble? ...

All the more reason for firearms owners to be totally carefull with their firearms and with who has access to them. Same can be said of a lot of kids cap-guns I've seen! that balls firmly in the firearms owners court not the replica/toys.

Each to their own.

N.O.I.P.

Guys I understand your reservations but I'm gonna have to disagree, I've been airsofting for about a year now and I also joined a gun club a few months ago so that I could go clay pigeon shooting. Now despite all the skirmishes and the hours spent

chasing and shooting people with a gun that looks and feels like an AK or whatever

there is no situation that I can think of that would cause me to even consider pointing a gun, loaded or otherwise at a person, but in the end Airsoft toys are just that toys.

o1s1n

dimebag249 wrote:

o1s1n, calm down dear. Please re-read my post, you'll find I wrote something like "I guess if it's done safely and with reverance for the dangers involved with using anything even vaguely gun shaped than recreationists/airsofters have as much right to practice their sport/hobby as anyone", I would have thought you too would want your sport practiced in as safe a manner as possible, with regard to all safety concerns, I know I do. Go back and read my post again o1s1n, I wasn't ripping on airsoft, I've got nothing against it, I'd get an AEG if I had the cash, unfortunately I can only afford real guns. (seriously those things are expensive!)

You comment yo-yoed back and forth somewhat from 'this is irresponsible' to 'i guess if it's done safely it's okay..' to 'please think of the children'. Without paragraphs. So you'll have to forgive my confusion

As for airsofters giving all shooters bad press, it works both ways. A good portion of the negative media attention we get is actually to do with airguns, and not airsofts.
Most of the antis on the Adrian Kennedy show for example were speaking of airgun wounds and airgun related crimes. Nothing to do with us at all. Yet, there's no convincing them otherwise. Quite annoying that.

dimebag249

Sorry o1s1n, that's actually the first time I've tried to engage in a childish, pedantic quoting match. I'm perhaps not as experienced at it as you are, but don't worry, I won't offend you by trying it again. Plus you've conveniently ignored the valid safety arguements made by myself and other posters. But I didn't sign up for a shooting forum to get in a piddling match with a kid about toys, nor to feed trolls. Peace out.

N.O.I.P.

Oh I don't know Dimebag your last post seemed more than adequite in the childishness and pedantic stakes. Oisin said his piece, you said yours, its clear you guys don't see eye to eye but I can't say I see the need to get pissy and start throwing around the insults. Not to worry though I didn't join this forum to get into arguments with people who can't hear out anothers opinion in a mature civilised manner. Peace out

#Smokey#

A replica is just there for the maximum aesthetic value not for airsoft sporting.I am looking for one to place on my wall as an AK is one of the most durable weapons to date.

And for those that think its just criminals who use them you must remember those re-enactors as well as those collectors who would rather safely and legally own the most detailed replica they can get

N.O.I.P.

Hey Smokey it might be worth your while asking at the Salute show on the 25th, there should be lots of re-enactors there, oh and if you end up importing one from the UK I'd advise doing it soon as the VCR bill is due to be implemented in the next month and a half or so, which may make it difficult in the future

o1s1n

dimebag249 wrote:

Sorry o1s1n, that's actually the first time I've tried to engage in a childish, pedantic quoting match. I'm perhaps not as experienced at it as you are, but don't worry, I won't offend you by trying it again. Plus you've conveniently ignored the valid safety arguements made by myself and other posters. But I didn't sign up for a shooting forum to get in a piddling match with a kid about toys, nor to feed trolls. Peace out.

By the sounds of things you don't post on internet forums very often. So, rather than stoop to your own level and start hurling insults (which I could very easily do) I will try to do some good by helping you instead.

Tips for posting in online forums-

1. If your wish to make several points in your post, us paragraphing. Begin each paragraph with a new point. Blocks of text are a chore to read. Paragraphing your points correctly will make you come across a lot more eloquent. Your post will also be a lot less open to confusion.

For example;

dimebag249 wrote:

Replica's seem dangerous to me. Criminals can still hold up a post office with them. Reinactment/airsoft also seems somewhat irresponsible. Pointing any gun, or something that might resemble a gun to an outsider has the potential for bad press for the rest of us, and for accidents. What if your friend has a replica firearm and inert ammunition, while you have the live firing version and live ammo? Anybody see the potential for trouble? I guess if it's done safely and with reverance for the dangers involved with using anything even vaguely gun shaped than recreationists/airsofters have as much right to practice their sport/hobby as anyone, but I think having being brought never to point a gun at anyone no matter how sure of it's safety pointing an AK-74 seems wrong. I definately think kids shouldn't be allowed to use them, but then again there are enough adult idiots going around with firearm certificates...

Becomes -

dimebag249 wrote:

Replica's seem dangerous to me. Criminals can still hold up a post office with them.
Reinactment/airsoft also seems somewhat irresponsible.
Pointing any gun, or something that might resemble a gun to an outsider has the potential for bad press for the rest of us, and for accidents.

What if your friend has a replica firearm and inert ammunition, while you have the live firing version and live ammo? Anybody see the potential for trouble?

I guess if it's done safely and with reverance for the dangers involved with using anything even vaguely gun shaped than recreationists/airsofters have as much right to practice their sport/hobby as anyone.

- but I think having being brought never to point a gun at anyone no matter how sure of it's safety pointing an AK-74 seems wrong.

I definately think kids shouldn't be allowed to use them, but then again there are enough adult idiots going around with firearm certificates

See what I mean? Much better!

2. If a post angers you, take a deep breath before replying. Instead of getting all riled up and hurling petty insults, try to use reason and logic instead. Not only does it help prevent arguments, it also makes you sound intelligent.

3. If you wish to come across condescending,

Ie -

dimebag249 wrote:

o1s1n, calm down dear.

dimebag249 wrote:

But I didn't sign up for a shooting forum to get in a piddling match with a kid about toys, nor to feed trolls. Peace out.

adhere closely to points 1 and 2. When you don't you give the impression of being nothing more than that old man who sits in the corner of the pub, ranting to himself and any person who comes within earshot.

4 And here's the bombshell..not everyone in the world is not going to have the same opinions as you. I know, shocking, isn't it? Rather than letting that get to you, try and keep your mind open. You may actually learn something new.

5 Remember, try to have fun!

And er yeah..peace out to you too.

Right - I'm getting a bit confused by this.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't think the whole 'dressing up in camo and chasing some guy with a replica of gun while shooting him in the middle of a forest' is

a) Very Safe
b) Good publicity

In paintball at least the 'gun' that you have is not anything like a 'real' gun except for the fact that it has a trigger and what could be considered a barrel.

Why do you have to have replicas of the Aks, Mp5s and the like?

Also, from reading a couple of threads on the airsoft forum (note; just a scan), it seems very haphazard, with people denting walls and breaking china.

N.O.I.P.

Airsoft games are played using safety equipment and rules identical to that of paintball, most sites have trained first aid practitioners and child protection officers(if young children are allowed play at all)

I have to admit I'm a little surprised to see that people on this forum have a problem with how an AEG looks, especially considering the amount of times the FAO "Idontlikethelookofthat" excuse is mentioned.Its comparable to damning a semi auto Oberlund (did I spell that right?) because it looks like a select fire M4. I really don't see a reason that we shouldn't have replicas when we use them in a safe and responsible manner it adds to the game and serves to enhance the experience.

Also I'm pretty sure I have read nearly every thread that has been posted on the Airsoft forum since I joined boards, and I honestly can't recall seeing a thread about somebody breaking china do you have the link?

Anyway your opinion is your own, I wont try and force mine down your throat especially since we aren't even supposed to be talking about Airsoft in the first place

Thats the thing - none of the guns I use fall anywhere near that catergory, and I don't know anyone personally who has guns which do.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055135100 is the first link, I'm also pretty sure I read someone posting that thye loved playing first person shooters and now wanted to take up air softing.

However, I am quite shocked at the lack of safety issues on the AS thread - newbie threads here have serious safety posts.

N.O.I.P.

Ahh that guy was asking would they break china, thought you had seen a post in which somebody was boasting about it or something, and for the record I doubt they would break China not that I condone testing it. A lot of the guys use BB catchers if they are target shooting, stops ricochets and saves on clean up.

Your own guns may not fall into the category but I was only using that as an example, some AEGs may look like a real steal M4s AKs or whatever but on the inside they are a very different animal, their safety or our responsibility when using them should not be judged on their appearance.

I thought we had safety info in the stickies we have quite a few of them and it get difficult to keep track of the info contained in them, I'll have a read through and get on to the mods though. We do take safety issues seriously.

FFS http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=53779952&postcount=56

The Friendly way to shoot someone??

N.O.I.P.

I have issues with that myself and have stated them, I would say more but its not for this forum. I would like to thank you though, your reaction is exactly the one I said we would get. (I'm not having a go there I really mean it, its a stupid thing to put on a t-shirt)

NOIP - I saw your posts and this was not a go at you; but I think thats the stupidest thing I've seen printed apart from CG's friend in the Clare people.

I expect the mods to move in pretty soon - but I do think the views of the shooting community are important, as for the moment, we are closely associated with the airsoft people

N.O.I.P.

Oh its cool I never thought it was a go at me (people love me )

Unfortunetly the phrase has been bandied around a bit on the board and the Mods can't really delete the offending posts (well unless its reported I suppose).

I agree completely about the views of the shooting community, some of the most helpful suggestions we have received so far have been from your very own Sparks and SidneyReilly. We kind of went on the defensive a little bit in this thread, but we really are interested in hearing your views as to how you think we could increase safety and public appeal etc

o1s1n

N.O.I.P. wrote:

We kind of went on the defensive a little bit in this thread, but we really are interested in hearing your views as to how you think we could increase safety and public appeal etc

+1

Apologies.

A mention of safety should be included in one of the stickies. I'll sort something out.

civdef

Thread has drifted very off-topic (if it ever was to start).