How is something like this not considered a firearm?

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http://www.avurt.com/default.aspx?skinid=1 (there is a promo video on the first page, turn your volume down!)

How is this not viewed as a firearm. Is it simply because it is gas operated? It is basically a pistol that only fires less than lethal rounds for self defense. Even if it isn't viewed as a firearm, how would it be viewed if you were caught with such a device?
 
Firearm - A rifle, shotgun or handgun using gunpowder as a propellant. By federal definition, under the 1968 Gun Control Act, antiques are excepted.
 
looks pretty cool, but it's big... I don't see women taking up all their purse space with one.
 
Interesting concept but at $300 it's too expensive and it takes too long to get into action

If you notice in the reenactments they never fully show the process
 
It isn't a firearm any more than an airsoft or paintball gun. I imagine if a police officer found you had one, there wouldn't be any more of a stir than if you had a taser or stungun. Actually, probably less, as I bet very few people would even recognize it.
 
Not a firearm

a "firearm", by definition, launches projectiles powered by gunpowder. Anything that launches projectiles, of whatever kind, powered by compressed gas or air is an "airgun". Since there's no gunpowder in this thing, it's not a "firearm".

If this thing were a firearm, then so is a paintball gun and your kid's pellet gun.
 
It's cute, but for the price, I think I'd stick with a K frame .38 Spl.

I wonder if the pellets are standard paintball gun sized? Splatmasters can be had for $20.
 
My question is: How does this thing disrupt anybody without hitting them in the face. I mean, I'm sure even if it hit you in the leg some powder might get in your eyes.... but still.

Plus... 5 shots? A real gun that size would probably hold 50.
 
What the heck are they going to come up with next. The thing looks like a toy I would buy my kid. I can see the baddie laughing histerically when he saw that thing, until he got hit with it I suppose.

It doesn't have the potential to kill like firearms do.
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Guess I'll be sticking with my .45 then.
 
It is basicly a paintball gun much like the police pepper ball launchers using irritant filled balls. Not at all effective against someone determined and one would be better to stick with pepper spray for the niche this fills.

The longer range advantage this might provide is negated by the fact that shooting someone in most situations at a distance with something that warrants non lethal force is just not practical. For someone to be posing a risk to you that warrants non lethal force they are going to be close.

Anything a danger to you from a distance tends to warrant lethal force, like someone with a projectile weapon or closing with another weapon like a knife etc. Outside of police use there is not many non lethal shots from a distance.
Up close pepper spray needs less precision and will be more effective.

As far as laws, any gun or something people could reasonably believe is a gun used in a crime is punished the same as if it was a firearm many places. If one was to use that in a way which was innappropriate they could be punished the same as if they used either a firearm if threatening with it, or pepperspray if they are goofing around with it. Unlawful use of sprays, tasers, stunguns etc is a serious crime most places. So goofing around with this thing would get you into serious trouble, and for self defense it is rather worthless.

So why would you want it?
 
The definition of "firearm" is quite flexible and may vary depending on who's doing the defining. While the federal government may define a firearm as:

The term “firearm” means
(A) any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive;
(B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon;
(C) any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or
(D) any destructive device. Such term does not include an antique firearm.
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18 USC 921(a)(3)

other governmental units may legally define it more restictively, such as those cities that use the term "expel a projectile by means of an expanding gas" to control or restrict pneumatic arms such as pellet guns, etc.

Please note that the federal definition cited above (GCA of 1968) makes no mention of "gunpowder".
 
Ha! "Oh god, she's shooting baking powder at me! Run away, run away!"
I'm sorry, but if I'm such a lowlife as the commit a rape, I wouldn't run away from a flour-gun. Seriously, it's brightly-colored, too. That's not going to intimidate. It has a maximum range of forty feet. Which means it can only be relied upon for about 20 feet (always halve the range of something if you want the real reliable range). Can a perp run 20 feet before that "weapon" really gets into action? I bet he could. Once those twenty feet are up, you're toast.
 
At least it's another "less than lethal" tool for the toolbox. I'd carry a Pistol too with this. Is anyone publicly warning people about repeat criminals who have built up an immunity to pepper spray/things like this?

I think Quagmire did on one Family Guy episode when the UPS lady sprayed him with pepper spray when he answered the door naked. "Nice Try but I've built up an immunity!" ;)
 
Zoogster - I don't. Well, I think it would be fun to play with and see how effective it could be, but definitely dont want one for self defense.

Personally, I couldn't see carrying it in anything BUT a purse.
 
The Avurt IM-5 gun is a small, handheld unit that shoots up to five
Click to expand...
(great for multiple attackers, as long as everybody stops at the first shot)
PAVA filled projectiles at attackers up to 40 feet away.
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So...it shoots seasoning, and has a range of a bit over ten yards.
It's non-lethal, easy to use, and highly effective at disabling attackers before they get close enough to do you harm.
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Teuller said 21 feet for a gun. This thing is large, and designed for purse (off-body) carry. At that size, she--and there's really not much of a male market here, given the size, and thus requirement for something like a purse--has to get it out of her purse under stress (likely fighting with everything else in her purse), unfold it, take aim, and fire. Anybody figure that 40 feet is enough?

Yeah, me neither.
It protects from greater distances than Mace ™ or aerosol pepper sprays, and it doesn't have the potential to kill the way firearms do.
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This is a bug, not a feature.

Okay, fisking this one is getting tedious. Anybody else want to get the next paragraph?
 
Neat idea but there is already better ways of going about it that are cheaper and use the same concept. What I would think would be better is on of these, loaded with pepper balls. I shot one using paintballs it shot at around 280fps. It was pretty accurate plus you can reload it using magazines. It was also pretty small. It uses real paintballs which are .68 caliber. For cheap practice 500 for $15.00 as opposed to $40.00 for 25. Real pepper balls are easy to find in .68 caliber too. It’s also a semiautomatic and loads in an 8 round detachable magazine. But no pink finish:rolleyes:.

The links messed up look for the Tiberius 8
 
It uses nitrogen cylinders for the gas propulsion. Why nitrogen rather than CO2? Maybe higher pressure, I'm guessing.

I see this as a self-defense option for locations that don't allow CCW or where it's too difficult to get, or for people who prefer a non-firearm SD option.

The advantage it seems to have over pepper spray is that you can engage an attacker at longer range, the bang and impact of the round may in and of itself give the attacker second thoughts or at least pause and gain time for the intended victim.

Also, I'm thinking the laser sight *might* (I don't know) be effective to disorient or temp blind the attacker in a dark environment. Their website doesn't say anything about that, but seems possible to me.

K
 
I wonder if it (or variation thereof) is going to show up at Police conventions as a non-lethal force gadget?
 
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