Sick of Airsoft

[B yond]

We most assuredly did not run around in the woods, shooting it at people.

I have a hard time finding willing people to shoot with my airsoft guns, since they do have some sting to them.

Yesterday, as the rain poured down, I stood under an overhang by my front door and practiced drawing and firing from concealment with my airsoft p345. I have a pellet trap on the other side of my lawn, which collects the plastic pellets. I can't think of a better AND safer way to practice when I can't make it to the range (my carry gun is a p345).

All safety rules were obeyed (except no ear protection), no one got hurt, and I didn't pick up any bad habits since my airsoft shoots to approximately the same POA as the real deal at that distance.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is you don't have to be irresponsible or shoot people with them to enjoy them.

I don't like blurred lines between casual fun and games and something involving such stark, serious reality as firearms. I also don't like making a game like that out of combat; I also dislike the so-called "first person shooter" computer games for the same reason.

I see and respect where you're coming from, but I have a different point of view. I think valuable skills can be learned from combative games. The important thing is to know and understand the difference between real and play so the lines don't get blurred. You can learn from mistakes that become apparent when a plastic BB hits the side of your head. Not so much when it's a bullet.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

gunnerpalace: "As long as you don't want them banned, I have no beef"

I would ban their carry or use in public other than according to the law regarding actual firearms; in other words, I'd treat them just like guns. Which in some ways they already are -- aiming one at a person around here entitles that person, in predictable circumstances, to shoot the Airsofter with their lawfully carried pistol.

 

[oldFred]

I would be careful if I were you, the Airsoft Ninjas actually have airarms that produce 490fps/.000019ft/lbs energy!

 

[B yond]

Airsoft Ninjas actually have airarms that produce 490fps/.000019ft/lbs energy!

"You'll shoot your eye out!"

 

[Lucky]

I double dog dare you.

(looking at airsoft replica of USP tac for training)

 

[Wesson Smith]

Here's something even nuttier. I went to a website because it was testing/reviewing some guns I was interested in. It turned out to be a British site where they were "reviewing" real guns alright, but they were "deactivated"! These poor guys were actually excited about their "guns" even though the only way they could own, say, a P-226 was to have a version that had been rendered governmentally correct-by being permanently deactivated.

That is one of the most pitiful things I've ever heard. That's what happens
when your freedom get's taken from you, one chunk at a time. I actually
feel sorry for those poor blokes. The scary part is that there are some
powerful people here in this country that would like nothing better than
to see us admiring our paper weights.

 

[Ben86]

Try it you might like it. You get to find out what its like to shoot at someone while they are shooting back. There is better training such as simunitions and the miles system. But they are both expensive and mostly unavailable.

Why doesn't glock have an airsoft gun like everyone else. What the hell?

Jorg, you are the most sarcastic moderator here. And I just want to let you know that I appreciate that, your sarcasim is quite humerous.

 

[Hoxviii]

Here is the only airsoft I ever came across that literally made me fall out of my chair thinking "some idiot might actually buy that thing".

http://www.wwiiguns.com/store/product_details.php?p=350

I bet a real one has enough force in the firing pin to launch an airsoft at a decent pace if you lined the barrel, and for $1,100 less.

 

[maksim]

Jeez Christ, an airsoft knockoff that costs 11times more than the real thing?

See, and they said capitalism is dead in russia. lol.

but it is nuts... For $1100, I can get a nice hand picked 91/30, great scope, and have about 500 left over. lol.

 

[230RN]

I got a Crimson Trace for my (real) 1911, but mounted it on my 1911 airsoft clone --outwardly they're identical --just to try it out around the house.

I had so much fun tinking at tin cans I leave around (I'm a bachelor) that I left it on the Airsoft and now I have to go out and buy another one for the metal 1911.

That red dot sure shows up your tremors, though... wow.

But that "pop-tink" sure is satisfying.

I made a special tool out of hobby brass tubing to pick the BBs up from the floor.

Terry, 230RN

PS. I have to disagree with Duke of Doubt --even kittens "play war."

 

[Dr. Fresh]

The mall ninjas find the airsoft guns more appealing, and feel tougher being able to take a real .177 to the groin without running home to mama.

Airsoft guns don't use .177 pellets or BBs. They use (typically plastic) 6mm BBs.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Ben86: "Try it you might like it. You get to find out what its like to shoot at someone while they are shooting back."

That's another thing I don't like about airsoft. It's nothing like that. Thank God.

 

[Ben86]

It may not suck as bad. But it does get people out of the "square range" way of shooting. I see guys sort of drone on when shooting, hitting a little bullseye all relaxed, no price of failure. I think it has its place in re-enforcing the basics of marksmanship. But, a distinction has to be made between defensive shooting and target shooting. Things like airsoft and paintball force people to break out of their square range shell so to speak.

 

[rogertc1]

In my opinion the Airsoft is the toy of the people who can not afford or legally have real guns. I'll stick with the real guns. Everyone has a right to get what makes them happy.

 

[Hungry Seagull]

I dont understand how a few years ago kids toys guns were marked in different colors like water guns and such. Loud neon type colors easily recognizeable as not real fire arms.

I had a Uzi short water gun that was very realistic in high school, thinking back on it it was very stupid. But it won most all waterfights Ive been in as long the batteries held out.

Suddenly we have moved onto paintballs which were accepted because where we were, farms and rural areas with patches of woods used to host these things.

Now we are moving into Airsoft which looks to me very much like real guns and I must treat them as such should I see one.

Something to think about.

 

[ultradoc]

never had any dealings with airsoft but have heard that they are a good practice tool.

 

[Iansstud]

They may be good for training, or war games, but I half to dissagree with alot of people here, My brother has had airsoft in the past, (he is alot younger then me, like 13 at the time) I got a phonecall from the police that I needed to come over to my parents house because they were out of town, and my brother had given them my number and said I was "incharge." When I got there they had him in the back of the copcar... from what I understand, he and some friends, were "playing" airsoft in the woods near the house, a neighbor had called 911 to report a street gang shootout, in the woods, and they were fully armed.... It gets better.... Comming from my brother, when the cops rolled up, they had there shotguns out, and wanted to play "everyone on the ground or we'll play too"

The Police said... that they just wanted to scare them after they watched for 5min from the street they knew it was airsoft, but to be sure they had to go by there rules, and draw in this type of situation... They talked to me for about 20min, and they said its ok, but they wish that the guns were ALL ORANGE not the little tips... so I took my bros guns and painted them all orange... befor the cops left, they were even trying them out at the ground to see what they were all about, and could not belive how real they looked... (this was in 1999ish)

I dont HATE airsoft, I HATE what they can cause, People using them as real guns in theft, People getting shot because they look like guns.... They should be sold to people that are 18yo+ and if you get caught with one if you are younger, without adult supervision, you should get in trouble...

I even like to go play paintball, I dont think of it as war games, or training, but it is just a hobby, If you have guns that look funny, like paintball guns, or paint airsoft orange, or in you home, or on a closed field AWAY from people. Great Im all for it, but you should still treat them like real guns...

There is a reason they dont make body kits for cars the look like a M1A1 abrams...( I really hope I dident start a new fad TankSoft)

The reason I started this is I dont like searching and finding 2 out of 3 things airsoft, but thanks to this thread, I have Found a way to fix this (using the - then the word [MP5 -airsoft])

 

[Hungry Seagull]

TankSoft... LOL.. Great one.

Always wanted to shove a M1a1 around... 1500 horses on 70 ton. Ah well, the younguns have all the luck, Ive enough with 530 and 40.

There is a problem with TankSoft, as it were...

They are going to find a vertical hill and dare each other to climb said hill. We had a subset of citizenry of doubtful ancestry do it all the time with pickups.

I enjoyed the "Play get down on the ground" story too. Those LEO's have a great sense of humor. Too bad they aint friendly sometimes.

 

[Gunnerpalace]

There is a reason they dont make body kits for cars the look like a M1A1 abrams

You have not looked hard enough. There was one a few years ago.

 

[rogertc1]

Kids have it rough now a days.
When I was in my EARLY teens we would go out to an old railroad thrussel on the edge of town to hunt with our 22Cal pistols and shoot whatever we could find in birds, sticks, crewdads, and signs.
No one ever gave a care. But that was in the 1960's.
When I was 8 years old I bought my own BB gun at the hardware store. I did get in trouble once for hitting a neighbors window in our neighborhood. I had to pay to get it fixed.

 

[rocinante]

I hear ya. I have two cars a 1997 ford mustang which the name goes back to 1964 and a 1996 jeep cherokee which the name goes back to 82 I think. When I search for either I get decades worth of models that have nothing in common with my year.

 

[bonza]

Been paintballing once. It was ok, but could never get past the fact that I was pointing a gun at someone.....goes against everything I've ever been taught about safe firearms handling. When they first mandated that toy guns should have an orange band around the front, I seem to recall instances where gang-bangers were painting their real firearms muzzles orange.

 

[PILMAN]

Airsoft is what got me into real guns, I sold a good chunk of my collection but I still have a few along with real steel for practice mainly.

 

[strambo]

a little black paint, sharpie, or tape, and its the same as a real gun... there was someone in washington not too long ago robbing stores with one. It makes me sick...

Why does this keep coming up..as if it is a problem? I would think you would want criminals to use airsoft guns in robberies. Odds of an innocent person getting killed...zero. Odds of a cop getting killed...zero. Odds of the criminal getting killed...higher (he can't effectively fight back).

Their willingness to use them shows that our gun laws and sentencing have an effect and that has made people safer. If we "treat them like real guns" with the same penalties...well then the criminals might as well go back to using real guns if the penalties are the same.

If someone points an airsoft gun at anyone in public, they deserve whatever happens. Shootings where something is mistaken for a gun has been happening long before airsoft.

I think any criminal caught using an airsoft should get 90 days credit for time served.

 

[B yond]

Many airsoft guns DON'T look like real guns. My p345 is the same size and shape as a real one (even made under Ruger license), and fits all my CCW holsters, but it will NEVER be mistaken for a real one. It's not because of the orange tip, but because the whole thing is see-through plastic.

I think that's a great way to keep them from getting confused with real guns, yet maintain the right feel.

As long as no one starts manufacturing real guns out of transparent plastic, that is.