Toy Gun Sold in U.S. Can Easily be Converted to the Real Thing

[GoWolfpack]

i know it encumbers you but they are the facts

Other than the numbers, we said the same thing. I agree with you, these airsoft guns could be used combined with other parts to build an unregistered machine gun. We can all thank the ATF for telling everybody about it on national news.

I do not and would not ever condone breaking the law, no matter how silly I personally consider the law to be. Anyone who uses one of these toys to build an unregistered MG in violation of federal law should be arrested and prosecuted. Perhaps somebody with more money than me could even turn it into a Supreme Court challenge of the NFA. But doing it would be illegal and should be prosecuted. The very existence of the parts with which this could be done should not present any sort of problem. Women don't get arrested for prostitution simply because they have all the necessary equipment do they?

In other news, building inspectors raided a Home Depot store earlier today, citing the presence of hammers, nails and saws that could be used to build structures in violation of building codes, possibly endangering hundreds of people.

See how dumb that sounded? Same kinda thing here.

 

[Claude Clay]

very few plastic.

kel-tec's and a sw40ve (cause im an instructor)

 

[Carl N. Brown]

The cost of buying the Taiwan-made airsoft gun and all the parts needed to convert it to an AR-15 comes to roughly $1,100 -- more than the cost of some real AR-15s. But someone who can’t clear a background check or has been refused a gun for any other reason could use this method to make his own lethal weapon, Gonnuscio said. .... But as semi-automatic weapon, Gonnuscio said, "It may not last forever, but they’ve got a gun to get the job done that they were assigned to do, and nobody knows the wiser."

Nobody was the wiser when people could buy bootleg MAC10s from cartrunks on the back row of the Tazwell Virginia flea market either, and some of the people who bought them probably would not clear a background check. Geez Whiz cheese topping for communion wafers, folks: we have always had a bootleg gun market in this country, that's a bigger problem than 30 airsoft rifles siezed because they are too-close replicas of the AR-15. Divide X number of real criminals with stolen, smuggled, underground manufactured, unpapered war trophies, and other illegal black market machineguns by the 0 criminals with converted airsoft rifles and you get an infinitely larger problem than convertable toys.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

if they were ar's i'd agree drop an upper and two other parts in these and you have a full auto weapon worth 10 k if it was legal.

 

[merlinfire]

Geez Whiz cheese topping for communion wafers, folks: we have always had a bootleg gun market in this country, that's a bigger problem than 30 airsoft rifles siezed because they are too-close replicas of the AR-15. Divide X number of real criminals with stolen, smuggled, underground manufactured, unpapered war trophies, and other illegal black market machineguns by the 0 criminals with converted airsoft rifles and you get an infinitely larger problem than convertable toys.

Carl, I agree 100%. But rather than get on the streets and look for the real criminals, they're in the business of picking the low-hanging fruit.

 

[Zoogster]

i just looked are m16's really going for 10 k? goodness gracious!!

if they were ar's i'd agree drop an upper and two other parts in these and you have a full auto weapon worth 10 k if it was legal.

If it was legal they wouldn't be worth $10,000.
Modern select fire weapons cost almost the same as their semi-auto counterparts, and are even cheaper when purchased by the military or various LEO in bulk contracts.
They only cost more for US citizens because the NFA and 1986 ban has created a finite number.
Most people in the world that can have them pay about what you pay for a semi-auto.
Many of the illegal ones full auto from the factory on the market come from LEO and military sources in places like Mexico. The sources paid about what the semi-auto versions cost, or less in bulk purchases.


It also strikes me as significantly cheaper to buy any real AR receiver, with stripped lowers retailing for under $100, and convert it, and use actual durable firearm parts.
A criminal would then have a quality durable illegal select fire firearm for far cheaper than the expensive toy that even the article praising the seizure says would last 20 rounds.
Criminals seem to have no problems with obtaining things through straw purchases or theft, and would probably have no trouble getting someone to buy something as cheap as a stripper lower for them.


With every AR design someone has designed a modified sear, lightning link, or other special item to convert to full auto.


Someone in the jungle with a hack saw and some sand paper could make a crude version of your typical DIAS out of scrap metal. With modern tools it would take no time at all. Each time the design of the firearm is altered someone can create a new DIAS or other device to allow full auto fire.

The ability to create a simple device or cut a small piece of metal into the right shape to turn most firearms into full auto exists.



I really think this toy issue is blown out of proportion.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

that even the article praising the seizure says would last 20 rounds.
you might wanna read some of the stuff more carefully

 

[merlinfire]

The ATF could be dealing with a lot more REAL threats and not this shell game. Maybe they should be looking into the illegal gun trade across the borders with the drugs and drug money back and forth with Mexico instead of raiding toy stores.

 

[Zoogster]

You know I am going to sorta reverse my previous sentiment.

It is almost refreshing that they are going after toys which I don't agree are a big deal but may be borderline imports rather than sticking it to gun owners over silly things.
And the people they are targeting are not even within our borders and subject to loss of freedom and prison time.


It certainly beats typical stories of the 90s.



Now the shared LEO databases with governments south of the border, many of which are highly corrupt and in frequent collaboration with organized crime...
I am not sure how much cooperation and sharing of information on US firearms with foreign governments I think is a good idea.
That is the type of ATF issue I would rather focus attention on.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

now you rained on my parade i didn't know about the info sharing that can go bad in ways we haven't imagined yet

 

[Roccobro]

So, what kind of accuracy are we getting from our converted airsoft AR's? Barrel life?

I ask because I have $1100 burning a hole in my pocket and figure a used AR for $600 is too easy and I really want in on all this hype. Plus, I've already made some legal 80% lowers in my life and it was too easy. Forget making an AK in a weekend, I want true milspec airsoft AR to risk my eyes on.

Justin
(Who doesn't carry a torch for the Antis or ATF)