Airsoft Canada - View Single Post

MillerBRo · February 6th, 2009, 17:51

naw dude it is all good- I get that way myself and am passionate about airsoft as well. With the weather all the airsofters here in cold Canada have to be going nuts to get out and play!

I know it very much sounds like my world view is 'made up' and it is certainly from a legal perspective.

When I got into the sport last May I got a JG M4 CQB and showed a pic of it to my buddy- an RCMP detective. I asked him if it was legal. He said yes totally legalbut... and listed a bunch of reasons why it was also illegal. He also mentioned that customs would always be a bear for airsoft to deal with for similar reasons.

This isnt a law of course- and is based on my interpretation of what he has told me and what I have seen in regards to airsoft:

A replica is a weapon that is near identical to the real steel. Although airsoft guns are certainly very real to the public the qualification of replica is made by a 'weapons expert', in this case the RCMP. Sadly (for the sport) the RCMP erred on the side of caution and specifically mentions Tokyo Marui as an example of an airsoft replica. It looks too real so police dont need that sort of trouble (and rightly so perhaps). So officially when the RCMP get called out to a weapons call you now own an ilegally aquired replica.

But he also admitted that as an officer he has some leeway- if he sees that JG M4 on our local paintball field in Edmonton (where he lives and I used to live) he knows it isnt real steel (and is a poor replica if that- it sounds comical when fired, rattles like a maracca with a high cap with a spinny wheel on the mag, you can see an inner 6mm barrel, etc etc). He knows this because this is the place he would expect to see such a replica- but out on public land or in the city he would assume it was real.

So why the seeming double standard? If a criminal can use it for ill then society must come first so the law is unforgiving when it gets involved- whether by a man who tries to use the airsoft gun in a crime:

http://www.cityofgp.com/citygov/dept...sgunupdate.htm

or whether they disarm a father and son for scaring people:

http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?co...Youth%20Safety

So the real world result for me was that: I treat my airsoft like real steal and transport it like real steal and replicas require (I'm even getting a combo lock for my cases). Why? Because so long as I am never a problem then the airsoft guns are never the sort of replica they need to worry about. I wont be committing crimes or waving my guns so I need only worry about someone stealing them to do so mischief with them.

Silly I know and it certainly wont hold up in court (I'm not sure I want it to since if my guns got misused then I would be at fault)... BUT I think it is really the only option for a sport that should be 100% legal but got caught between the cracks - what is good for society vs the rights and freedoms of the people in that society to enjoy the sport.

So if the distinction is how and when it is used (which also applies to many of the other non-firearm weapons like airguns and such) then I had best be sure to only use it where appropriate (we play at a private field here in town). If I am silly enough to wave it around public or stupid enough to use it in a crime then I would fully expect to be charged with a replica as thats what my mis-use has made it in the eyes of the law.

February 6th, 2009, 17:51	#17
MillerBRo Trader rating Join Date: Mar 2008	naw dude it is all good- I get that way myself and am passionate about airsoft as well. With the weather all the airsofters here in cold Canada have to be going nuts to get out and play! I know it very much sounds like my world view is 'made up' and it is certainly from a legal perspective. When I got into the sport last May I got a JG M4 CQB and showed a pic of it to my buddy- an RCMP detective. I asked him if it was legal. He said yes totally legalbut... and listed a bunch of reasons why it was also illegal. He also mentioned that customs would always be a bear for airsoft to deal with for similar reasons. This isnt a law of course- and is based on my interpretation of what he has told me and what I have seen in regards to airsoft: A replica is a weapon that is near identical to the real steel. Although airsoft guns are certainly very real to the public the qualification of replica is made by a 'weapons expert', in this case the RCMP. Sadly (for the sport) the RCMP erred on the side of caution and specifically mentions Tokyo Marui as an example of an airsoft replica. It looks too real so police dont need that sort of trouble (and rightly so perhaps). So officially when the RCMP get called out to a weapons call you now own an ilegally aquired replica. But he also admitted that as an officer he has some leeway- if he sees that JG M4 on our local paintball field in Edmonton (where he lives and I used to live) he knows it isnt real steel (and is a poor replica if that- it sounds comical when fired, rattles like a maracca with a high cap with a spinny wheel on the mag, you can see an inner 6mm barrel, etc etc). He knows this because this is the place he would expect to see such a replica- but out on public land or in the city he would assume it was real. So why the seeming double standard? If a criminal can use it for ill then society must come first so the law is unforgiving when it gets involved- whether by a man who tries to use the airsoft gun in a crime: http://www.cityofgp.com/citygov/dept...sgunupdate.htm or whether they disarm a father and son for scaring people: http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?co...Youth%20Safety So the real world result for me was that: I treat my airsoft like real steal and transport it like real steal and replicas require (I'm even getting a combo lock for my cases). Why? Because so long as I am never a problem then the airsoft guns are never the sort of replica they need to worry about. I wont be committing crimes or waving my guns so I need only worry about someone stealing them to do so mischief with them. Silly I know and it certainly wont hold up in court (I'm not sure I want it to since if my guns got misused then I would be at fault)... BUT I think it is really the only option for a sport that should be 100% legal but got caught between the cracks - what is good for society vs the rights and freedoms of the people in that society to enjoy the sport. So if the distinction is how and when it is used (which also applies to many of the other non-firearm weapons like airguns and such) then I had best be sure to only use it where appropriate (we play at a private field here in town). If I am silly enough to wave it around public or stupid enough to use it in a crime then I would fully expect to be charged with a replica as thats what my mis-use has made it in the eyes of the law.