If it was a kid that lived in "buttfuck no where" wouldnt he have a pellet gun, like a red ryder? LOL ussually an airsoft gun is intended use is well, as stupid as it sounds, to shoot people :P

C'mon we already have so many examples of kids making poor decision.
have a look at the "ehobby canada" thread.

It is our job as airsofters to prevent these things from happening, whether it be a kid selling airsoft, a kid doing something stupid with an airsoft gun, or a kid gaming unsafely at a feild.

Close. It's our job to set good examples, and to mentor as much as possible. We are not airsoft police, just the head of the national community. Luckily though, the real police are just a 9-1-1 away. Feel free to call when said dumbasses are seen doing something illegal or unsafe; and not just for airsoft guns. Lol!

You guys are way off base. The OP is a parent posting the question.

Their kid has come to them with a pig in a poke, or in this case a ICS GSG 522 that they want and must have.

The parent knows nothing about airsoft and is now fact checking to see if "all the other kids have these dad", and "everyone is doing it", and etc.

You guys with kids; it will happen to you too. Maybe not an airsoft gun but a cellphone or a pony or a game console. I can spot that particular sales method a mile off and you'll learn do it too.

Spot on, that was me at 12.

I don't believe a kid that young needs an AEG to go blasting in his back yard at some targets. If he's looking for something to plink with there are plenty of spring action airsoft guns you can buy at Walmart or CanTire, most of which do not look real, some of which have a "realistic" look to them. When I was that young my dad ran into the same issue with me. He bought me a cheap G36 spring action rifle that I would lay in the grass in my FENCED backyard and shoot targets with, and always under supervision. If he is simply looking to get them to play with his friends or shoot at them for shits and giggles; educate the boy about proper safety and that ultimately these are meant for that in safe settings only, only get him a springer, and make sure you don't let him keep it in his room, regardless if it's a spring gun or AEG. I was 12 once, I know what I used to do with dad's BB guns, airsoft guns and real steels when he wasn't around (this is of course after I found the keys to his cases). Last thing you want is little Jimmy at your door with his father, furious because your boy shot Jimmy at point blank range in the eye with a "clearsoft" pistol/shotgun/rifle.

This is of course simply subjective and only my opinion. This does not work with everyone. Good luck and good day.

We have a whole league of under 16 airsofters in winnipeg. They're more fun to play with than most people I used to play with lol
The woman that runs it is extremely strict with rules, so it's an excellent club for weeding out the dangerous kids.
Instead of turning a blind eyes to kids with guns, we gave them places to play, endorsed their team, and even help train them.
They're gonna play with guns anyway, it might as well be in a controlled and supervised environment lol


Anyway good gun would be a pdw. Full size parts and compatibility, but it's just a naturally scaled down M4, or a 552

Appropriate gun for a 12 year old... NERF

they don't look like real guns.. and even the most irresponsible misuse won't hurt anyone.


anything else, Pellet , AS would need to be under the direct supervision of an adult.

of course there are differences in expected indoctrination to guns between urban vs rural location.

At the end of the day.. the parent decides what is right for their kid, and also takes responsibility for all uses, intended or otherwise. Frankly it's no one else's business.

Oh really now? The Japanese, the creators of airsoft, must have it all wrong, considering they specifically have made airsoft models over the years to target the pre-teen/early teen age groups.

Mind you, I guess Airsoft is just that much more dangerous then a kid legally going hunting at 16 in Ontario without needing a adult beside them with a real rifle in the bush? :rolleyes:

Seriously Danke is perfectly spot on in his two posts. Yes 12 is young, but hell I had a "arsenal" of pellet guns at that age, and the only key to the trigger lock of one of my father's hunting rifles, which is currently sitting in my own firearm safe since I got my PAL.

It is 100% dependant on the kid, but without (insert Pellet Gun, Airsoft etc here), and the father teaching his son how to be responsible with them, the kid will never grow up to be responsible on his own with anything remotely related to firearms.

Dimitri

underage and increased risk
 

No,LAWFULLY means no,boys and girls,MUST abide by the 18+ law..It will give the airsoft community a bad rap,so parents,teach your child about "guns" in general with a water pistol!

I’m sorry if I sounded vague in my original post about the appropriateness of an ICS GSG 522 for a 12 year old. Nothing strange about my intentions. I am the uncle of the boy in question and I didn’t want to litter this forum with details of family dirty laundry. My nephew is severely ADHD which is not adequately controlled with medication and has all the impulsiveness that comes with the condition. My nephew is also a big city boy but occasionally travels to an isolated community in Alberta where he would use the gun. He has never been around guns before except for water pistols and a Nerf gun. It was not my nephew who wants this gun (he didn’t know about them either) but his father who wants to get him one. His mother is dead set against it. That’s the dirty laundry I was telling you about.

I myself know nothing about airsoft guns and had never heard of them until a few days ago so just wanted to get feedback from experts who are familiar with them. After researching them on the Internet and finding this site, my gut feel is my nephew owning or using one of these devices is a disaster waiting to happen – for him and for others. I just wanted to know if I was over reacting and being unreasonable or if it is commonly accepted practice for 12 years to own/use these. Thanks for your responses so far!!

I think your gut feeling is correct on this. The good people who moderate and run this forum expend a non-trivial portion of their time and effort in protecting airsoft from disasters like the one you fear. The non-lethality of airsoft guns seems to suggest to many parents that these are toys and appropriate for kids. The respect for their status as firearms is therefore lacking, and this isn't limited to kids -- many of us adults who got into this stuff late assumed they were toys when we first discovered them. I know I did. A bit of bad luck could have led to some serious misunderstandings had I not done some research.

IMHO, it should not belong to the boy but belong solely to you until he is of age and can demonstrate to you the basics in firearms safety. Until then I'd suggest/recommend that he is never allowed use of the weapon with out you or direct supervision of his parents. You could go as far as getting a trigger lock that you carry the key on your person.

Get them a real gun first, teaches them a lot more respect and discipline that way. Getting used to a stick that goes pew pew can make it easy to forget the difference in danger levels between an empty airsoft gun and an empty firearm. If they only know the outcome of pulling the trigger on an airsoft gun, they can be much more likely not to realize just how serious handling a real gun is. I'm not saying everyone who airsofts must shoot real steel, but a someone who only knows airsoft can bring dangerous habits over to RS. If the parent or guardian supervising doesn't have an understanding of these devices, the kid won't be likely to learn on their own.

Just my 2 cents.

Please link me to this "18+ law" you speak of? Canada wide? Seeing as how a 16 year old can shoot a real rifle unsupervised...

You do realize this 18+ thing is a self regulated rule. Right?...

Pretty much. My suggestion would be to consider getting him a good quality, hobby grade RC car. Lots of fun can be had with those, and it's far more difficult to hurt someone with one. You can get pretty serious into racing, including competitive racing.

I used to work at a hobby shop and have seen parents come in with questions exactly like this.. Have a look at the Traxxas Slash, for example. Used to sell a loooooooot of those, and IMO it would be perfect for the child described.

Well at the end of the day the choice is up to the parents of said child. so far from asking everyone's opinion on the situation almost everyone opposes. I also oppose getting a 12 year old a gun, BUT however, if can prove himself responsible enough to the parents, there is nothing I, or anyone else on this forum that can do anything, besides you. Show his father this thread. Print it perhaps and highlight some key things. Highlight both for and against and have him read it.