A letter from the Ministry of Public Safety in BC concerning Airsoft
 

This was sent to our store this morning and sounds like they are being sent to every gunstore and sporting goods store in BC?



https://i.imgur.com/YPXCyz4.jpg

Will BC become like New York City where all airsoft guns must be painted bright yellow or orange?

The solution is pretty obvious.
Let's just make it illegal to commit a crime with an airsoft gun.
There ya go, problem solved.
I don't want royalties for the idea, I'm just trying to make the world a better place. XD

From my cold waiting to respawn hands

yikes.

I understand the paranoia, but there should be an option to play with airsoft guns that Don't look like the real thing, but just feel like it in gameplay: rock-in vs straight-insert, mount sights, different mag types and all that jazz just without it looking distinctly like an M4, AK or MP5, etc.

I think that's why Paintball's nowhere near as GrayZoned as Airsoft is, but I understand the pain of being taken out of immersion.

To be clear the minister is attempting to combat crime (stupidly I may add), the other part is basically banning the use of Airsoft guns in your backyard or on the local play grounds at school. Mainly because kids have been caught screwing around with combat machine M4s on public streets.

The ironic part being Airsoft guns under Canadian law are treated like real firearms in criminal situations. Most local municipalities also ban the use of them in public areas for obvisous reasons.

One a good note they've reached out to the community, the bad news is they don't know squat about Airsoft or the legality of it.

Typical provincial govnerment BS making more by laws to "protect the public" - merely offering another useless law and lip service.

What you have is an ambitious jumior politician trying to score political points by using airsoft as a convenient soft target. There is a absolutely no correlation between airsoft and the gang violence in Surrey but when you frame it in the right context for the ignorant public, it looks like the government is trying to do something....smoke and mirrors.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

Afternoon chaps,
A word of caution to those who disregard this kind of political play- I'm from the UK. We had this similar situation about 15 years ago.

Funnily enough, political figures love banning things (because that stops bad guys) or at the very least imposing complex and flawed new 'protocols'.

Oddly enough, we have adopted a system that now works pretty well. In case you're not aware, we have 2 levels of "authentication" for Airsoft in the UK:

1) Being 18+ with a fixed address.
2) Criteria of .1) but also a documented, ID proven, skirmish site signed+stamped, externally approved, member of UKARA (United Kingdom Airsoft Retailer's Association).

If you don't have a valid UKARA (most common form to prove one is an airsofter) but are over 18 you fall into category 1 and you may purchase a half black, half bright green/yellow/pink/blue/red/orange gun. Also known as an IF (Imitation Firearm) in the UK.

If you've been through the simple checks and submitted paperwork you get a RIF (Realistic Imitation Firearm).

I personally have always been part of this ruling after starting 10 years ago. As a result I see it as a reasonably good system. It keeps those soccer moms happy their kids don't have easy access to realistic guns, the stricter controls pleases government and airsofters can continue with their hobby with minimal disruption.

They had the same problem in England about 8-9 years ago. The people who practised the airsoft have made a petition, in the end, it all ended with a small permit accessible online for over 18 years to calm the hysterics who saw guns everywhere in schools...

Eh, not quite. See my post above. But essentially yes- we have a membership number that links us to our Photo ID, address and local Airsoft field. Meaning only that owner of that number can buy guns for themselves.

It's a decent way to stop the average Joe committing an accidental crime (like a 15 y/o playing with their mates in a public park) which saves local law enforcement from arresting/shooting kids or adults with no common sense.

Does it make violent gun crime better? Hmm, I doubt it. But the UK is very tricky to get any real firearm anyway so it's hard to say if our solution will work for Canada/BC.

Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child
 

When you watch local news stories with van loads of hoodlums terrorizing neighbourhoods, running people over with their cars, turning others into human pinatas on an everyday, average street corner. baggy-jeaned wannabe's trying to be gangsta it completely gives the sport and hobby a bad wrap. The signs are definitely there that a registry is coming if not a possible outright ban on importation because somebody, somewhere thinks it's a good idea. In the end this does nothing to curb the real problem as smugglers of real, illegally obtained firearms using homing pigeons to communicate off the grid could literally be your neighbour.

Long live Airsoft and I pray there is a solution for us all to continue enjoying and sharing this sport and hobby.

Another government money grab buy a yearly permit for $100

I don't see what prevents 1 person from buying all their friends RIF guns.

There isn't. *Shrugs*
Other than the fact that if caught selling to minors or unregistered players you're charged with willfully supplying a restricted firearm. Especially if that weapon is used in a violent crime and it links back to you.

Go to jail. Do not collect 200$ as you pass GO.

We're a sport about honor and trust.
If people can't obey the rules put in place to protect the sport then they probably won't make a good name for themselves as players.

:EDIT: It is not a perfect system. But it's certainly quite good at what it's designed to do. Mostly stopping kids waving them around at school.

Okay, wait, so is anything being done in terms of new laws or anything, or is that letter just some kind of "think of the children and/or vote for me" dickwaving?

Spengler,
It seems to me, they're reviewing Airsoft in order to help prevent violent crime. Often these are drawn up as a political stunt.

Paraphrasing the letter; they want to limit where you can use/own/play Airsoft and restrict youth access to them.

It seems they're doing something but have bugger all idea how to go about it. Hopefully nothing will happen but this is how blanket bans come in; when law makers have no idea what they're dealing with.

Ain't that the truth.

That is exactly what is needed in BC. Lets face it, it's the wild west here, anyone under 18 can buy Airsoft without worry or cause of concern. Whether stores enforce the old rules is unknown ,but I bet today it is not.

I called the number on the letter and spoke to one of the folks regarding the matter of concern. It turns out that the BC Gov. is trying to get feed back from the BC airsoft community and still doing active research on issues with young people joining gang's but using Airsoft or other platforms to do crimes. The UKARA as suggested was actually one of the item I put forth today in my conversation with them.
The main concern is the sale to anyone under 18 as the younger age group is the area of concern with the BC gov. in terms of gang related issues. Their not wanting to ban or force us to colour our guns, just that there is no rules today in place regarding airsoft in BC other than importation rules in which is a federal regulation that the Canadian community had dealt with in the past, which the BC gov. is aware of. However the access to airsoft platforms in BC is a concern of theirs regarding gangs and those under 18. From what I got out of the conversation, it seems like the Ukara system would be ideal for this situation as the BC Gov. is looking for idea's from the BC community.

I encourage the BC Airsoft community to get involved with this matter as the BC Gov. haven't really gotten allot of feedback from us and the floor is still open for feedback from us.

my right to an opinion #2
 

What I have noticed during my brief time on this planet and in this country is that firearms and their POSITIVE influence in society has been diminished by snowflakes criminalizing them. Criminals are abundant in this country, violence whether it is drug related, crime related, ego related or intimidation related will not stop whether it's bumping a tire iron off someones head to pay a drug debt or pointing an airsoft item at a persons temple while they are taped to a chair with a sock in their mouth because somebody crazy told someone who is crazier did this or this or this.

It is up to our law enforcement to keep us safe. That means infiltrating networks that are actively engaging in heinous criminal activity. Crime is occurring daily, right in front of our noses. Certain families condone it and stay zipper-lipped because it brings cash money into the home, media condones it, special interest under-their-breath hate groups promote it. The issue isn't simply about schizophrenic, radicalized nobodies using our countries shelter systems to hop across the country undetected until they find someone to sell them a gun or other nefarious items to cause the general public harm. It begins right under our noses, at the CBSA level, at policing and policies of who and what to look at, it means turning over stones and eliminating corruption at our borders.

Using our airsoft community as a scapegoat to solve a very MINOR element of violent crime is not the correct solution.

The majority of airsoft users that I've met are responsible and use them in a yard, during camping or at a field. The flip side is this, a kitchen knife in the hands of a sane person is simply a kitchen knife. A machete in the hands of a methed out angry person stumbling down an alley in the dtes gets him filled with hot lead. Half the time these occurrences don't make it in the 6 pm news BUT IT SHOULD. If this happened we, the public, would realize solutions sooner than later are always a better idea.

This is my opinion on the matter and in no way reflect the beliefs on this matter on this forum

Thank you for this, I echo these sentiments exactly and could not state in in any better words....Airsoft should not be politicized for the interests of politicians or others seeking re-election.

Thing is, you could say the same thing about literally anything. I'm not in BC, I don't know what's going on over there, but based on this thread alone, I'm lead to believe that retailers don't care about not selling airsoft stuff to people under 18, which is fucked-up enough as it is, but gets even worse if folks then use said airsoft stuff for criminal activity.

Sure, airsoft's a sport, but a hockey stick looks like a hockey stick. A tennis racket looks like a tennis racket. An airsoft platform looks like a goddamn accurately-scaled officially licensed firearm, so people panicking is understandable.

If you're in BC, call that number and talk to the people behind it. See what's up, what their deal is. If all these shit-nanigans could be avoided by just, say, enforcing the no-sales-to-under-18 rule, tell them that. Be proactive like our dude Airmax.

True you could say that about anything, however for the airsoft retailers that are selling to minors, these are EXACTLY the type of people we do not want selling airsoft, or for that matter affiliated with the sport whatsoever. For them, (the retailers) it is about the bottom line, money, and they do not care about airsoft at heart or otherwise would not be selling to minors. As a legitimate business, they have a duty to request ID of anyone who appears to be a minor. I would suggest that those of us who love airsoft police these stores as well. Should we become aware of, and observe the sale of airsoft to underage individuals, then we have a duty to call them out and report them to the appropriate authorities. Trust me, they will lose their business license to operate. I know that this may cast a disparaging image on other legitimate retailers, however if we as a community hold retailers accountable for their actions, it will demonstrate to government and the watchers out there that not only are we as a community responsible and law abiding when it comes to airsoft, but we will also hold each other accountable for our actions.

Ha, ha. We are talking about politics here. Simple common sense does not apply.

Agreed! A legitimate business needs to obey the law. 18 and over.

I would think that most kids and teenagers who own airsoft guns would do so with their parents knowledge. Maybe a very small percentage do not. Why would any retailer risk losing their business for a couple of thousand dollars a year? The problem would be some unscrupulous adult buying guns from retailers and selling them to minors. The same old story. Just like the gun crises in the US. Guns sold to individuals at gun shows with no regulation and then resold to criminals. I prefer Canadian gun laws to American ones, but as far as I am concerned, airsoft has nothing to do with that.

If a criminal walked into a store to rob it and told the clerk it was an airsoft gun, the clerk would most likely give him the money anyway, just as if he walked into the store with a baseball bat. Should we regulate baseball bats? Anything can be used as a weapon. Airsoft guns are not weapons. They are intended to tag their opponents, not injure them. The sport is safely regulated and most injuries come from falling. Football is more dangerous.

But I agree, an airsoft gun can be used to trick someone into thinking the threat is more dangerous. But a criminal could also use a bag and say it has a bomb in it. Should we regulate bags? Make stricter laws in regards to any object being used as a threat in a criminal act.

In the meantime, be responsible and keep your airsoft gun in a case and only use it on isolated property, or at a airsoft field. Each individual has to be accountable to protect the sport from too much regulation and its demise.

I 100% agree, lets all act responsible and teach responsible gun handling and safe storage, whether it be real steel, airsoft, paintball, pellet or BB guns. It is up to us all to act and teach responsibly for the future survival of the sport. Enough said!

I support your idea 100% !!!

I also support this idea! Prohibitions and restrictions will not solve the problem of crime, but will also add difficulties to ordinary fans of airsoft sports.
I like the system used in the UK. This is a very well-thought-out system!
But don't do something like what's done in the United States. I've read at https://samplius.com/free-essay-examples/gun-control/ about their rules, and I want to say that I doubt it will work. By the way, there are many interesting materials, so I recommend reading this resource.
All items can be weapons, but we do not prohibit everything in a row.
Remember: Airsoft guns are not weapons.

Edit:Holy thread necro