Quote:
Originally Posted by rogue 46
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!
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Firearms safety starts as young as possible, so a disaster does not occur when something like an uneducated youth comes into contact with a firearm for the first time. Airsoft by it's nature is not "legally" eighteen plus. A child of any age can operate or discharge a firearm with adult supervision. There may be local laws that prevent the use or discharge of such a device by a youth. Retailers can't sell them, or anything dangerous to youth because the retailer cannot assume legal responsibilty for said youth. That "can" include anything from matches, knives, fireworks, power tools, etc. parents or legal guardians are ultimately responsible for the youth; as mentioned by Brian earlier. As long as due diligence, adequate supervision, and all laws are observed then a youth can use an airsoft gun.
The only back and forth grey area ends up with those under the age of majority shooting projectiles at others. Some argue that many children show maturity (true), and that they are capable of playing safe (also true), or all you need is adequate insurance (yikes). But once you put the ability to shoot others in the hands of a youth, how can a parent/guardian be activily responsible for how they shoot unless they are standing next to them as they play?
The important thing is that airsoft guns are dangerous. They look real and therefore can get you killed, or they can easily hurt others without care. As a parent/guardian these are things to consider when mixing youth and airsoft. If it's shooting your interested in I'd also suggest a real rifle. Start him off with proper gun safety and respect; airsoft does tend to bend these principles in people's minds. It's best to build a solid and safe foundation. You did the right thing by asking the community for help, I hope we were able to answer your questions.