Airsoft guns?

[willysmb44]

First off, I used to be in airsoft guns. I have two in my closet (a really neat M-4/203 tricked out like a real one I carried on active duty once) and they're fun to have. I briefly went to tactical events and found I just couldn't stand going to the events, too many teenaged video-game-playing, trash-talking-behind-the-keyboard-only types there for me.

Now, that being said, I'm starting to see airsoft guns show up in living history displays where I am at.

Like to mention Tommy guns, I have a real parts kit with a solid upper that's legal. To me, that's a hundred times better than an airsoft one. But I'm wondering if I'm in a minority about that as it's happening so much where I am now. I live in a state where you cannot own a full-auto, DEWAT or short-barelled conversion of tommy gun (for example) so you can't have the "real thing" when it comes to automatics. I also have a IMA "Boat anchor" M1919 on an original tripod that you have to open up to tell isn't fully functional. But in my mind, a airsoft gun is about as worthy of display as one of those plastic gun models that used to be around in the 80s.

Opinions?

[Polygon]

The quality of airsoft weapons has improved drastically in recent years, to the point where they make dead on all metal/wood copies of real-life firearms. So yes, I would say they are pretty acceptable for displays.

[willysmb44]

The quality of airsoft weapons has improved drastically in recent years, to the point where they make dead on all metal/wood copies of real-life firearms. So yes, I would say they are pretty acceptable for displays.

Well, maybe it's just me, then. I agree that they make some darned good looking stuff, but lots of them have markings that tell what it is. Somehow, showing a "Tommy gun" with markings that read "Made in Japan" on the side kind of defeats the point. For a short time, I had a MP-40 stacked among some "captured German" items in displays at public events. Almost everyone who saw it asked if it was real or air soft. It was all metal and a very good replica (which I did a lot of work on to get it looking more authentic), looking just as good as one of those MGC model guns. I guess living in a place where people know it couldn't be real, the questions made sense. I got tired of the looks people would give when I admitted what it was and sold it off. My only regret was buying it in the first place.

I still have my "M-4" which I keep only to take into the back yard to "plink" with on occasion. It's a very good looking replica but I'd never display it with any "real" weapons in a modern-themed display.

[D.A.T.]

I have also seen an increase of Airsoft guns over here, gotta admit, some are made pretty good, and what a Eurorean would pay for a Deactivated, the prices are unbelieveable. Another alternative is Deko weapons, "Dekowaffen", here's two websites just to have a look if you're interested.

 

WWW.REPLIX.DE look for SCHUSSWAFFENREPLIKEN (ain't that a long word?!)

 

and WWW.SPORTWAFFEN-SCHNEIDER.DE look on the left side, DEKOWAFFEN

[D.A.T.]

A couple examples of "Deko" weapons;

 

http://www.replix.de/shop/images/products/...e/m1-garand.jpg M1 Garand for 169 €uro or $219

 

http://www.replix.de/shop/images/products/.../thompson-a.jpg Thompson for 139 €uro or $180

 

http://www.replix.de/shop/images/products/...oderne/colt.jpg Colt 45 89 €uro or $115

 

http://www.sportwaffen-schneider.de/images/vogl1097.jpg AK 47 Kalaschnikow 119€uro or $154

[Blake_E]

Yeah some of that airsoft gear is so authentic looking it aint funny. But yeah, i would say it's acceptable. You're lucky, we cant even use resin props for christ's sake! Anything that even looks like a gun, is forbidden!

[D.A.T.]

Yeah some of that airsoft gear is so authentic looking it aint funny. But yeah, i would say it's acceptable. You're lucky, we cant even use resin props for christ's sake! Anything that even looks like a gun, is forbidden!

 

Hope you don't mind me being nosy, but where do you live?

[Blake_E]

Hope you don't mind me being nosy, but where do you live?

Not at all, Australia, the land where, to own a fibreglass prop or totally non firing replica, requires the same license to own a real live firearm.

Crazy - yes.

Brought down the death tolls from guns - not at all.

[D.A.T.]

Howdy Blake, it kinda reminds me of an old bumper sticker I saw everywhere all the time back then, "When you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns". Sorry to hear about it. I read about a dear old grandmother in Australia who shot two men men who raped her granddaughter, hope she gets away with it! Getting off subject here, I live in Germany, and the only real weapon I have is a baseball bat. Germans are also very strict about guns, real or play, which personally, I think is okay. And I also think deko weapons are just fine for a military event over here, the Europeans are pretty liberal with alcohol, and weapons and alcohol don't mix in my eyes, hate the thought of some kid Airborne Ranger all tanked up and shooting a real Tommy gun all over the place.

I've added a picture of an all PLASTIC 45 Colt pistol, would that also be illegal in Australia?

Pat

[Blake_E]

Yep, if it looks like a gun, it's out Without the license that is. They're not totally out, but, it just seems silly to have to get a real gun license, just to have a fake one. Even plastic. You may aswell just get the real thing then It's not 'so' bad, if you're licensed, i suppose. I'm not really interested in shooting, just collectiong, I have a pair of pistols, and a deactivated garand. But even if you were a shooter ( i do hope to take my next luger pistol out for some fun on the range ) you can't have too much fun, because all semi auto's are totally banned. So, no garand, or m1 carbine or the like. Just bolt actions. I guess it's not so bad, at the end of the day. Another downside though is ALOT of hassles, to buy a properly licensed firearm here. Months and months. I suppose it is safer, perhaps. But as you say, once guns are outlawed, the outlaws will still have guns. And they still get them here. Seems to be an incredibly high rate of theft, by criminals, from licensed owners, which is definately not a good thing either.

[Duffy]

I cant help but add a horror story I went through last year, when I tried to bring in a replica.

I had purchased an extremely nice xm177e2 replica, from a fella in the states.....was I worried

about customs? Yes and no.

Throughout the years, I have always looked at my parcels upon receiving them, and 95% had never been opened.

But.....the only time I try to bring something like this in......they open it.

I didn't get into any trouble, just received a notice in the mail, stating it had been seized by Customs.

I had a certain time to respond by, and then they would be crushing it.

So, I responded....talked to a few of the officers, and the choices I had were as follows:

 

1) Crush it

 

2) Ship it back.....under these circumstances:

 

- I would have to pay for a courier from where I live to where the Customs location is, where the replica

is at.

 

- Then pay for any materials / supplies, needed for the shipping.

 

- I would then have to pay for the replica to be shipped back, along with the actual shipping charges.

 

Only thing is, I would have to find a specialized courier for each and every step!

 

And, to make it even more difficult, it has to all be done in a certain amount of time!

 

So, it was crushed, to make a long story short....$ 450 usd down the drain!

 

It is considered a prohibited weapon here in Canada, to purchase or even own a modern looking replica.

 

Airsofts are allowed, but they have to contain orange or red on the barrel.

 

Having said this....we have it hard here as well!

 

It's a bummer, but what can you do?

Cheers.

 

Duffy

[D.A.T.]

Hey Duffy, I hear you... I ordered/bought a Repro 1918 Trench knife/knuckle knife through a buddy of mine in the States, $24.95, anyway he sent it to Germany as a "Multi-tool", came through, no problem, but illegal in Germany, as I go to Switzerland for events, I sent it to a Swiss buddy of mine, through the mail, "Multi-tool", Swiss Customs opened it up, either claim it, to my buddy,or we will send it back to Germany, so what do I do(?) claim a illegal weapon, and then they send it back to me? But my Swiss buddy has a weapons license, so it was no problem, I only had to pay another ca. $75,

long story short, I should of kept it here, and hid it under my bed!

[Duffy]

D.A.T

 

Thanks for your story, your from Germany then?

Prost!

It's a bummer sometimes how difficult things can be, regarding what is allowed

and what isn't.

I try to stay "by the book" as I prefer not to get into any trouble.

The trench-Knives are illegal where you are? Thats crazy.

Here, you can buy just about anything, as far as I know.

All the law is concerned about, is how big of a blade you may be carrying.

It can have a blade up to 7".

I don't carry a knife, never have....so I don't worry about it.

What part in Germany are you from, if you don't mind me asking?

I know of another German fella on the forum here....great guy.

It must be expensive to buy from the U.S for you guys! The shipping costs must be nuts!

 

Duffy

[D.A.T.]

Hey Duffy, I don't live to far away from Stuttgart, at the foot of the Black Forest, land of the coo-coo-clocks.

Yeah, shipping costs are pretty hefty, I don't have a APO address anymore. On this subject, I've noticed alot of people on US eBay want outragous postage fees to Germany, like $25 for a patch or a medal, and the next guy only wants $2 for postage, I've tried to "talk" to some of these people, but they wouldn't come down with thier prices, and therefore did not buy the article, kinda unfair, but what you gonna do?

I also posted somewhere, I tried to sneak a Deko 45 pistol over the Swiss border, never got searched, but I did that day, spent about a half hour in a jail cell, until they settled down, slapped me on the fingers and told me "Don't do that again!" And I won't!

Thanks for your interest,

Pat

[Duffy]

LOL!

I wouldn't try that again if that ever happened to me!

For the different shipping costs on Ebay......yes, I agree.

Sometimes the sellers are out to make a few extra bucks I guess.

About bringing any replicas into Canada, I don't believe I'll try that again.....

what a waste of money!

My pops got stopped recently, coming out of Montana into Canada.

Funny thing is, he could tell that they were bored! They ended up searching

through the vehicle, never found anything out of the ordinary, finally letting him go.

So your not too far from Stuttgart? Thats cool.

Ever been to Canada?

One day we plan on heading to Germany, one day!

Cheers,

Duffy

[D.A.T.]

Duffy, I'm originally from Washington State, I've been to Vancouver BC many a time.

As of going over the Swiss and German borders, NOBODY looked at me twice the last couple times, but I reckon if I tried something stupid again they'd stop me and do the "rubber glove treatment", I guess that's just the way it is. But it's the way it should be, with all these friggin' terrorists running around.....

[Duffy]

D.A.T

 

 

I agree, there is quite the trouble going on throughout

the world, I guess all these precautions have to be met.

You never know with people passing through all the time,

thats how it is these days though....it's too bad.

 

You like Vancouver? I have been there once, but I'm not

crazy about it.

The prices of housing there is un-real!

 

 

Duffy

[ColBob506]

I really worry about a world that is so dangerous and yet the government's won't let us protect ourselves!One has no freedoms of any type if we cannot defend them or ourselves.I hear Britain has been looking to ban Knives,seeing as gun control worked so good.Wonder if we'll roll over on our backs and take it when they move to illegelize sticks and stones?

I truly feel for those of you in other countries,I don't know about anyone else,but if they want my; gun's,rights or life they can pry them from my cold dead fingers,after they sort thru the pile of bodies in front of me!!!!

[Duffy]

ColBob,

 

Fully agree, the world is getting to be way too dangerous these days.

I'd like to have something, for incase I was to ever have an intruder in my house,

but it is considered 100% unlawful.....even if it means protecting yourself.

We had a situation last year actually, I awoke to a guy trying to get in through our

balcony....on the 3rd floor! I wasn't sure if I was dreaming of spiderman, or if I was seeing what

I was seeing......

After I came out and started to yell at him, he continued climbing the building I live in, eventually

getting on the roof....going down the other side and taking off.

Yes, the police arrived....only to find out, he was already gone after being spotted by me.

What was I suppose to do if he had gotten inside? Thats way too scary. If I was to pull a registered

firearm on him....thats nice, I go to jail.

So, even though licensing and ownership is a great thing to have, you cannot use it by any means to

protect yourself.

So, with all said....I'm not 100% sure if I want "live" firearms half the time.

Almost seems like too much of a hassle.

Duffy

[militariacollector]

Airsofts are allowed, but they have to contain orange or red on the barrel.

 

Duffy

 

Duffy, it's legal for us to not have the orange tip. We just have to buy them in Canada. Though I've been looking into getting some airsoft rifles, especially a nice M1911 for display, prices here are ridiculous. A $100 gun in the states is about 3x as much here.

[Duffy]

Yeah, but how do you think people get the ones in the country, that have no colored

tip on them? Anything that resembles a modern firearm cannot be brought in.

This came from the instructor I just had when I took my two courses.

Certified firearm instructors have the option to purchase replicas, even the most realistic ones,

as they tend to be buying them for instructional purposes.

But, for airsoft like I ran into a few weeks ago at a swap meet, these things were convincing! Only thing

is, they were smuggled into Canada.

They were $400 or $500 and had no colored tip......defiantely not a common find here.

It's a tough ball game here sometimes!

Duffy