7th-grader suspended for using airsoft gun in own front yard - Polidicks

It's ridiculous because I live in a Californian major city, and all I had to do was rattle my rifle and say "It's a BB gun" when a mother and her children came across the alley where I was sighting a possum at 30 yards with a flashlight to illuminate its eyes and my gun sights (at like 10:30 pm). She nodded and said "Oh, take that rat out" and had her children follow her out of where a BB or ricochet might end up. Why can't more people just go about their days like that? Where I live is by no means as 'gun friendly' as a southern state, but the mother logically assessed the situation, heard BB's rattle around in my gun, and decided to believe that I was doing pest control and not training up for a mass murder.

[QUOTE=ViralHatred;42291741]Then you should know better. You should already be aware that wielding imitation firearms in public is an offence under the Firearms Act 1968 (offence to carry firearm in public place) and the definition of firearm was expanded in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 to include Imitation Firearms which was later further defined in the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. Just because you're in your front garden does not mean a member of the public will not see you and call the police, and if the police get called and you don't have a two tone you're going to have to produce your Site Membership details so they can confirm your UKARA. And if you can't then you're going to be in trouble.[/QUOTE] Lol no 13 year old is gonna go around asking permission from his neighbours to use his toy guns

When I was in first grade I went to a babysitter's house in the mornings before school because my parents had to go to work early in the morning. Anyways, my teacher's daughter went to the same babysitter in the morning and would tell on me to her mom for cussing and stuff at the babysitter's house and I'd get in trouble at the school for it. It's straight up bullshit that kids get punished at school for what they do at home.

[QUOTE=ViralHatred;42291741]Then you should know better. You should already be aware that wielding imitation firearms in public is an offence under the Firearms Act 1968 (offence to carry firearm in public place) and the definition of firearm was expanded in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 to include Imitation Firearms which was later further defined in the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. [/QUOTE] Which is somewhat pointless to cite because the big blaring orange exit on the barrel does the exact opposite of imitate, it is to prove to the world that it cannot cause the bodily harm of a firearm. Plus there is the fact that the safety tip did its job. The person calling knew it wasn't a firearm. If she thought they were real firearms her call would be easily justified, but she knew they were toys. Who calls 911 over toys?

[QUOTE=fantafuzz;42291780]Lol no 13 year old is gonna go around asking permission from his neighbours to use his toy guns[/QUOTE] Then they shouldn't be surprised if they get in trouble. Expelling the kid from school is ridiculous and even getting the cops involved is too far but if you are going to play with an airsoft gun, do it in the backyard, not the front. [editline]24th September 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=STIGintheBRIG;42291815]Which is somewhat pointless to cite because the big blaring orange exit on the barrel does the exact opposite of imitate, it is to prove to the world that it cannot cause the bodily harm of a firearm. Plus there is the fact that the safety tip did its job. The person calling knew it wasn't a firearm. If she thought they were real firearms her call would be easily justified, but she knew they were toys. Who calls 911 over toys?[/QUOTE] What is to stop someone sticking a bit of orange on the front of a real gun? I'm not saying a kid would ever do it, but I'm pretty sure that is the reasoning behind only have two toned airsoft guns.

[QUOTE=STIGintheBRIG;42291815]Which is somewhat pointless to cite because the big blaring orange exit on the barrel does the exact opposite of imitate, it is to prove to the world that it cannot cause the bodily harm of a firearm. Plus there is the fact that the safety tip did its job. The person calling knew it wasn't a firearm. If she thought they were real firearms her call would be easily justified, but she knew they were toys. Who calls 911 over toys?[/QUOTE] We don't have orange tips here in the UK. We simply have "two tone" (unrealistic colour) or clear plastic as the alternatives. Otherwise they look exactly like real firearms and are as such presumed to be them under law until proven otherwise: [QUOTE](2)For the purposes of this section, an imitation firearm is not (except by virtue of subsection (3)(b)) to be regarded as distinguishable from a real firearm for any practical purpose if it could be so distinguished only— (a)by an expert; (b)on a close examination; or (c)as a result of an attempt to load or to fire it.[/QUOTE] Basically if your neighbour can spot it and confuse it for a real gun, they're likely going to call the police.

[QUOTE=ViralHatred;42291741]Then you should know better. You should already be aware that wielding imitation firearms in public is an offence under the Firearms Act 1968 (offence to carry firearm in public place) and the definition of firearm was expanded in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 to include Imitation Firearms which was later further defined in the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. Just because you're in your front garden does not mean a member of the public will not see you and call the police, and if the police get called and you don't have a two tone you're going to have to produce your Site Membership details so they can confirm your UKARA. And if you can't then you're going to be in trouble.[/QUOTE] Well seeing as owning a RIF is illegal without a membership and hard as hell to get one without one in the first place, didn't you answer your own question? They are my guns. In my property, for which I own a license to use and own. I'm not causing anyone harm. Yes they aren't two tone or orange tipped, but that's the idea of a Imitation firearm. How else am I going to test my hop up and new parts? I refuse to drive 15 miles just to test my loadout at the site range. When I can do it just as easily in my own property without causing anyone harm.

[QUOTE=Jamie1992GSC;42291852]Well seeing as owning a RIF is illegal without a membership and hard as hell to get one without one in the first place, didn't you answer your own question? They are my guns. In my property, for which I own a license to use and own. I'm not causing anyone harm. Yes they aren't two tone or orange tipped, but that's the idea of a Imitation firearm. How else am I going to test my hop up and new parts? I refuse to drive 15 miles just to test my loadout at the site range. When I can do it just as easily in my own property without causing anyone harm.[/QUOTE] Then you test it in your back garden and/or check that your neighbours are okay with it. Alternatively contact your local constabulary and inform them that you will be testing it on your own property but it may be visible to a member of the public and may be called in and get permission from them. Don't risk the sport for all of us, we're lucky to have a bare bones provision in law to protect us at all.

Since we're getting into the nitty gritty of what is and isn't a firearm, this article is of relevance: [url]http://www.practicalairsoft.co.uk/uk-law.asp[/url] (At least, for the UK)

[QUOTE=Jamie1992GSC;42291852]Well seeing as owning a RIF is illegal without a membership and hard as hell to get one without one in the first place, didn't you answer your own question? They are my guns. In my property, for which I own a license to use and own. I'm not causing anyone harm. Yes they aren't two tone or orange tipped, but that's the idea of a Imitation firearm. How else am I going to test my hop up and new parts? I refuse to drive 15 miles just to test my loadout at the site range. When I can do it just as easily in my own property without causing anyone harm.[/QUOTE] Then you'll have to show your papers to the police if they arrive and they will probably warn you that shooting guns that look realistic from a distance in your front garden is fucking stupid if you don't expect someone to report you, especially in the UK.

[QUOTE=Corey_Faure;42291870]Since we're getting into the nitty gritty of what is and isn't a firearm, this article is of relevance: [url]http://www.practicalairsoft.co.uk/uk-law.asp[/url] (At least, for the UK)[/QUOTE] Fails to take note of the new provisions introduced under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. Site was last updated in 2005 and is therefore currently inaccurate.

Lucky kid, at least he gets to shoot at something with something in his front yard without the police getting involved, airsoft guns are illegal to shoot in my small Missouri town, as are paintball guns, air rifles, air pistols and slingshots, but oddly enough, not bows or crossbows. Back to the topic, i honestly don't get it, why are schools getting so jumpy now with guns? I know there's the recent shooting in December last year, but things didn't get this outrageous when Columbine happened. At our school, which is in a town of 5,000, installed an intercom system, and set up new rules where you need to call the school beforehand, then buzz in on the intercom to be let in.

[QUOTE=zombini;42292074]Lucky kid, at least he gets to shoot at something with something in his front yard without the police getting involved, airsoft guns are illegal to shoot in my small Missouri town, as are paintball guns, air rifles, air pistols and slingshots, but oddly enough, not bows or crossbows. Back to the topic, i honestly don't get it, why are schools getting so jumpy now with guns? I know there's the recent shooting in December last year, but things didn't get this outrageous when Columbine happened. At our school, which is in a town of 5,000, installed an intercom system, and set up new rules where you need to call the school beforehand, then buzz in on the intercom to be let in.[/QUOTE] It's because people are afraid you'll shoot up a school with a bb gun.

[QUOTE=joost1120;42292081]It's because people are afraid you'll shoot up a school with a bb gun.[/QUOTE] I think it's more of a knee-jerk reaction to something that happened a few years ago, a buncha punks went running through town with paintball guns and bb guns, shot out windows all over town. It was a giant mess.

[QUOTE=Araknid;42291504]i once got in trouble for pretending a stick was a gun its ridiculous[/QUOTE] Back in primary school I was using these fuckers: [t]http://images.funlearning.co.uk/cache/data/maths/LER0090E_Mathlink_Cubes_C_1-500x500.jpg[/t] I made a right angle with them and got pulled up by a teacher for making a gun. I was so confused. :v:

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;42291412]Eventually you gonna do this [img]http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/1127993/121908271/stock-photo-female-teen-hand-shows-angle-isolated-on-white-121908271.jpg[/img] and end up kicked out of school.[/QUOTE] I'm almost sure this already happened at least once.

[QUOTE=squids_eye;42291895]Then you'll have to show your papers to the police if they arrive and they will probably warn you that shooting guns that look realistic from a distance in your front garden is fucking stupid if you don't expect someone to report you, especially in the UK.[/QUOTE] I guess having a silencer on it adds to ordeal as it sounds like it could be a real silenced weapon. [t]http://puu.sh/4z1fw.JPG[/t] One of my RIF's in question. I guess from a distance it could seem quite real, given a silencer and the pop/hiss gas blowbacks give off.

With people like ViralHatred there's no wonder people call Great Britain a Police state/Nanny government.

We don't really know the full and actual story to this. The only eye witnesses is the kid and the mother is upset because he wasn't given permission. but I agree that he should have been doing this in his backyard to avoid this trouble. But also I must say you don't call the police over a child playing with an airsoft pistol on his yard. She even knew it was a toy gun that's so silly.

[QUOTE]A concerned neighbor called 911 to report the incident.[/QUOTE] Whats with all these stupid neighbours?

[QUOTE=ViralHatred;42291869]Then you test it in your back garden and/or check that your neighbours are okay with it. Alternatively contact your local constabulary and inform them that you will be testing it on your own property but it may be visible to a member of the public and may be called in and get permission from them. Don't risk the sport for all of us, we're lucky to have a bare bones provision in law to protect us at all.[/QUOTE] What's to stop someone from doing just this to hide the use of actual weapons?

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;42292286]Whats with all these stupid neighbours?[/QUOTE] They're the only ones you hear of? You never see news like "Boy shoots airsoft gun in front yard, nobody complains".

[quote=the article]“This is not a real one, but it makes people uncomfortable. I know that it makes me [uncomfortable], as a mom, to see a boy pointing a gun.”[/quote] What the fuck. Is this "concerned" neighbor retarded?

[QUOTE=wickedplayer494;42292370]What the fuck. Is this "concerned" neighbor retarded?[/QUOTE] yes, please stop making fun of her :(

This world is becoming too afraid of guns. I'm still glad I live in a city where I can open carry and not have the cops called on me.

[QUOTE=Jamie1992GSC;42292182]I guess having a silencer on it adds to ordeal as it sounds like it could be a real silenced weapon. [t]http://puu.sh/4z1fw.JPG[/t] One of my RIF's in question. I guess from a distance it could seem quite real, given a silencer and the pop/hiss gas blowbacks give off.[/QUOTE] Airsoft guns with suppressors, even gas blowback, sound absolutely nothing like the real deal. You are still looking at high decibel numbers with the best of suppressors. Suppressors just bring the levels down to below hearing loss, and reduce muzzle flash/climb greatly.

People are really freaking out, down here kids play with airsoft rifles on the streets and nobody gives a crap.

[img]http://www.1000steine.com/brickset/images/851893-1.jpg[/img] "911 someone is waving a missile launcher in their front yard!"

[QUOTE=Mr. Foster;42292923]Airsoft guns with suppressors, even gas blowback, sound absolutely nothing like the real deal. You are still looking at high decibel numbers with the best of suppressors. Suppressors just bring the levels down to below hearing loss, and reduce muzzle flash/climb greatly.[/QUOTE] Uninformed people have nothing to go on except video games and Films / TV where silenced guns are indeed silent. Most people are certainly not going to know how loud a REAL silenced weapon would be. And for the British public where there is no gun culture they have no chance at all.

[QUOTE=ViralHatred;42291845]We don't have orange tips here in the UK. We simply have "two tone" (unrealistic colour) or clear plastic as the alternatives. Otherwise they look exactly like real firearms and are as such presumed to be them under law until proven otherwise:[/QUOTE] So why use UK laws to interpret an incident that happened in Virginia? Hell the real argument here isn't that it looks like a gun, it is that the BBs could ricochet out of the yard and hit passersby.