AIRSOFT GUNS LOOK TOO REAL
Don’t carry them openly, police warn.
Concerned residents of Vancouver’s Southlands neighbourhood called the police last spring after spotting camouflaged young men running through the area with guns.
The emergency response team was quickly dispatched, the neighbourhood cordoned off and people living nearby were hurriedly evacuated for their safety.
Police then approached the danger area with extreme caution before discovering the whole exercise was a frustrating waste of time and resources.
Turns out the “gunmen” were fighting a fantasy military battle using extremely realistic-looking Airsoft fake guns.
Vancouver Police Department spokesman Sgt. Randy Fincham said it’s probably not feasible to place an outright ban on the use of toy weapons that look like the real thing, so users should exercise common sense.
“The Airsoft guns I’ve seen are very, very accurate reproductions of legitimate firearms,” he said. “The Airsoft version of the Sig-Sauer 226 that we carry is a dead ringer — a direct replica of that gun.”
Fincham said toy guns need to be identified as toys — such as by having an orange cap attached to them — and should be concealed in a bag or case whenever they are transported. “We would hate to have a situation end badly because somebody made a poor choice to carry a toy gun in public,” he said.
The Airsoft gun issue came to the fore this week after Richmond council rejected an application to build an indoor facility for Airsoft enthusiasts on city land.
The sport of Airsoft is similar to paintball but Airsoft guns fire small plastic BBs instead of balls of paint.
Malik Abdul, who sells Airsoft guns at Camouflage International Military Surplus & Supplies in Vancouver, said Airsoft is replacing paintball as the game of choice for military wannabes and actual military personnel.
“Everyone seems to be transferring to Airsoft because it’s cheaper than paintball and more realistic,” he said. “A lot of military guys love to play Airsoft and use it for training.”
Abdul estimates there are thousands of Airsoft enthusiasts in Metro Vancouver who play on private outdoor fields in Surrey, Langley and Mission and in an indoor facility on private land in Richmond.
He said Airsoft guns are sold at many retail outlets — including Canadian Tire and Walmart — and prices range from about $200 to more than $1,000, depending on the type of “weapon.” Abdul said the majority of customers are young men, though there are many “hardcore” female enthusiasts as well.
He agrees the Airsoft guns look extremely realistic and stressed he always suggests customers buy a case for any rifle they purchase.
“It’s so realistic that you have to be very careful,” Abdul said. “You cannot just walk down the street with one because you might get shot.”