Senator wants airsoft restrictions

[LAR-15]

Newsroom: Press Releases

Press Release of Senator Lautenberg

Lautenberg Calls For Investigation Into Safety of Imitation Guns

NJ Sen. Calls for Examination Into Whether Pellet, BB and Air Guns Put Children at Risk of Injury and Death

Contact: Lautenberg Press Office (202) 224-3224
Thursday, June 26, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) released a letter he wrote to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) calling for an immediate investigation into the safety of real-looking imitation guns. The Senator’s letter follows a news report in the Washington Post on the increasing popularity of “airsoft” guns—assault rifle replicas that shoot lightweight plastic BBs—and other realistic pellet, BB and air guns and the public safety problems they cause, especially for children.

“Of particular concern is the popularity of these imitation guns among children,” Lautenberg wrote to CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. “Although the CPSC recommends that these guns not be given to children under 16, children are increasingly bringing these guns to school…Most disturbing of all, young people holding imitation guns have been shot and killed in recent years by police who assumed the guns were real.”

In its investigation, Lautenberg has asked the CPSC to focus on several aspects of toy gun safety, including:

* The number of injuries and deaths caused by imitation guns;



* The number of deaths resulting from incidents where imitation guns were mistaken for real guns;



* What efforts, if any, have been undertaken to prevent children from obtaining these imitation guns; and



* Manufacturer compliance with current requirements for marking imitation guns to prevent confusion with real guns.


Despite requirements that airsoft guns include markings to distinguish them from real guns, the Post story indicates that these markings are often removed or covered. Without such markings, police officers and school administrators have trouble determining whether a child or adult is wielding an AK-47, M4 or other assault rifle, or an imitation gun.

Sen. Lautenberg is a member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance and Automotive Safety, and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, which have jurisdiction over the CPSC.

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Questions or Comments

 

[General Geoff]

What efforts, if any, have been undertaken to prevent children from obtaining these imitation guns

Good question, ask the parents. Besides, they are assuming that children possessing airsoft guns is a bad thing. Airsoft is fun and a healthy activity with the proper safety equipment, so long as you don't go around battling in the middle of the city.

 

[ArmedBear]

Most disturbing of all, young people holding imitation guns have been shot and killed in recent years by police who assumed the guns were real.

Since I have a degree in Evolution, I don't think Natural Selection is particularly disturbing.

In fact, I'm a bit disturbed by how seldom Natural Selection is allowed to work in the human population, and the potential decline in the quality of the gene pool.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Ya know, Lausenberg just doesn't give up.

It's not enough for him that he comes from one of the most anti-gun states in the Union.

It's not enough for him that his state explicitly and intentionally defines BB guns as full house firearms, requiring FIDs and fingerprints, the whole 9 yards.

It's not enough for him that airsofts *might* also be construed to be full house firearms, requiring FIDs and fingerprints, the whole 9 yards.

It's not enough that the poor paintball guys had to fight in court for 5 years to prove that their markers -weren't- full house firearms, requiring FIDS, fingerprints, and the whole 9 yards.


Nothing will ever be enough for the evil mummy Lautenberg, he cannot retire soon enough to suit the tastes of those who love freedom.

 

[Gunnerpalace]

Him and Cybergun I bet are in on this, I visit airsoftforum.com and this is older news that Cybergun wants(or wanted) to stop ALL imports of airsoft guns from outside the US via a California ban on airsoft which would have shut down import via the port and thus we would have those ugly,clear, horrendous quality garbage guns. I hope this gets shot down.

 

[Fburgtx]

You know the old saying about drugs like marijuana later leading to "harder stuff"??? I'd like to think this is what happens with airsoft "guns". After playing with it for a while, maybe the kid would show some interest in a bb or pellet gun. Perhaps that would lead to a sinsgle shot .22 or .410. Who knows where their "habit" would go from there????

"Liberals" (for lack of a better word), don't want kids to have any interest in anything that even LOOKS like a gun. I have no doubt that some accidents have occurred with the airsoft guns. However, there are TONS of football related injuries that occur in this country, everyday. If safety was their real concern, football would be banned, we'd all wear helmets when driving our cars, and thre'd be a law mandating everyone wear sunblock on sunny days.

 

[Piedmont Plinker]

It's idiots like my neighbor who paint their airsoft gun tips black and get the cops called on them.

 

[blkbrd666]

+1 ArmedBear. It sad what has been bred over the last 30 years...and it's all "protected" like any disease carrying insect would be. I truly believe if deer ticks were close to extinction, some organized group would be trying to reintroduce them back into the environment. Sorry...I got off topic.

 

[Master Blaster]

Look on the bright side Lautenberg is so old he will most likely drop dead soon.

 

[kcmarine]

A well- regulated airsoft team, being necessary to the entertainment of the teenage state, the right of the pranksters to Keep and Bear paintball guns, shall not be infringed.

 

[Picard]

I'm guessing that this would include paintball as well. I guess if they can't ban real guns, banning fake guns might make him feel a little better.

There is something called safety equipment which is supposed to be worn when playing. I'm sure that they'll ban kitchen knives too or require them to be kept locked up and disassembled because a child may cut themselves.

 

[tbtrout]

Just by the thread title, I knew it had to be NJ.:banghead:

 

[RaspberrySurprise]

Here's a suggestion, don't point fake guns at people unless they know said gun is a fake. Especially don't point them at people when those people don't know that it's a fake and they are carrying REAL guns, as they make take offense and possible shoot you, with their real guns.

 

[3KillerBs]

Most disturbing of all, young people holding imitation guns have been shot and killed in recent years by police who assumed the guns were real.

Somehow I strongly doubt those "young people" wouldn't have been shot if they hadn't been using those imitation guns* as part of the commission of a crime.

Wouldn't it be simpler to just make crime illegal?

*IMO, airsoft and .BB guns aren't "imitation" guns, they are real airsoft guns and real .BB guns. Just as my little boys' western-styled cap pistols are real cap pistols even though they'd look very like the ones below from across a room if I were to twist off the orange tips:

 

[ArmedBear]

I truly believe if deer ticks were close to extinction, some organized group would be trying to reintroduce them back into the environment.

LOL

If Lautenberg wants this law to protect those who point model guns at the cops, then he's already pushing for the moral equivalent.

 

[mbdolfin]

this guy is just plain out of control

this guy has got to be voted out of office. he is totally out of control. i wish the guy would just enjoy the rest of his life and retire. what is he... 85 years old now?

 

[crushbup]

I think the problem is that he lives off making things bad for others. He can't enjoy the rest of his life unless he's oppressing someone.