Airsoft News: Sackett Shows Council Airsoft Guns

Sonoma Police Chief Bret Sackett brought his guns to town Wednesday night or, to be precise, he brought them to the City Council meeting, a few steps from his office at the police station, and passed them around the room.

POLICE CHIEF BRET SACKETT holds up a real and fake .40 caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol.
The real pistol is in Sackett's right hand. Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune

Sackett had his guns to make a point, albeit not like Billy Joe, the tragic figure in the famous Johnny Cash song who defies his mother, brings his guns to town and is shot dead in a bar. Sackett was there at the request of Councilmember Joanne Sanders who read a recent news story about the police department's intention to crack down on simulated guns. The chief's guns included a 9 mm Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun and two .40 caliber, Model 23 Glock semi-automatic pistols, the gun chosen by the FBI as the bureau's official service weapon.

Sackett said the MP5 was the same assault weapon he used as a member of the Sheriff's Department's SWAT Team, the only difference being that the one circulating through the audience fired plastic "AirSoft" BBs instead of bullets. And of the two Glocks he held up to display, one was an AirSoft pistol and one was his own, unloaded, service pistol. The two looked identical, the AirSoft version even having a functional slide and clip release like the real thing.

Sacket told the council that in one survey of law enforcement officers, 14 out of 40 failed to recognize under close examination that an AirSoft gun wasn't the real thing.

Their close resemblance to real weapons poses a clear dilemma for law enforcement officers who have encountered AirSoft weapons on the street and, in the case of a Florida student, responded with deadly consequences. That young man was brandishing an AirSoft gun with the mandatory orange tip painted black and was shot and killed by police.
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In Sonoma in November, police arrested an El Verano man in a fast food restaurant who brandished an AirSoft gun at a customer, demanding food.

Typical muzzle velocities for AirSoft pistols can exceed 450 feet a second, approaching or even exceeding the speed of real small-caliber ammunition like the .22 short pistol cartridge.

Sackett shared a quote from a children's center in Dayton, Ohio, that children have been treated with AirSoft BBs "in the lung, liver, heart, brain and eye."

He explained that a number of state and city laws forbid the discharge of the guns inside city limits within 500 feet of a home, and that even brandishing one of the guns in a threatening manner is a misdemeanor punishable with a jail term of not less than 30 days.

Source: David Bolling (INDEX-TRIBUNE EDITOR) | Sonomanews.com

Airsoft News: Danville High School Principal On Leave After Incident with Airsoft Gun

By Eric Louie Contra Costa Times

The principal of Monte Vista High in Danville is on administrative leave while the school district investigates her handling of an Airsoft pistol gun in front of a student.

Rebecca Smith has been on leave since Oct. 8 while the district investigates an incident in which she "handled a gun in an inappropriate manner in the presence of a student," said San Ramon Valley school district spokesman Terry Koehne.

He said the district has determined it was an Airsoft pistol which shoots plastic pellets that generally cannot break the skin. They are available at sporting goods and other stores. The pistols, generally considered a toy, are not powerful enough for hunting.

Monte Vista High School principal Rebecca Smith during Monte Vista High School's class registration day in
Danville, Calif., on Tuesday, August 22, 2006. (Doug Duran/Staff File)

Sources have told Bay Area News Group that the incident stemmed from actions before a girls volleyball game, when a player had an inflatable toy that resembled a gun. The student was called to the principal's office, which is where the incident with the Airsoft pistol took place.

Smith could not be reached for comment. Her attorney, Robert Bezemik, of Oakland, issued a statement Wednesday saying he could not say much about the incident involving the 35-year district employee.

"Because this involves the privacy interests of several participants, unfortunately we cannot publicly discuss any specifics at this time," he said. "Hopefully, common sense will prevail once she receives a fair and impartial opportunity to present her side of the story."

Koehne said the Advertisement district is not releasing details of the incident, but he said it happened on campus. He said the district received an anonymous tip about the incident Oct. 7, adding that Smith's leave is a routine procedure while the district investigates. He did not know how long the investigation will take.

Koehne said Smith is being paid while on leave. He did not have her exact salary, but he said principals' salaries range from $99,000 to $130,000.

Retired administrator Duff Danilovich has been brought into help run the school. He was a middle school principal and high school assistant principal in the district before his retirement.

School Board President Bill Clarkson said he could not comment, as it would be inappropriate because the case could go before the board. He said trustees have not met about the issue.

While rumors have been circulating about the incident and some parents are upset no official announcement was made, Koehne said the district was limited in what it could say because it is a personnel issue. The district e-mailed an announcement to parents Wednesday after Smith's leave was reported in local media.

Smith could not be reached for comment. She came to the school in 1981, working as an assistant principal before becoming principal in 1996, according to the school's Web site.

Her time at the school has not been without controversy. In 2007, a district audit found that nearly $100,000 raised by recent graduating classes was spent for items not approved by students. The funds were raised by each graduating class during their years at the school, with students determining where the money goes, but administrators instead transferred the cash to other accounts and decided where to spend it. Items purchased included computers, landscaping and rugs.

New Airsoft Gun: Smith and Wesson M4505 Black Airsoft Spring Pistol

AirSoft Spring Air Guns are styled after some of the world's most famous firearms. Spring Air Powered are true to scale and easy to operate. How they work...Pull back the slide (just like the real firearm they are modeled after) to charge the firing mechanism...Aim and fire. Spring Air models must be manually cocked each and every shot. Because of their maintenance free design and affordability these are excellent entry level AirSoft guns for the hobby and recreational enthusiast.

In the 1850s Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson started a revolution in firearms with their autonomous metal cartridge. After only 20 years Smith and Wesson became the top hand gun manufacturers in the world. Today American tradition and Asian experience , make the air soft guns by Smith and Wesson equal in relaibility and accuracy to any air soft guns manufactured in the world.

Smith and Wesson M4505 Black Airsoft pistol
Realistic looking BB gun with accurate, single shot firing. Shoots up to 302 fps with no spin up mechanism. Use with either .12g or .20g, 6mm pellets.

Fully licensed trademarks
Finely detailed trademarks on slide and grips
Distributed by: Cybergun (Soft Air USA)

Specifications:

• Firing system: High power pump
• Weight: 1.2 lbs
• Magazine Capacity: 12 rds
• Length: 8.5 in
• Scale: 1/1
• Caliber: 6mm
• Class: Classic Softair
• Mode: Single shot - Spring action pistol
• Material: Anti-shock ABS - Metal parts
• Works best with: 0.20g BBs
• Velocity: 300

Cheaper Airsoft Gun: Electric P99 Style Pistol Full Auto Blowback 230 FPS Airsoft Gun

This is a Electric P99 Style Pistol Full Auto Blow back 230 FPS Airsoft Gun. It comes with extreme detail and a solid heavy construction. It has a self cocking blow back system. This pistol shoots at 230 FPS and has a capacity of 17 rounds.

Electric Airsoft Pistols use batteries as their power source, they're usually fully automatic, and they shoot very fast. If you are looking for continuous fire fun, this is the type of Airsoft Gun for you - just hold down the trigger and watch those BBs stream out, one after the other, in a straight, swift line - which means fun and entertainment, plain and simple. This Electric Airsoft Pistol doesn't require any pumping just simply point and shoot.

Features and Specifications:

* 1:1 Scale Solid Heavy Construction
* Hop Up System
* Semi or Full Automatic Shooting
* Self Cocking Blowback System
* Runs of Regular/Rechargeable AAA Batteries
* FPS: 230
* Magazine Capacity: 17


This well detailed airsoft gun features all design characteristics unique to the real P-99 especially with the slide. The manufacturer has always stylized their slides in all their automatics and this airsoft P-99 carries the tradition with its trapezoidal shape. Among it's other design lines are the lower accessory rail mount, ambidextrous magazine release, and a special contoured and textured grip. Includes 100 bb's.
This version of the P99 inccorporates an optical sight, ergonomical slide, and attachable silencer

On sale from a previous price of $37.99 now only $12.95

Available in hobbytron.com