Airsoft News: PNP Reiterates Gun Ban Includes Airsoft Guns

The chief of the Metro Manila police reminded the public that airsoft guns or gun replicas have been included in the election period’s gun ban.

Director Roberto Rosales, chief of the The National Capital Region Police Office, urged airsoft gun owners and enthusiasts, in a statement, to refrain from carrying their guns so as not to violate Commission on Elections Resolution 8714, which included airsoft guns and gun replicas in the list of items covered by the gun ban.

He advised them to just leave their guns in places where they practice or play their hobby.

He said two men identified as Tristan Castro and Jonas Eslao were nabbed on Sunday morning for carrying a .45 caliber airsoft pistol and a gun replica at the checkpoint in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Earlier in the day, the NCRPO reported that three policemen, a member of the Philippine Navy and a government official were among the 11 people arrested in the first few hours of the implementation of the total gun ban on Sunday, the National Capital Regional Police Office said.

PO1 Aldrin Almanzan, SPO1 William Ronquillo, Navy's S1BM Michael Basahan, who all wore civilian clothes but were carrying their service firearms were arrested at a checkpoint put up in Las Piñas City, NCRPO spokesperson Rommel Miranda said.

Another policeman PO1 Dennis Quinto and Lawyer Tecson John Lim, the provincial administrator of Quirino province were also held on Sunday in Quezon City and Manila respectively.

“We won't spare our own men in this campaign. So, all those who plan to violate the (gun ban) must think twice,” Miranda said.

The NCRPO has set up 70 checkpoints in Metro Manila as the nationwide gun ban took effect ahead of the May 2010 elections. During an inspection, Miranda said Rosales reminded the police personnel manning the checkpoints to be courteous and respect human rights of the motorists and the public.

Meanwhile, Rosales also appealed to election candidates to file their application for Temporary Security Detail (TSD) at the Joint Security Control Center soon to allow them to employ security personnel with a legally issued firearm.

As of Sunday afternoon, 26 applications had been approved and 131 applications were still pending for approval.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net | Niña Calleja Philippine Daily Inquirer (First Posted 20:53:00 01/10/2010)

Airsoft News: Airsoft rifle looks real; Port Angeles neighbors alarmed

PORT ANGELES -- A Port Angeles man unintentionally caused a scare by playing with a fake rifle while with a group of friends near an apartment building Thursday.

Five Port Angeles police units blocked the apartments near the intersection of C Street and Lauridsen Boulevard after a 9-1-1 caller reported a man or a group of people brandishing a "rifle of sorts" at the back of the apartments, Deputy Chief of Police Brian Smith said.

"Based on the initial information, it appeared to be something that looked like a semiautomatic rifle," Smith said.

After surrounding the building, police talked with the men, who were all adults.

No one was cited.

"It was a very realistic duplication of an SKS rifle," Smith said.

The Airsoft replica had a 30-round magazine -- identical to the look-alikes police use for training. The gun was heavy and lifelike with sturdy metal and a wooden stock.

"It was an extremely realistic semiautomatic rifle that any reasonable person would think was a functioning weapon," Smith said.

Fake guns typically have orange caps that distinguish them from a live weapon. This gun did not have an orange cap.

It's not illegal to have a replica gun, but it is illegal to point or brandish one in a threatening manner, Smith said.

"It's not a crime if it's not alarming people," he said.

Smith said the people playing with the gun "didn't have a lot of situational awareness."

"We spent some time talking to them," Smith said.

Source: Rob Ollikainen | Peninsula Daily News

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.
*
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: Store Aims For Airsoft Crowd

David Greene was first introduced to airsoft guns – they shoot little plastic pellets that police use in training – while he was with the Army infantry in Korea in 1995.

The idea to open a Frankfort airsoft gun and supply store popped into his head earlier this year.

That was after a teammate on his airsoft team (Frankfort Elite Airsoft Regiment, or FEAR) needed a new gun just before a competition. Nothing was available locally.

Greene, a 38 year-old civilian contractor with the National Guard, and his friends drove to an airsoft store in Cincinnati – the closest – and Greene came back impressed.

He and his wife, Heather, 40, opened Dave’s Airsoft in October, and Greene says the response on opening day was “fantastic.”

“We had a lot of people coming in,” he said. “We’ve kind of lacked on advertising so far because we’re just starting out, but word of mouth is spreading quickly.

“I’ve had a great response from friends around the surrounding area saying everyone’s been playing, but there wasn’t a store in Central Kentucky until now.”

Greene’s customers include college students, law enforcement officers and current and former military personnel.

Teams form and compete in a way similar to paintball players.

Frankfort Police enlisted the services of FEAR during a hostage training exercise. The airsoft team acted as criminals holding a classroom of students at Frankfort High hostage, and the police swept them out.

“They had to clear out of the high school, secure the hostages and terminate us,” Greene explained.

Airsoft guns were used to simulate firearms, and Greene said the officers seemed interested in using the guns for recreational purposes.

Greene said airsoft can provide low cost training for law enforcement. He plans to contact state police and others to gauge their interest in similar training exercises.

“Police can use airsoft in lieu of firearms,” Greene said, adding that it gives them a realistic and hands-on training method.

For the everyday customer who doesn’t train for hostage situations, Dave’s Airsoft offers some of the lowest prices on guns and equipment. Greene says he prices everything 2 to 3 percent lower than what you would find online.

Prices for rifles range from $139-$305, and handguns go for about $50. Soon they’ll also be selling airsoft guns for younger kids and teenagers at around $50.

Dave’s Airsoft also sells all necessary airsoft equipment, like eye protection.

The advantage of shopping at his store, Greene says, is getting to feel the gun before buying it and not paying shipping and handling.

“There’s no guesswork. You can get your hands on the weapon, feel how durable it is, see how the stitching is on the gear.”

Another key feature is an in-store firing range next to the cash register. Customers can fire a weapon before buying it to see how it performs.

Greene says about 80 percent of his customers use the target range before buying a gun.

“You can look at the gun and hold the gun, but after you fire it, that’s what makes you decide,” he said.

The hardest part of opening the store, Greene said, was finding wholesalers to supply it. Dave’s Airsoft primarily deals with Jag Precision and JG – a sister company.

JG stands for “jing gong” in Chinese, which translates to English as “golden bow.”

Greene says having a wife who’s co-owned her own store helps a lot, since she knows the ins and outs of running a business.

The two make a perfect team, because what she brings in business knowledge, he matches with airsoft knowledge.

“We even each other out,” Greene says.

Originally from Jamestown, N.Y, Greene says he’s at home in Frankfort. He wants the store to succeed, but he doesn’t want to get too big.

“I don’t want to be Walmart or anything, but I’d like to give back and introduce people in the community to it,” he said.

“It’s a lot of fun and it teaches leadership and builds self-confidence. It’s just a great social program where people can meet on an even playing field.”

Source: state-journal.com (November 10, 2009) by Kevin Wheatley

Local News: Airsoft Gun Attack

Guy With Air Guns Pulls Prank, Goes to Jail

Lots of charges have piled up for a La Crosse guy after his Halloween pranking went way too far. Cops say 23 year-old Jordan Seielstad was lurking about his southside neighborhood dressed in black on Saturday night. Apparently tried to rob a couple of kids of their Halloween candy by pointing an AirSoft gun at them. Then pistol whipped another kid and tore a chunk of his lip off before chasing them around town in his car. Cops say they found Seielstad hiding twenty feet up in a tree. He says he was just trying to scare the kids and told them, "Happy Halloween" to let them know all of it was just in fun.

Source: Mitch (November 02, 2009)

Airsoft Gun Related News: Carjacker Nabbed After Hitting Ferndale Dealership

Suspect thought to be tied to Troy incident, as well

FERNDALE/TROY — A convicted thief suspected of forcibly stealing vehicles from car dealerships in Ferndale and Troy was arrested following a police chase on Woodward Avenue near I-696.

According to Ferndale Police Detective Lt. Bill Wilson, at around 3 p.m. on Oct. 21, Ferndale officers responded to a reported armed robbery at the Fresard Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealership at 21800 Woodward Ave.

The caller indicated that a Fresard salesman had been showing vehicles to the suspect, 21-year-old Bryan Lance of Pontiac, in the dealership lot when Lance put a gun to the salesman’s head and stole a used 2009 Chrysler 300. He then took off down northbound Woodward, Wilson said, and officers from Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Berkley and Royal Oak began a high-speed pursuit.

As Detective Brendan Moore noted, “Carjackings are fairly common, but it’s pretty unusual for something like this to happen at a dealership.”

Moments after the theft, a Pleasant Ridge officer conducting a traffic stop on Main Street near 10 Mile Road observed the stolen vehicle pass him as it headed northbound on Main, Wilson said. The officer followed Lance to a nearby parking lot, but as he approached the suspect vehicle, it drove back onto Main and sped away traveling southbound.

Near 10 Mile and Main, Lance crashed head-on into an SUV occupied by a man and woman. The collision did not cause any injuries to the passengers, however.

“(Lance) couldn’t have been going that fast when he made contact with the car,” Moore said. “It appears that he slowed down significantly and tried to swerve around them.”

Lance then exited the stolen car, pulling out a fake handgun as he began to run southbound on Woodward, Wilson said. Witnesses on the road reported that Lance pointed the gun toward them and then toward a Ferndale officer, who was exiting her vehicle and preparing to approach the suspect from the south.

“Our officer had been monitoring the pursuit on the radio,” Moore said. “She was already stopped, and then she saw him running toward her with a gun pointed in her direction.”

The officer responded by firing two shots at Lance, which missed him but caused him to surrender to police. Wilson stressed that no one was hurt in the incident.

After Lance was arrested, the officers discovered that his weapon was not a real gun, but a toy airsoft pistol. “It’s not at all uncommon for criminals to use a toy gun like that,” Moore explained. “Those airsoft guns look very realistic and could absolutely pass for a real handgun.”

The officers also found that Lance was in possession of some fake police gear, including a phony police badge and some toy handcuffs. Moore stated that Ferndale police are still investigating why Lance was in possession of these items.

“That’s the real stumper of the case,” he said. “We have no clue why he had that stuff, and he’s not saying anything about it. It’s entirely possible that he was using them to impersonate a police officer.”

On Oct. 23, Lance was arraigned in Ferndale 43rd District Court on charges of carjacking, armed robbery and fleeing and eluding police. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. Magistrate Larue Mead set bond at $900,000 cash or surety and scheduled a pre-exam conference for Nov. 5.

Troy police believe that Lance could also be responsible for an Oct. 20 carjacking at the Elder Ford dealership at 777 John R Road.

“We’re looking very closely at him as a possible suspect,” said Troy Police Lt. Michael Lyczkowski. He said that evidence police confiscated from Lance following his arrest in Ferndale may link him to the Elder Ford incident.

Moore confirmed that this was a strong possibility. “There is evidence that leads us to believe he was involved in the crime in Troy,” he said. “He has also been convicted for stealing cars in Troy over the last two years.”

According to reports about the Elder Ford case, the suspect asked to talk to a salesperson about a specific Ford Fusion, a 2010 SEL, for sale in the new car lot.

Police said the man got into the driver’s seat of the Fusion while the salesperson stood outside the vehicle. The man then reportedly pulled a black semi-automatic pistol from the waistband of his pants, pointed it at the salesperson and demanded the keys to the car, Lyczkowski said.

After the salesperson handed over the keys, the man told him to walk away, and then fled the lot in the Fusion, police said. Highland Park police later recovered the Fusion abandoned, but with no visible damage, in that city at around 12:45 a.m. on Oct. 22.

By Jeremy Selweski and Terry Oparka (C & G Staff Writers)
Source: candgnews.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.

Crosman Challenger PCP Airgun The Latest and Greatest in Air Guns

ROCHESTER, New York –-(AmmoLand.com)

Crosman is proud to introduce the latest and greatest in competition airguns; the all new Challenger PCP.



This sporter class air rifle was recently reviewed by the National Three-Position Air Rifle Council’s committee and was approved as legal for use in sporter class air rifle competition.

This gun is getting rave reviews from the shooting community. Here is just one of the comments we have received…

"This is by far the best looking Sporter air rifle I’ve ever seen! I’m glad to see that someone in the shooting industry finally designed a Sporter that allows the shooter to make the necessary adjustments to their particular shape and stature. This will also greatly enhance the shooter’s transition from Sporter to Precision.” – Major Ron Wigger, Head Rifle Coach, U.S. Military Academy, West Point

Three-Position Air Rifle Shooting is one of the fastest growing and most popular forms of shooting sports competition for young shooters and shooting groups. Two different Three-Position Air Rifle events are available.

Precision Air Rifle, which is modeled after the Olympic-style shooting event, is an event that allows for the use of specialized equipment. It can be cost prohibitive so it usually attracts the veteran shooters. Designed for new shooters or those who want to compete with a more modest investment in equipment, is the Sporter Class event. In both types of shooting events, competitors fire at targets 10 meters away, in three different shooting positions; offhand, kneeling, and prone.

Three-Position Air Rifle Shooting provides young shooters with competitive shooting sports opportunities offered on a wide variety of easily accessible or easily constructed ranges. The equipment needed is commonly available at affordable costs and many groups like Junior ROTC, 4-H, NRA have programs for the Three-Position Air Rifle Shooting sport.

source: ammoland.com

Airsoft News: Youth gun violence in King County

Editor, The Times:

I wholeheartedly agreed with Beth Colgan’s perspective in her guest commentary in The Seattle Times, “Community intervention effective at dealing with kids packing heat” [Opinion, Oct. 2].

In May 2009 a 12-year-old and 14-year-old were arrested for firing Airsoft guns, shown above, on a Seattle school bus. Incidents like these, of carrying dangerous weapons on school property, are making city leaders rethink the way they deal with youth gun violence.

She makes an excellent point in her critique of King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg’s call for a new state law to mandate jail time for juveniles who are in possession of guns. Colgan states these youth would be better served if judges would order them to participate in proven community-based programs designed to give them the therapeutic, and culturally specific services they need to destroy their misguided fixation on carrying around firearms.

Time and time again, research-based programs have shown that community-based intervention and prevention projects more effectively serve violent-prone youth than does sending them to state-run detention centers. Plus these programs are far less expensive to operate than youth jails.

Although Colgan is correct in pointing out that fewer than a fraction of 1 percent of Washington youth have been adjudicated for gun possession, Satterberg is right to ring the alarm bell regarding the devastation caused by those few youth who have wantonly maimed and killed people recently in King County.

As the chair of the Metropolitan King County Council budget committee, I believe we must focus our attention on finding a way to identify, improve and better utilize programs that can provide help to these youth in our community.

I do not think the facts currently warrant passing a state law incarcerating all youth found guilty of being in possession of a gun.

— Larry Gossett, Seattle

Repealing the Second Amendment

Danny Westneat’s column was a tragic story [“A test of strength, every day,” NWWednesday, Oct. 7], but one that needed to be told.

The presence of a gun in the house turned what would have been a long, confusing night, followed by some drug treatment for dry cleaner Phu Phung’s son, into a tragedy for the family and for all of us.

It’s time to repeal the Second Amendment.

— Michael Kale, Seattle

Source

Airsoft News: Man threatens residents with Airsoft gun in downtown Milwaukie

By Matthew Graham (The Clackamas Review, Oct 2, 2009)

St. John’s Catholic School was locked down Friday and people fled an area of downtown Milwaukie when a 15-year-old reportedly began threatening other residents with what appeared to be a firearm.

According to Milwaukie Police Department spokesman Officer Kevin Krebs, police were called to the intersection of 25th and Washington streets in downtown Milwaukie around 12:15 p.m. on Friday after citizens wrestled the threatening suspect to the ground, disarmed him and he fled.

Jaime Valdez / Pamplin Media Group
Milwaukie High School students and witness give their testimony to Milwaukie policemen
about a man walking around with an airsoft weapon around the school.

“It was reported that some citizens had wrestled this subject to the ground, had taken the gun from him and he was last seen running from the area,” Krebs said. “Officers arrived on the scene and after a brief foot pursuit caught up with the subject. He was taken into custody without incident.”

Krebs said what witnesses thought was a gun was actually an Airsoft gun. Airsoft guns are typically highly detailed replicas of actual guns but which shoot non-metallic pellets. The pellets velocity ranges from 100 feet per second to 850 feet per second.

“It’s becoming an increasing problem,” Krebs said. “The Airsoft guns, however harmless they may be, they have an appearance that mimics and models real guns. And obviously without very close examination, you cannot tell the diff between an Airsoft gun and a real gun … Here we have an individual on the corner, kiddy corner to two schools, the potential obviously is grave … The results could have been disastrous.”

Krebs said the suspect was taken into custody and was being questioned Friday. He said charges will likely be filed, and that the charges for threatening someone with an Airsoft gun are the same as those for threatening someone with a lethal firearm.

Source: The Clackamas Review

Airsoft News: Man Stabbed By 12-Year-Old is Recovering

WESTLAKE -- Westlake Police say a man stabbed in the chest Friday evening will spend about a week in the hospital but should make a full recovery.

As juvenile charges of felonious assault were filed against the unidentified 12-year-old accused of the attack, the victim was upgraded to stable condition at St. John WestShore Hospital.

"He's improving," said Westlake Police Lt. Ray Arcuri of the victim, who is 40 years old and whose name is not being released. "We're all encouraged."

The man was stabbed after he had chased down and detained the boy who had been firing an AirSoft pistol at other youngsters riding their bikes on a wooded trail near the intersection of Center Ridge Road and Dover Center.

He managed to make his way out of the woods and to the back door of the Rite Aid drugstore on that corner.

The victim was on his way to the Westlake High School Homecoming game with his son when he saw two boys firing the AirSoft guns and felt a couple pellets whiz by his head.

One of the boys ran away when the man approached, but the 12-year-old was stopped. This is how the victim, in his own 911 call to Westlake Police, described what happened.

"He's a young kid. He was shooting an AirSoft gun at the boys down here at the trail," the man said, in the 911 call. "I chased him. I took his gun away."

"He gave the wrong phone number three times, then he just reached in and grabbed a knife and stabbed me right in the heart," the victim said.

The man said he offered his cell phone to the 12-year-old and asked him to call his parents and tell them what he had been up to.

After the third unsuccessful call, the man says the boy suddenly turned on him.

"I'm bleeding pretty bad here, guys," the victim told the 911 dispatcher, who asked if he'd been stabbed in the chest area.

"Yeah, right in the chest," the victim replied.

"Did you see what kind of knife he had?" asked the dispatcher, to which the victim said, "No, he stuck it back in his pocket."

Police say that after the boy ran away, he threw the knife in the woods. Police took him and several searchers back to the area on Saturday but they were not able to find the weapon.

They did seize the boy's AirSoft gun and his bicycle. The second boy who had been with him was not held by police.

Lt. Arcuri says they have no motive for the stabbing.

"Crime is everywhere, violence is everywhere, but for a 12-year-old to go to this extreme measure is highly unusual," he told WKYC.

Arcuri said the two boys with the AirSoft guns may have been taking shots at other youngsters with whom they'd had a prior argument.

Arcuri said the boy, a seventh grader at Westlake Middle School, may have been carrying the knife for "protection."

Source: WKYC

Airsoft News: Students Suspended For Bringing Airsoft Guns Onto School Grounds

This appeared in FOX Mankato News and KEYS last September 22, 2009 at 6:53pm

Two Janesville- Waldorf- Pemberton high school students are suspended and may face expulsion after bringing Airsoft guns on to school grounds and shooting at other students.The Janesville Police were called Monday morning, after someone reported the students standing in front of the school pointing a rifle at passers- by.

Police Chief David Ulmen says it was a scary moment when police recovered the gun because it is a close replica to the assault rifle he carries on duty.David Ulmen says It's the idea of bringing something like this to school, taking it out of the car, and shooting these Airsoft pellets at other people.

We have to treat these calls as serious, genuine calls."No one was hurt in the incident and no charges have been filed yet pending an investigation. Tonight on the FOX Mankato News at Nine and on News 12 at 10, we'll hear more from Chief Ulmen on why these students are fortunate they weren't hurt in the incident.

Airsoft News: Man Shot with "Airsoft" Gun, Robbed in San Gabriel

This is the sad thing about using airsoft gun... there are some who violates and using it for their evil cause... the next time you encounter them (i hope not), please try to ask, "Is it real or an airsoft?" kidding.... Just take good care.

SAN GABRIEL (By Brian Day, Staff Writer (Posted: 09/23/2009 05:07:30 PM PDT)

A robber shot a man in the face with what police believe was an "airsoft" gun and stole his wallet Wednesday, authorities said.

The crime occurred about 2 p.m. in the 1700 block of Strathmore Avenue, San Gabriel police Lt. Dan Russo said.

The victim, an Asian man in his 30s, was approached by robber armed with an "airsoft"-style gun, the lieutenant said, which is a replica gun shooting 6mm plastic BB's.

They typically shoot their plastic projectiles at several hundred feet per second.

The man appeared to suffer a small laceration and a welt to his face, Russo said.

He was taken to an area hospital for examination.

The robber was described as a white man in hiss 20s, of thin build, with short hair, Russo said.

No car was seen in connection with the robbery, he added.

Airsoft Philippines News: 1st ACES Charity Airsoft Fellowship Games

I read this from mindanaotimes , congrats to TEAM AWOL DAVAO...

WIKIPEDIA, the free online encyclopedia says, “SPORTSMANSHIP is conformance to the rules, spirit, and etiquette of sport. More grandly, it may be considered the ethos of sport. It is interesting that the motivation for sport is often an elusive element. Sportsmanship expresses an aspiration or ethos that the activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one’s competitors. Being a good sport involves being a good winner as well as being a good loser.”

In the airsoft world, a sportsmanship award is one of the highest honors a team could reap from a tournament. TEAM AWOL DAVAO, for the 4th time, got another sportsmanship award last September 13, 2009, during the 1st ACES-CIDG Davao Charity Airsoft Fellowship Games held at the ACES game site at Diversion Road, Ma-a, Davao City.

Supported by PAGCOR Davao, Vice Mayor Sara Duterte, Businessman Bebot Uy, Honorable Edgar Ibuyan Sr., Asian United Bank, Tanduay Distillers - Philippines, Quatro Tactical Source, and Mr. Dado Delicano, the tournament was for the benefit of the LINGAP Foundation and the KADAUPAN Ministry of Love.

Team APD-STACT emerged as Champion, Team AWOL Davao as 1st runner up and Team ASG Davao as 2nd runner up. Kudos to J. E. Siao for the pictures.

Airsoft News: Simi Considers Allowing Indoor Paint-ball and Airsoft Games

By Michele Willer-Allred Originally published 10:08 a.m., September 22, 2009

The Simi Valley City Council on Monday directed staff to look into amending the city’s municipal code to make it legal for airsoft, paint ball, and other games using firearms to be played indoors.

Under current city code, firearms are only allowed for target practice at indoor shooting ranges. No firearms can be used outdoors.

Airsoft and paint-ball guns are defined in the code as firearms because the guns use air, gas, spring-action or an electronically powered gearbox mechanism to drive a projectile.

In airsoft and paint-ball games, players use nonlethal guns to shoot plastic pellets or plastic paint balls at opponents. Since airsoft and paintball involves shooting at other players, it is not allowed under current city code.

City officials said airsoft and paint-ball guns were not envisioned when the city’s regulations for firearms were established in 1981. They have since become a popular entertainment activity at facilities in the city.

The amendments to the code would allow airsoft and paint-ball gaming indoors with a conditional use permit.

Douglas Mitchell of True Edge, which sells airsoft guns and products in the Conejo Valley, said he is in favor of requiring airsoft and paint-ball gaming indoors because it offers a safer, more controlled environment.

Councilman Glen Becerra said he had concerns with amending the code because children would be banned from playing outside with toys such as Nerf dart guns, even if they have adult supervision. City staff will be exploring options regarding outdoor use of these toys.

City staff is also looking into easing the permit application process so organizations can have bow and arrow target range shooting without seeking council approval.

JWP Students Suspended For Bringing Airsoft Guns to School Grounds

Posted: Monday, September 21, 2009 5:22 pm By DREW AMO Staff Writer (http://www.wasecacountynews.com)

JANESVILLE — Two Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton High School students have been suspended after an incident outside the school building Monday morning.

At 8:15 a.m., Janesville Police responded to a report of two school-aged males pointing a rifle at people passing by.

According to Police Chief David Ulmen, using the information from that call, police identified the two males and recovered an Airsoft rifle that resembled an AR15 (sample image below).

An Airsoft gun is a highly detailed firearm replica made for recreational use and made to fire plastic pellets.

Ulmen said no charges have been filed yet, but added that the case has been sent to the County Attorney’s Office for review for any possible criminal charges.

Superintendent Dick Orcutt said the district has a set of fairly strict guild lines it has to follow in cases like this.

Orcutt added that the students will remain suspended until a full determination on any additional punishment is made.

Airsoft News: Teen cited for shooting at younger boys with Airsoft gun

This was posted on September 10, 2009, 11:48 pm, MADISON (WKOW) from this website.

Madison Police arrested a 16-year-old boy Saturday night for allegedly shooting two younger boys with an Airsoft gun.

One of the victims, a 13-year-old, told the officer the teen shot him in the arm and hand at close range. The second victim, an 11-year-old, says he was shot in the face from about 15-feet away.

Both told officers they did not provoke the suspect and weren't sure they it happened. Police tracked down the teen and arrested him for two counts of Battery.

Just play with the rule. For safety, you can follow this safety instruction from airsplat.com

Airsoft News; Airsoft Gun Confiscated at Odessa School 9/9/09

Source: cbs7kosa.com

After dismissal from school on Wednesday afternoon, Goliad Elementary assistant principal Larisa Halbert was told by a student that a 5th grade boy had a gun in his backpack. Ms. Halbert located the boy, confiscated the backpack, and found an Airsoft gun. Airsoft guns shoot small plastic pellets and are extremely popular with kids right now.

ECISD police officers talked with the boy and do not believe he intended to hurt anyone. The boy will be disciplined in accordance with the ECISD Student Code of Conduct. Because Airsoft guns are not considered weapons, there will be no criminal charges related to the incident.

Politicians with totalitarian tendencies want to ban guns, Airsoft gun lovers are also affected

“An insecure government is afraid of an armed citizenry.”

With this as their battle cry, thousands of licensed gun owners are organizing big protest rallies nationwide to express their opposition to the government’s antigun policies and proposed measures that they described as threats to their rights to defend themselves and their families.

Several progun groups are also wondering why the government is rushing antigun measures, citing, among others, the establishment of gun-free zones, the ban on the tucking of gun (inside waistband-outside waistband); the proposed total gun ban during elections; the proposal to pass a law that will make illegal possession of firearm a nonbailable offense; and, the latest, a proposed bill in the House of Representatives, to further limit ownership and use of weapons by peaceful and responsible citizens.

The gun-free zones was reportedly proposed by the antigun group International Action Network on Small Arms, which is very active in lobbying for antigun measures not only in the country but worldwide.

The group is said to be well-funded and well-connected, internationally, the reason government officials are giving in to the group’s pressure.

Airsoft groups have vowed to join the protest as they themselves are affected by antigun policies.

As a prelude to the big rally, Internet forums and social-networking sites were flooded by opposition to these antigun policies and threatened to fight them tooth and nail.
House Bill 6658, authored by Lakas Rep. Pedro Romualdo of Camiguin, seeks stricter gun control that included airsoft guns.

As embodied in the bill, all airsoft guns, and all gas- and spring-operated pistols and rifles will now be classified as real firearms.

Also, the bill provides that if a person is with a group of people when caught with an unlicensed firearm or parts of a gun, with or without the knowledge of his companions, the group will be presumed to be in illegal possession of firearms, and shall be all be charged accordingly.

Penalties were also increased in the proposed bill, such as life imprisonment for illegal possession or manufacture of firearms or light weapons, six to 18 years for illegal possession of ammunition, including blanks, as well as noxious liquid and gas dispensers.
Illegal possession of firearms shall now be considered as a separate and distinct penalty if any other crime is committed in the same act. Thus, a person can be charged twice for the same act and be slapped with two penalties.

“Light weapons” are now defined and prohibited, which include any weapon capable of holding a “drum” magazine, which would include practically all semiautomatic rifles, including rimfire caliber .22s.

During a public hearing of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, members of the Peaceful and Responsible Owners of Guns (ProGUN) and other stakeholders in the firearm industry were invited to give their views on HB 6658, but were dismayed when the panel did not allow any of those invited to speak.

They were supposed to read the lengthy position paper on the flawed provisions of the bill.
Instead, Lakas-Kampi-CMD Rep. Rodolfo Antonino of Nueva Ecija, committee chairman, allowed a few short comments from members of the panel before voting to approve the measure.

Later, when one of the members of ProGUN called a member of the committee and inquired why the bill was bing railroaded, the legislator purportedly told him: “That’s a Malacañang-backed bill. The Office of the President made direct contact with the congressmen [not him] to approve that bill.”

Moderators and members of pinoyguns.com are enraged over these gun policies and are presently coordinating with ProGUN officials and several groups to iron out the planned big protest rallies.

“Politicians who have totalitarian tendencies prefer unarmed citizens.… It is these same politicians who are willing to do anything, by hook or by crook, to get what they want, even if it means sacrificing someone else, in this case, these politicians want to sacrifice our God-given right to bear arms [although this is considered a privilege here in the Philippines] and our safety to further their own ambitions,” commented one of the members.

Earlier, the Association of Firearms and Ammunitions Dealers of the Philippines (Afad), reacting to the recent call of President Arroyo to “look into legislation that can tackle access to firearms and bring their availability under control” while, at the same time, to “look at new, stiffer penalties for anyone using a firearm when committing a crime,” said legislators should distinguish between loose firearms in the hands of criminals and licensed firearms in the hands of peace-loving citizens.

Nereo “Neri” Dionisio, Afad chairman, said a check with the record of the National Police Firearms and Explosives Division will show that only 12 licensed firearms, as against 1,719 unlicensed firearms, were involved in criminal cases last year.

“Further scrutiny into these records should reveal that these 12 cases involve minor infractions of gun laws and not related to murders of journalists and high-profile personalities,” Dionisio said.

Sources: businessmirror.com

Airsoft Gun Toys Could Turn Deadly: Please Beware!

I found this article from seacoastonline.com (an article from Shir Haberman), and this is relevant for those fellow shooters out there. Police find it difficulty in telling when weapon is real or an airsoft gun....

Please continue reading....


NORTH HAMPTON — Around 1 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2, local police received a call from a resident of the Shel-Al mobile home park indicating two young men were roaming the grounds armed with high-powered rifles and wearing flak jackets.


When officers arrived, one of the two 17-year-olds fled. An officer pursued him in a cruiser and caught up with the subject. Seeing what appeared to be an AR-15 assault rifle, the officer then drew his gun and ordered the man to drop the weapon, which he did. It was determined at that point the rifle was really an airsoft pellet gun and not a deadly assault weapon.


The young man explained he and his friend were shooting at each other with the relatively harmless pellets and were not out to harm anyone. However, police Chief Brian Page said if the young man had swung around and pointed the rifle toward the officer, the incident could have ended in disaster.


"The officer used deadly force by drawing his pistol," Page said. "This could have been a very sobering incident."


Page said he is telling this story to educate parents and youngsters about the dangers of walking around with realistic-looking firearms.


"I don't want to take the fun away from the kids or tell parents not to buy these guns, but don't take them out in the street after dark, and use good judgment," the chief said.


Trinity Airsoft, of Wise, Va., manufactures and sells a range of pellet firearms and combat gear that so closely resemble the real thing that police are having a tough time telling them apart, Page said. Couple this with companies that will decorate real assault weapons in ways that make them look like toys, and law enforcement officials have to consider any weapon potentially dangerous, North Hampton Police Lt. John Scippa said.


"For an officer to respond (to an incident) and have to decide whether the weapon is real or a toy, clearly puts the officer at a disadvantage," Scippa said. "Law enforcement can't discount the dangers here."


Last Sunday's incident is the second toy gun event that has occurred in this town of 4,500 residents.


At about 8:15 p.m. on May 10, an employee at Al's Seafood on Lafayette Road called police about an individual dressed in a dark, hooded sweatshirt behind the store holding a pistol. When employees approached the suspect, he fled into the woods. Restaurant employees called the police and gave officers the suspect's license plate number.


t turned out the suspect was part of a game called assassin being played by Exeter High School's senior class and that he was in North Hampton because one of his "targets" worked at Al's. More importantly, the gun seen turned out to be a toy pistol that had been painted to resemble a real firearm. Page said he was glad things turned out the way they did rather than having an officer confront the subject in the woods and being unable to distinguish the pistol as a toy.


"That would have been tragic for everyone," Scippa said.


The police are not the only ones who could be involved in making a tragic error by failing to determine that a weapon is really a toy. The chief noted many people are now carrying firearms for various reasons. Should one of those people feel they are in danger, they are less qualified to determine the reality of the weapon being pointed at them than a police officer, something that could have tragic consequences.


Page suggested several things parents and youngsters could do to lessen the possibility of a pellet, BB or toy gun being mistaken for the real thing. They include:


* Notifying the police when a realistic-looking non-lethal gun is purchased,
* Notifying neighbors that such a gun is in your household,
* Not using the gun outside the confines of your property, and
* Not using the gun after dark.


The chief also recommended the use of safety glasses and protective gear to prevent self-inflicted injuries.