BATFE out of control, seizes airsoft guns

[FishingBack]

Claims that soft-metal airsoft guns without firing pins (electronic motor firing plastic balls) could be made into automatic weapons.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=127706

You'd think it were a joke.

Government agencies have explained that the Airsoft toys, made of a soft pot metal and lacking a firing mechanism, easily could be converted into a true weapon capable of automatic fire.

"Our firearms technology branch classified this as a machine gun," BATFE Special Agent Kelvin Crenshaw said in a report assembled by Gun Owners of America. "With minimal work it could be converted to a machine gun."

Jason Jonah of Andy and Dax Surplus said, "It looks like a gun, but the insides are completely different, the design is different, and the material it's made of is just not strong enough to fire real ammunition."

If somebody tried to fire real ammunition, he said, it mostly likely would blow up the toy.

"The gun would come apart and the pieces fly at you," he said. "If it weren't the ATF making these accusations, I'd laugh, but they must be taking it seriously. In all my years, I've never had anyone talk – even laughingly – about changing these into weapons," he said.

He said it would be about as easy to convert an Airsoft into a real weapon as transforming "your Cuisinart or any other electrical appliance into a real gun.

 

[jmcrawf1]

It would be a single shot weapon after it blew to pieces after firing the first shot.

 

[CloudStrife]

Are the barrels even threaded or the chamber reamed out? Is there a bolt or place for a bolt carrier? If it were so easy to convert, we'd need FFLs to buy them.

 

[Hitman]

Rogue Agency ....

 

[kdick3]

Simply stunning....

 

[Saftman]

Scary.

 

[Ben Segrest]

With an AR, the lower receiver is the gun, so the important part here is the lower. So, is the lower machined to accept a fcg? If it is, will an upper pin into place? If so, it's a firearm. It can't be a machine gun, however, unless it'll accept a full auto fcg, the magwell is functional and the receiver extension can be made functional.

 

[Hardballing]

Are the barrels even threaded or the chamber reamed out? Is there a bolt or place for a bolt carrier? If it were so easy to convert, we'd need FFLs to buy them.

Think they're not thinking of that? FFL for airsoft I mean.

ATF WOULD be laughable if they didn't do so much damage for minor infractions or stupid publicity stunts like this. Okay, THIS is laughable .

 

[oleheat]

Why haven't the feds gone after slinkies? Couldn't they be used in mob-style killings like piano wire?

 

[CloudStrife]

Why haven't the feds gone after slinkies? Couldn't they be used in mob-style killings like piano wire?

Or guitar strings.

 

[Kraut]

With an AR, the lower receiver is the gun, so the important part here is the lower. So, is the lower machined to accept a fcg? If it is, will an upper pin into place? If so, it's a firearm. It can't be a machine gun, however, unless it'll accept a full auto fcg, the magwell is functional and the receiver extension can be made functional.

Not having closely examined or inspected any of the real nice, pricey airsofts, this was the same thing I was thinking, I've heard the good ones are a real close match. If it's made from a strong enough material and to the right sizes, the right modifications may enable it to house the correct innards and become a platform for a functioning upper. People with the right machinery and know-how can scratch-build guns, so starting with a mostly correct lower for which nearly limitless upper options are available cash-in-hand, I can imagine it's a possiblilty.

 

[jimdana1942]

America is just going to the stupid dogs.

 

[CloudStrife]

If they come after my airsoft pistol, they're going to get a full mag of 6mm balls to the chest.

 

[JadeRaven]

If they come after my airsoft pistol, they're going to get a full mag of 6mm balls to the chest.

They can pry it from my warm, greasy hands.

 

[madmax4x4]

http://www.bayoushooter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32167

 

[Ben Segrest]

hard to be a repost when the article was published today and the last post in that thread was over a week ago.

 

[SpeedRacer]

No way. The guts are competely different - batteries, actuators, electronics. There is no hammer in an airsoft gun.

Exactly. And even if they could somehow be converted, even the good airsoft replicas are made of **** materials. Just because they are metal doesn't mean they are forged to properly handle real actual grownup ammo. So if even if some badass dude managed to make one fire live ammo, I doubt it would do so more than once or twice before exploding.

Instead, the BATFE should be focusing their energy on convincing everyone the 6mm plastic balls could be "lethal".

 

[Ben Segrest]

Exactly. And even if they could somehow be converted, even the good airsoft replicas are made of **** materials. Just because they are metal doesn't mean they are forged to properly handle real actual grownup ammo. So if even if some badass dude managed to make one fire live ammo, I doubt it would do so more than once or twice before exploding.

Like I said before, the upper is irrelevant to the discussion. The lower and whether or not it is machined to spec. is the important part. It doesn't even have to be finished, it just has to be beyond the so called 80% mark. As for the strength of the material, I'm guessing you aren't familiar with the wooden lower or the plastic lower.

 

[tunatuk]

the nicer airsoft guns can be $300 and up. I don't know if they are to spec, but you can take the mechbox out of them and throw it away and have an empty lower with which to do whatever you want.

the pistol grip is hollow and that is where the motor goes.

I don't remember if they have pin holes for your detents that would even allow it to mate to a real steel upper.

I used to be pretty big into airsoft back in my high school days...

 

[madmax4x4]

hard to be a repost when the article was published today and the last post in that thread was over a week ago.

No it's just the same story
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/195667.asp

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