The California legislature strikes yet again in their quest to ban firearms. This time though, rather than go after real guns, the assault is against airsoft. That’s right, airsoft guns. California Senate Bill 798 demands that all airsoft guns must be made in clear or high visibility colors. Kind of defeats the purpose of playing Army don’t you think? Even England hasn’t gone this far…yet. SSD supports gun rights and we look at airsoft as another facet of the firearms industry. Make your voice heard and let them know in Sacramento how you feel about Bill 798. After all, this is a dangerous precedent. If they’ll do this to simulated weapons, what’s to stop similar legislation against actual firearms or knives?
Yet another law that misses the point an only bothers law-abiding citizens…
Law-abiding citizens buying them for collection or milsim will follow the law, criminals using them for robberies will just get the clear ones and paint them or simply buy out of the state.
And this will also cost a couple thousand jobs, as California has the probably highest number of airsoft stores in the US plus the many airsoft-only fields or the paintball/airsoft fields that will see much less players because, as the editor said, there’s no point in milsim with bright pink guns…
California is getting worse on guns than Canada – that’s saying a lot.
I am very impressed by this. In the UK, we faced an almost identical bill, the Violent Crime Reduction Act, which aimed to out and out BAN the sale of airsoft guns. It took YEARS and the collapse of several lobbying groups to fight the government to a satisfactory conclusion.
To see all those retailers and site owners band together and do something like this, so quickly, is astonishing. Well done USA Airsofters.
I’m sure one or two of them read this blog ( lots of airsofters do 😛 ), so I suggest to them getting in contact with the United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association. These are the guys who eventually fought Parliament to a standstill.
Ed – Let’s be fair, a LOT of people and organisations were involved in the fight to save airsoft skirmishing from the misguided lunacy of Hazel Blears and her cronies in the Cabinet. And the final (split) victory was really only finally won thanks to a Cabinet shuffle that led to Blears being banished (and eventually booted out in disgrace over the expenses scandal – Yay!) and to the spirited defence of airsofters by some friendly MP’s in the House of Commons. Even so, you still have to live with a bright green, bright blue or clear bodied airsoft gun if your’re not a registered airsofter, or under the age of 18.
The real, foreseeable, and inevitable irony of it all of course that the VCRA has FAILED to actually reduce Violent Crime in general – and firearms-related crime in particular; becuase airsoft was a complete red-herring right from the start! Meanwhile, ACTUAL bullet-firing, lethal firearms continue to get smuggled in from abroad and used by youth gangs and drug rings in all the major cities of the UK.
It should have said “a simulated legislature in a simulated state seeks to ban simulated firearms” given their attention to the real problems of California.
As to what will stop legislation against actual firearms and knives, it is the courts and the Constitution along with groups like the CalGuns Foundation, CRPA, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the NRA. The so-called legislature will pass legislation which will get signed and then years later will be overturned by the courts.
Another law that attempts to only solve a symptom of a society-related problem, and it fails at that, too.
I think I am going to rob a bank with a home made bow and arrow and see if the People Republic of California will pass a law against sticks and string…
It amazes me how asinine our government has become.
Utterly ridiculous.
This is bill outwardly similar to the restrictions Canada, although at least our law was written by people who didn’t understand our Criminal Code. Eventually we managed to turn the law to our advantage and somewhat recover.
Hopefully Californians will be able to defeat the bill in its entirety.
The Road to Hell is paved with good intentions…
I think any law, before it’s passed, should have input from those it DIRECTLY affects. In effect, let the users govern themselves in a way. I guarrantee the restrictions, and riders, and fees, and fines would be structured, and organized MUCH differently in all areas concerned.
People who do things from an emotional standpoint lack respect for the people they affect most. Anti Gun legislators have NO respect for Pro Gun constituents.
Those whose been in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s General Assembly and heard the comments from Dick Saslaw about gun owners in the elevator, lobby, and GA floor can tell you! Anti Gun politicians hate Pro Gun Constituents with a passion.
Strike-Hold, aye I know a LOT of people were involved in it, but they all ultimately fell by the wayside. UK airsoft has never really succeeded in banding together, in anything.
“UK airsoft has never really succeeded in banding together, in anything.”
Banding together is relative. UK airsoft banded together and organized to a degree that was unprecedented elsewhere, and for that some credit is due.
“I think I am going to rob a bank with a home made bow and arrow and see if the People Republic of California will pass a law against sticks and string…”
awesome….
Not to sound like a troll, but I don’t see what the problem is with clear air soft guns. If it saves one kid from getting shot by a trigger happy cop, the bill will be a success.
Because cops don’t shoot kids playing with airsoft guns, cops shoot kids pointing airsoft guns at them in a threatening manner. The latter is an aberration and a deviant behaviour, which should not dictate the right to have and use the devices in an acceptable context.
Some kids will shoplift alcohol from grocery stores, drink them while under-aged, and then steal cars to go on joy rides. Banning the sale of alcohol, the consumption of alcohol by minors, operating a vehicle without a licence or the vehicles themselves will not fix the problem of some kids being bad kids. It’s impossible to kids-proof the world, it’s up to the parents to world-proof their kids.
It’s typical CA politics, coming up with a solution to a non-existent problem. This sort of reminds me of the .50 cal ban a few years back, banning 5.0 cal rifles in CA because we’ve had so many problems with them. Like terrorists (one of the groups the law was supposedly aimed at) really care about laws and wouldn’t just smuggle in one from out of state if they wanted. And we also know how much gangabangers are into precision, long distance shooting when going against rival gangs, how much use they have for (relatively) slow firing semi-auto rifle, or how well a large .50 cal rifle works in the confines of a car for doing drive bys with.
The thing I don’t understand about this stupid bill is, what problem are they trying to solve? I have yet to hear about any sort of of problems or crimes being committed with airsoft guns. Like many criminals are going to bother with airsofts when they can get the real thing; they’re certainly going to continue to do so if this law passes and if they find getting airsofts easier then what’s to prevent from simply painting them black?
Unfortunately, this was done in the name of Law Enforcement “safety” as well as keeping kids from being shot by LEO’s while they were pointing an airsoft at police officer. Which clearly, that immature juvenile had no business having one in the first place. The fault of this lies on the parents of the child.
Sadly, once again, they have missed the mark, and instead of making things safer, they have made it more dangerous for law enforcement. Do a Google search on pink firearms, several real firearms that are painted a bright pink come up. There is a custom .45, and the Lady Smith.
So, if this is enacted, law enforcement will hesitate if they see a brightly colored object resembling a firearm. If they confront a suspect with one of these real ones, the result will be tragic for the officer. Or they will not care if it is brightly colored or not. They will do what they have right to do. Shoot. And that means this law is not about “safety” it is about some people in Sacramento not liking airsoft.
BTW, I am calling Sacramento every chance I get.
http://www.airsoftextreme.com/content01/component/content/article/24-company-news/742-california-senate-bill-sb798-info
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At least you can purchase airsoft weapons in the UK and US. Here in Australia is is banned altogether. It is illegal to own and import any form of airsoft weapons, no matter what colour. You have to have a firearms licence and even then it is near impossible to import one. If you do you either fined around $100-$200K or jail time or both. At least we have paintball, however who knows how long that will last.
ugh…that sucks Dutchy,
Man, Australia seems like a killer place to play airsoft or paintball.
I’m gonna have to take action on this bill tommorow…
Hi. Just to point out, in the uk, you can only buy a “real” coloured airsoft gun if you are a member of an official club. (which can take quite a while, one of my friends took 6 months to become a full member of our regional club) but that’s nothing compared to firearms law! I’m applying for my first rifle, and the amount of paperwork, and legal hoops I have to jump through is amazing. (and I think, with 4 years in cadets, 6 years in scouts, a full member of my local rifle club, and hopefully starting a career in gamekeeping in September, I know what I’m doing, and I won’t be a danger. But hey, who am I to say!)
Great bill.
Airsoft has been a problem for the police for a long time.
Forcing the airsofters to use toys in high visibility color just makes it better and you will be saving some taxmoney.
I mean, how many times have the police gotten a call that some kids run around with “a firearm”?
And hey, its not like they will take away your toys? is it?
There is perceptibly a bunch to know about this. I think you made certain good points in features also. Could you update me with your next post please?