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illegal for kids to use airsoft guns and bb guns!


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I was searching my state gun regulations, as I will be purchasing a gun in the next week and wanted to make absolutely sure I understood everything. I discovered that it is illegal for a child under 16 to use a bb gun or airsoft gun if not in the direct supervision / presence of their parent or adult acting in the role of parent. I had no idea!!!

 

My son is 12, and uses low power (we don't get the high velocity ones) airsoft guns all the time. He is very careful, uses the proper safety equipment, and makes sure anyone with him uses it too. But now i find out I'm supposed to be out there in the middle of their airsoft war???

 

sigh.

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What about Lazertag? I know my boys had a blast playing that with friends.

We do use guns with supervision but my guys are younger.

 

None of his friends have lazertag stuff...it just isn't popular here. Plus he already has close to $200 in airsoft stuff, between guns and safety equipment.

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nope, florida. I believe citizens are issued guns at birth in Texas, lol.

 

I'm in FL too. My preacher was going to build a potato gun and demonstrate it for the kids at church. He started researching online and found out it was illegal to build one in FL. He decided since some in our congregation were already upset that he teaches firearms classes he should stick to the rules on the potato gun. LOL

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I was searching my state gun regulations, as I will be purchasing a gun in the next week and wanted to make absolutely sure I understood everything. I discovered that it is illegal for a child under 16 to use a bb gun or airsoft gun if not in the direct supervision / presence of their parent or adult acting in the role of parent. I had no idea!!!

 

My son is 12, and uses low power (we don't get the high velocity ones) airsoft guns all the time. He is very careful, uses the proper safety equipment, and makes sure anyone with him uses it too. But now i find out I'm supposed to be out there in the middle of their airsoft war???

 

sigh.

 

I don't think it's even an "I'm supposed to be out there" thing here. they are just plain illegal.

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I don't think it's even an "I'm supposed to be out there" thing here. they are just plain illegal.

 

The statutes here specifically state they can be used by kids over 16 without supervision, but under 16 they need the supervision and presence of an adult, and that adult must be a parent or have the consent of the parent. They are not illegal by any means.

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An airsoft gun, or soft air gun, shoots little plastic bbs. They make gas powered ones, but those are more high power. My son uses the regular ones, and we specifically look for ones with lower velocity. They sting a bit, but if he wears a sweatshirt they don't hurt. Safety glasses are a MUST. Thinks somewhere between nerf and bb gun.

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It is illegal for ANYONE to own ANY kind of gun here. I wish I would have known that before I illegally smuggled my son's BB rifle into the country. I had no idea. Now it sits hidden in our closet and I don't know what to do with it!!!

 

What's funny though, is how easily I got it into the country. I didn't know they are illegal so I didn't try to hide it. It was in its original box along with the rest of our stuff. They didn't even notice it.

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Define "direct supervision." :001_smile: Of course, my husband doesn't mind getting out there are running around with the kids.

 

My kids have looooved their airsoft wars, Honestly, airsoft seems like it is most popular with the 12-15 crowd, Around here, by the time they are 16, they move on to paintball!

 

It does...it says supervision AND presence. I have NO interest in being out there, and as I have a toddler I can't be out there. It isn't exaclty toddler friendly.

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It does...it says supervision AND presence. I have NO interest in being out there, and as I have a toddler I can't be out there. It isn't exaclty toddler friendly.

 

 

Well, rats. That's a bummer. There's a lot of supervising you can do with periodic check ins, but being out there every single second is...above and beyond what is necessary, imo. (not arguing with you, just the law)

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Well, rats. That's a bummer. There's a lot of supervising you can do with periodic check ins, but being out there every single second is...above and beyond what is necessary, imo. (not arguing with you, just the law)

 

Thanks, I am glad to have someone agree with me. I have a few friends that have husbands in law enforcement. I may contact them and find out if this is a law that is enforced.

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I have no idea what the law is in PA with respect to BB guns. My boys had them from a young age and had fun with them. I have no regrets. I don't even have regrets if it was against the law... Since we're rural, I can't imagine any law like that would be enforced as long as the kids were being safe with them. It would give the law a leg to stand on if they saw kids using them improperly though. They can be dangerous without proper instruction.

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We went to the police before we bought air soft rifles for the kids. They said that technically, they weren't supposed to have them. But, as long as the kids were in their own yard, or a friend's yard, they wouldn't stop them. If they branched out to the playgrounds or onto the street, then they'd break it up and send them home. No biggie!

 

Now, potato cannons are illegal???? Yikes. My ds just built one and sets it off regularly in our back yard.

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We went to the police before we bought air soft rifles for the kids. They said that technically, they weren't supposed to have them. But, as long as the kids were in their own yard, or a friend's yard, they wouldn't stop them. If they branched out to the playgrounds or onto the street, then they'd break it up and send them home. No biggie!

 

Now, potato cannons are illegal???? Yikes. My ds just built one and sets it off regularly in our back yard.

 

That makes a lot of sense. They play in our yard or his friend's yard. Definitely not in public spaces. I went ahead and emailed a mom I know, whose husband is a police officer to get his take on it.

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That makes a lot of sense. They play in our yard or his friend's yard. Definitely not in public spaces. I went ahead and emailed a mom I know, whose husband is a police officer to get his take on it.

 

:bigear:I'm curious what you find out, even though my state laws are likely different. Ds has air soft stuff, even went to an air soft bday party yesterday.

 

But I can't imagine them playing in a "public place," that would be disturbing!

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My main concern with any of the airsoft guns is that many of them resemble real firearms. I had to just about slap a male relative of mine upside the head because he painted over the orange tip on some of his. Stupid. How would anyone know that the teenage kid sneaking around in the bushes had a toy? It makes me furious just to think about it. Ugh. If you have boys who might do something like this without realizing the consequences, please enlighten them that they could get themselves shot by a real gun. (End PSA.)

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My main concern with any of the airsoft guns is that many of them resemble real firearms. I had to just about slap a male relative of mine upside the head because he painted over the orange tip on some of his. Stupid. How would anyone know that the teenage kid sneaking around in the bushes had a toy? It makes me furious just to think about it. Ugh. If you have boys who might do something like this without realizing the consequences, please enlighten them that they could get themselves shot by a real gun. (End PSA.)

 

My son's orange tip broke off of one of his guns. We wouldn't even let him out of the house with it - just in case!

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Unfortunately, I can understand why adult supervision is required in some places. When we lived in an apartment complex, boys would shoot their airsoft guns AT my daughters and at my dog while I was walking her. I was furious, but the police couldn't do anything. The parents said "boys will be boys." The parents, also, mentioned to me that airsoft pellets don't hurt. Frankly, that didn't matter to me. My girls had a right to be out without some brat shooting anything at them. Thankfully, we are not living there now.

 

Ann

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My main concern with any of the airsoft guns is that many of them resemble real firearms. I had to just about slap a male relative of mine upside the head because he painted over the orange tip on some of his. Stupid. How would anyone know that the teenage kid sneaking around in the bushes had a toy? It makes me furious just to think about it. Ugh. If you have boys who might do something like this without realizing the consequences, please enlighten them that they could get themselves shot by a real gun. (End PSA.)

 

My son buys the clear ones that don't look like real guns, just for that reason. We explained to him that more than once a child has been shot by the police because the police thought they were real guns. After we told him that he has been very careful to choose ones that are obviously toys.

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nope, florida.

 

:eek:

 

My son and his friends regularly have airsoft battles in the woods near our neighborhood. In fact, there's talk of having one this afternoon. A family in our homeschool group lives in the boonies, and has monthly airsoft battles. In both situations the kids all wear protective gear and follow safety rules. I had no idea.

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Thanks, I am glad to have someone agree with me. I have a few friends that have husbands in law enforcement. I may contact them and find out if this is a law that is enforced.

 

 

I think the larger issue is if something bad happens you need to prove that you were providing supervision.

 

I freaked out last year when my sons were 7 and 11. They were in a neighbors backyard, and I had given them permission to be there, but had no clue there was an airsoft war taking place. None of the kids had eye protection and when I found out I flipped out on the mother. One boy age 8 got hit just above his eye and told his mother it was a bee sting. She didn't know either until I called her on the phone to let her know what was happening.

 

There is a huge difference between other parents knowing and giving permission, having safety equipment and not. If she had checked with me, I would have given them their goggles from paintball, they would have worn extra clothes, and put their gloves on. No biggie, but not asking or making sure that the kids were being safe before letting them take out their guns really aggravated me. Not as much as my idiotic kids staying without leaving to get safetly equipment, but close.

 

I am not a sue person, but there were kids in her backyard that I know whose parents would have went there if there was a medical issue. So make sure you protect yourself, know the kids have permission (I used to make parents sign a permission slip for our trampoline and pool) and that the kids have some sense.

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This is an interesting discussion - thanks to the OP for posting. My main concern with the airsoft guns (after what's already been said) is the PLASTIC. It really makes my skin crawl to think about all those little plastic balls being shot everywhere. I know there must be biodegradable ones, but if you don't use those, how do you deal with it?

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