Thursday, September 22, 2005

Woman, 30, shot with 'airsoft' BBs

A 19-year-old Kaka'ako man was arrested early Monday morning after he allegedly shot a woman with an "airsoft" gun in downtown Honolulu.
The woman, 30, told police she was standing along Merchant Street about 1:50 a.m. when a silver SUV drove by and the driver shot her with a pellet or airsoft gun.
Airsoft guns look very much like real weapons but shoot plastic BBs instead of bullets.
The victim, who was not seriously injured, took down the SUV's license plate number and called police, who found the vehicle, with the driver inside, parked at the Diamond Head lookout.
Police took the woman to the lookout, and she positively identified the SUV driver, who was then arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, police said.
Police said the suspect gave them permission to search the SUV and that they found four airsoft guns.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Caught in the Crossfire

"KAPOW!" A ricochet barely misses my head. I crouch lower, gripping my gun ever tighter. My arm is already bleeding from an earlier hit, but I tagged one of them in the neck, the memory causes me to laugh a little. Two more shots ring out and I hear the desperate cry "I'm OUT!" My partner and I exchange a nod and take off down the corridor firing wildly. After the screams I'm able to make out, "Enough, enough, I quit." I pause to take in the sweet taste of victory.This exchange did not take place in Iraq or some other far off war-torn country but rather in the trenches of the dorms. This was how they introduced me to the sport called Airsoft.
According to ShortyUSA.com (an online Airsoft supplier) the spring-loaded guns shoot small plastic BBs at 120 to 300 feet per second. As such, Airsoft guns are classified as paintball guns. According to the UAF student handbook, "For personal safety, all weapons and explosives are prohibited in residential facilities."
Lt. Syrilyn Tong of the UAF Police Department had a chance to fire an Airsoft gun and saw the results. Tong thought they "could be dangerous, particularly in close quarters, there's a possibility for eye damage." Lt. Tong seemed mostly concerned for the safety of innocent bystanders who, unaware that a war was going on, could walk right into the line of fire. "We have to respect the rights of others," she said.
According to police, there has only been one documented report of air gun use on campus to date, and that was during the summer.
"It hasn't really seemed to be a problem this year," said one RA. "It's been going on every year that I've been here, but this year doesn't seem to be any worse than any other."
The RA wished to remain anonymous because he said that during training, RAs are told not to speak to reporters. He said he believed this particular rule was the most adamantly stressed point during the training.
No injuries at UAF have been reported due to Airsoft weapons. When talking to participants and observing some battles, it was apparent to this reporter that participants take Airsoft seriously, and although there is an opportunity for injury, they try to play as safe as possible.
"Well there's no head shots. If someone's tapped out and obviously done, we end the match," said one participant. "I've started wearing long sleeves just in case a battle breaks out."
Another told me that he sleeps with a pistol under his pillow. "You never know," he said. "You never know."

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Gas Blowback Airsoft Heaven for Airsofters, Use Green Gas or CO2

El Monte, CA (PRWEB) September 20, 2005 -- Wei-E-Tech, or WE, a Taiwanese Airsoft gun manufacturer, recently released a High Capa 5.1 Full Metal Gas Blowback gun, or GBB. In addition, WE also produced two other models, with the same features but a different look. This GBB is an excellent replica of the 1911 .45 ACP, the overall American choice of SWAT, Special Forces and competitive shooters. These models are available at www.airsplat.comThe High Capa 5.1 is unlike any other GBBs. Its upper frame, barrel, slide, and hammer are made of metal. This gives the gun an overall aggressive look, with the metal giving the user the realistic smooth cold feel and the solid piece look. The trigger pull and firing of the gun is almost if firing the real deal. The user’s arms will definitely feel the power. When held, the weight and balanced of the High Capa 5.1 is the most realistic of GBBs yet. In addition to being the most advanced in GBBs, the High Capa 5.1 is able to use a CO2 magazine, as well as the traditional green gas found in most Taiwanese guns. The use of CO2 requires no adapter, no modifications, just simply the magazine. CO2 magazine provides more pressure, giving it a higher shooting velocity or more Feet Per Second (FPS). Another advantage is the simplicity of carrying small CO2 cartridges during game play, rather than a large green gas tank.We also produced two other models, the High Capa 5.1 K and M. These versions possess the same features as the High Capa 5.1 Full Metal GBB, but vary in appearance in the frame and slide. All three guns weigh 3 lbs., and have the velocity of 315 FPS, adjustable hop ups and the capacity of 30 rounds. These guns are powerful and accurate.The combination the High Capa 5.1 and a high capacity CO2 magazine can only be purchased through www.airsplat.com. Airsplat, one of the largest Airsoft retailer in the nation, has both the standard high capacity as well as the CO2 magazine, and of course the WE High Capa 5.1 currently in stock. This airsoft gun is very rare and hard to find. A full review by a 1911 firearms expert is available at www.airsplat.com/hicapa.htm. Other gas blowback airsoft guns are also available at www.airsplat.com/Categories/GPR.htmMedia Contact:AirSplat.comAgnes Tham626-401-0700

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Hundreds of people try out new Internet-controlled pellet gun

Angelus Oaks (CA) - Firing a gun by pushing a button on a website is no science-fiction anymore. Cobbling together gears, webcam parts and a pellet gun that shoots plastic BB's, enthusiast Travis Puderbaugh's gun can be moved, targeted and fired through the Internet. In the first public test, people thousands of miles away were able to login and shoot the gun.
In making the gun, Puderbaugh took out the imaging sensor from a Logitech Quickcam and mounted it to the front of an Airsoft pistol. Airsoft guns are realistic looking guns that shoot small and light plastic pellets. The gun was then mounted on a gear assembly and servos powered by four AA batteries. The gun can pan left/right and can tilt up and down. The whole system connects to a host computer via a serial port. Using Visual Basic, Puderbaugh coded a custom application that runs on the host machine. The app allows remote users to log in and control the gun. Operators access a webpage and see real-time video of the target. The gun can then be moved in four directions and can be fired in single shot or full-auto mode with a simple click of the mouse button. To prevent accidental shootings, a safety switch was installed. The simple up/down switch will prevent the gun from firing, even when operators are furiously clicking fire on the webpage.
On September 3rd 2005, in a secluded mountain retreat in Angelus Oaks, California, we witnessed the gun's first public test. Before firing, Puderbaugh checked the movement range of the gun by whirling it right, left, up and down. Satisfied, he flicked the safety switch off, and fired a volley of rounds with a few clicks of his laptop touchpad. The intended target was a surplus laptop and the LCD screen shattered as dozens of rounds made a direct hit
Then Puderbaugh announced on MIRC channels the web address of the gun and challenged people to fire it. Over the course of the day hundreds, perhaps thousands of people tried to remotely control and shoot the gun. According to Puderbaugh, over 43,000 requests were made for the webcam image and about 4,500 commands were sent to the gun. Empty Coke cans, plastic cups and other objects were put up as targets
Puderbaugh, known as Kallahar in the hacker community, is no stranger to remotely-controlled and autonomous gadgets. He has participated in robotic contests at the annual Defcon conventions in Las Vegas and is a member of the Irvine-based autonomous vehicle team, Team Cyberrider, which will compete in this year's DARPA Grand Challenge. In fact all of this is in preparation for next year's Defcon robot contest, where contestants must make a robot that will autonomously shoot targets. The targets will be lit up with LEDs and robots will use IR filters to distinguish good targets from bad ones. The complete instructions on how to build the gun are online and Puderbaugh thinks it was quite easy. "If I can build one for $200, then anyone can. This was not a hard project," says Puderbaugh. While some people may be concerned about the availability of the information, more powerful remote controlled weapons are being used around the world already. For example, remotely-controlled machine guns are emplaced along the new Gaza Fence in Israel and weapons have been mounted on robot sentries in Iraq. Puderbaugh says, "this is what can be done on a very limited budget, the information is already out there. We're not letting any secrets out."
But is all of this legal? A few weeks ago, we ran a story about the California state legislature approving a bill that banned "Internet Hunting" - the remote-controlled shooting and killing of animals. While Governor Schwarzenegger hasn't signed the bill yet, Puderbaugh erred on the side of caution and contacted state and local law enforcement officials to find out the legality of his gun. Most officials didn't know, but according to Puderbaugh, the California Department of Justice said, "we don't have any laws [preventing it], contact your local police department." Puderbaugh realizes the legal consequences of making such a gun, saying, "the responsibility for the gun still lies with the owner, regardless of who is pulling the trigger or where they are located." We called the office of Senator Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach), who sponsored the California Internet Hunting bill, in order to get her view on the remote-controlled gun. A spokesman said that gun wouldn't fall under the bill and was probably legal. He also said that the bill didn't address target shooting against inanimate objects, only shooting against live animals. Although some people may consider a remote-controlled gun to be a menace to society, Puderbaugh considers it to be just a "toy" and his original intention was never to kill or hurt anything. The gun was built as a technical demonstration for shooting cans and other targets. "I don't shoot or hurt any animals," he said.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Kalamazoo adopts ordinance restricting use of toy guns

(Kalamazoo, September 7, 2005, 7:32 a.m.) They're called AirSoft guns, toy guns that can be altered to look exactly like the real thing.
That's why Kalamazoo city commissioners adopted an ordinance that says you can't use these types of guns in a threatening manner or imply that it's a real weapon.
Recently, Kalamazoo Public Safety officers nearly shot someone threatening them with a toy gun.

*** Comment: Talk about false information. Airsoft guns are not "altered to look exactly like the real thing". There is no alterations invovled. And what idiot would take an airsoft gun and threaten someone with a real gun?