If the parts don’t fit, you must acquit!

Consider this the final update to my original post on the subject. I would have called this story over and done with nearly a week ago, but the pro-gun side of the internet leads the rest of the digital world by several days on these kind of stories, and the digital world leads the MSM by an equal or even greater amount. So like a bad penny, this one keeps turning up. Let’s put it to sleep forever then, if we can.


Note: To be fair to reader B3 he did come around to agree that the current toy gun receiver under question was sufficiently different from a real one that a functional weapon could be based on it. But he didn’t have one of the original versions of the toy gun receiver and had to posit that the design could have changed. Has it? I don’t know. Were the seized toys of that “original” design? I don’t know. I do know that design changes take some time to put in place, especially when your manufacturer is overseas.

Quoth B3:

I do not have an original WE receiver that I can compare to, as the first version of the gun was really buggy and didn’t work very good at all. However, unlike real steel, Airsoft can change on a dime by changing the castings for the upper and lower. And it appears that if they are off in size from the RS major components, they have changed.

So, I will stand corrected, the current version of the WE M4 is NOT dimensionally equal to a real steel M4 or AR rifle system. And is as dimensionally in-accurate as other airsoft replicas available.

So this post is for B3, but NOT to bring him to task. No way; he did the RIGHT thing passing along what he’d heard, and he’s the man on the inside of the Airsoft game world. But for those other folks out there - that means YOU BATFE - here is the email chain I’ve had going with the Airsplat company and pics of their attempts to make one of the WE M4 toy gun receivers mate up with real AR-15 gun parts. It doesn’t work.

Gosh, but what about modifying them, wouldn’t that do it? Looks like a big NO to me. There isn’t enough metal on the toy receiver to re-drill the holes without leaving a mess. You’d have to weld on or glue on extra plates on the outside, which would then force you to build your own longer pins. And moving the pins, especially the rear one, could cause all sorts of interference internally. The magazine catch isn’t right either, nor do the internal areas line up for use with the real gun’s internal parts. You’d have to do a tremendous amount of very careful fabrication - casting, welding, machining - just to make that happen. And in the end you MIGHT get things to function - you might NOT is more likely - but the toy gun’s metal is of such low quality - compared to a real firearm!! - that it would likely break.

And that is the big rub about this whole story. The toy gun parts look like the real ones, but they aren’t usable for actual firearms. And it would take tremendous amounts of work by a fully equipped precision machinist to make the necessary modifications, if that is even possible. (and one willing to knowingly skirt the law!) And after all that, on the slight chance you could do all that, you’d still have a dangerously weak receiver. So BATFE’s claim that the toy parts can be “easily modified” for fully automatic fire seems to be rather false. Nearly the same amount of work would be required to mill a real one out of proper bar stock in the first place. So why bother?

Now, let’s lay this one to rest. The modification can’t be done easily. It can’t be done safely. It probably can’t be done at all, even by a skilled professional. These things are toys, not actual firearms parts.

And a big thanks to Airsplat for giving it the old college try, and then some. I edited the emails down to the core concepts, thus the [snip][snip][snip] stuff.

---

From: Drew458
To: airsplat.com
Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 8:31 AM
Subject: corporate response wanted on ATF seizure

Dear AirSplat

News item: ATF seizes shipment of Airsoft toy guns imported from Taiwan , says they can be easily converted to fully automatic lethal weapons.
[snip]
This claim by the ATF seems preposterous, but if your toys are made from parts that are fundamentally identical then they may have a valid point. Even if only AR15 parts can be fit to it, devices like the Lightning Link can be used to allow full-auto fire.

Just how close to real life are your parts?

---

From: AirSplat
To: Drew458
Sent: Thursday, March 4, 2010, 10:00 PM
Subject: RE: corporate response wanted on ATF seizure

Drew,

It’s great to hear from you about this. We’ve actually been following this for quite some time now. And seen many of the articles and blogs posting about it.
[snip]
We did catch word of the possible usage of it being so realistic that it could be modified to fire real bullets. One version we heard was that a real steal upper could be used with this lower. So, just out of curiosity, several personnel here brought in several of their AR’s to work to test with.
[snip]
Synopsis: It doesn’t work.

---

From: Drew458
To: airsplat
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 9:22 AM
Subject: RE: corporate response wanted on ATF seizure

Again, my thanks for your great response. I posted your letter and gave you kudos for your research and good business decisions. Unfortunately I have a reader who says it can be done with the one particular model of receiver. [snip]

---

From: AirSplat
To: Drew458
Sent: Monday, March 8, 2010, 6:19 PM
Subject: RE: corporate response wanted on ATF seizure

Drew,

I have to say, I’m surprised to hear someone saying they are so confident it’s possible. [snip] Fair enough, [snip] we will take it upon ourselves to do so, just to prove a point or just to humor everyone.

I’ll have one of the techs pull out the sample and some people to bring in their guns and we’ll take some pictures for you. Keep you posted!

---

From: AirSplat
To: Drew458
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010, 1:44 PM
Subject: RE: corporate response wanted on ATF seizure

Drew,

Here are the images.

In general, you’ll notice many parts including upper and lower all seem very close to the naked eye. But on closer examination you’ll see the lower is 1/8” shorter, the upper doesn’t even fit on the lower, the pins are different sizes, lots of minor changes that are really noticeable, but when put side by side, become blatantly obvious.

Hope this helps. Feel free to let us know if you have any other questions.

AirSplat.com














Thank you AirSplat for making a great effort to squelch this rumor. I am convinced.

Airsoft - A Good Recreational Activity

Airsoft is mainly a recreational activity where mock-up fire-arms which shoot round, plastic pellet. Airsoft guns can be a personal collection or it can be used for proficient training purposes. Airsoft games seriously vary in style and composition depending on the location, budget and the number of participants. But frequently it depends on the ranges, from short-term skirmishes and organized situations to military simulations and historical reenactments. The combat situation on the battlefield essentially uses common military tactics to accomplish the objectives set in the game. Participants, in general use varying types of airsoft weaponry along with either real or fake military gears or uniforms.

Airsoft guns in general look like real Firearms. The firearms are separated to three groups: the Spring Powered BB guns, the Electric Powered Machine guns and the Gas-powered or the CO2 Airsoft rifles. There is an array of shapes and sizes. There are revolvers, Pistols, Snipers or Rifles which has a selection of changeable trigger, power velocity, shockproof and multiple shot features which is simply irresistible for an avid Airsoft rifle shooter.

An example of a spring powered gun is the AA-957C which uses 6mm ammunition and has semi-automatic action. The corners of the sight are smooth for use in holsters. A WA-A10-CH3181 is an example of a Electric Powered gun. This gun could shoot 300 FPS. And the PA-J05355NS2 is an example of a Gas Powered gun. It is made of metal and ABS plastic giving it a powerful and weighty feel.

In the United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy the energy limit for Airsoft guns is One joule or 100m/s with 0.20g, 6 mm BB. Majority of the Airsoft guns are able to shoot from 50 m/s to 125 m/s. But it is also possible to purchase upgraded internals for some Airsoft guns that could shoot up to 180 m/s.

Airsoft Safety 101

Airsoft guns are replicas of real guns and come with all the accessories necessary for you to have lots of fun. It is important that you understand that these kinds of toys need to be dealt with carefully as they can be dangerous if not used properly. So, it is very important for you to follow certain security and safety playing rules so that you can have fun with out anyone getting hurt.

First of all, you need to have good eye protection. Goggles or glasses must be worn at all times while you are on the field. There are rules that allow you to take a time out of the game if you are having any problems with your goggles. An even better option, as far as safety goes, is full facial protection. You can purchase a facial mask that will protect you while playing with airsoft guns. Some places wont allow anyone under 18 to play without a facial mask. If you find the mask uncomfortable, then at least wear goggles and a mouth guard. It is also very important that you wear the right kind of boots for the field, as it is common to encounter rough terrain.

Good added protection when playing is to have proper knee and elbow pads. These will help protect you if you do happen to fall on the rough terrain.

When handling an airsoft gun, never look down the barrel. This is very dangerous, even with an airsoft gun. A mis-fire could shoot your eye out or you could possibly even die from the shot.

Make sure that you understand the safety features on your gun before beginning to use it and that your selector switch is placed on safe mode when you are not using your gun. Keep your airsoft gun in a case when you are not using it and make sure that it is always away from the hands of smaller children. Remove the magazine from the gun when not in use and take out the battery to avoid any unwanted accidents.

Please do not engage in blind firing. When you are holding your weapon, you will need to know your target, if you are unable to see, don't fire, as this can be extremely dangerous at times. Lastly, always keep your cool and remember that it is just a game. You should never intentionally aim to hurt someone.

Airsoft arena opens in Ocala

SOCOM offers mock urban combat games in an indoor area.

"I want them to learn responsible gun handling," Capps said while she helped Nathaniel, 11, and Evan, 12, with their military replica gear.

Victor Puig and Tom Pennay were banking on this type of reaction from parents and players when they decided to open a new business.

"We're excited. SOCOM has been a labor of love," said Pennay, 57, a logo advertising salesman who launched the entertainment venture with Navy veteran Puig, 51, in August 2009.

The venue formally opened in April.

SOCOM (Special Operations Command) Airsoft is a more than 13,000-square-foot indoor arena at 210 N.W. 13th St.

It offers mock urban combat games for players outfitted in full military gear and using airsoft air powered weapons.

Street scenes include real "derelict" vehicles and building shells, in an atmosphere of stage smoke, background sound and special lighting.

Pennay said "surprise" aerial effects are being added.

"It's an 'affinity' sport. Players will skip a lunch or two to play" their favorite game, Puig said.

SOCOM is the only indoor airsoft arena and pro shop in Florida, according to Puig.

Pennay said city building and zoning officials helped in getting the revitalized pool supply warehouse up and running.

Operations manager Joseph Rivera explained that games may be fashioned after actual military exercises.

"Pilot down," "hostage (rescue)" and "defuse the nuclear reactor" are some of the "mission" games he described.

"We stress safety," Rivera said. "No shooting with less than 15 feet between participants, no foul language, no fighting."

A hard pellet just under 1/4-inch is the projectile used by the replica guns so real in appearance they must be transported with due caution.

One teenage player said the pellet hits felt like an "ant bite."

Assistant manager Ryan Delfft, who is in student leadership at Francis Marion Military Academy, helps outfit players with rental equipment, while technician Payton Bailey keeps players' weapons in top shape.

"It's all about the realism," Bailey said as he made repairs to a replica M-16 A4 rifle.

"Rifles can cost anywhere from (entry level) $60 to $400," and more Pennay said.

The arena hosted a large group recently.

"It's like practice," said Tyler Ogle, 15, "I hope to join the U.S. Army. My father, Larry, is in the Army in Kuwait now."

"It was great," said Peter Emerson, 15, about his first indoor airsoft experience. "We were moving forward, tapping shoulders," in a precise military-style maneuver.

Pennay explained that players shout, "I'm hit," and raise their hands to remove themselves from play.

Pennay became involved in the military-type games when chaperoning his daughter Aubrey, now 16, who enjoys the sport and aspires to join the Marines.

Aubrey, a sophomore at Francis Marion Military Academy, videotapes action on the playing floor while wearing a full military outfit.

There also are 16 live cameras placed throughout the facility to capture the action.

The venue includes a room where non-participants can view the playing field.

"Parents can watch and see what's really happening," Pennay said.

"It's a great stress reliever," said Puig.

"A real adrenalin rush," added Pennay.

Man shot by FBI agent wielded an airsoft gun

The 27-year-old man who was shot by an off-duty FBI agent Sunday on Tantalus was wielding an airsoft gun, a source familiar with the investigation said.

"The important thing is not what kind of weapon he was carrying, but the perception of the agent at the time he took the shot," FBI Special Agent Tom Simon said.

Simon would not comment on the details of the case since it is under internal investigation.

During a news conference yesterday, Honolulu police would not reveal what kind of weapon 27-year-old Martin Boegel was brandishing, but detailed why replica weapons should be banned.

Airsoft guns fire plastic pellets but resemble real guns.

Criminal Investigation Division Capt. Rich Robinson displayed one real and four replica firearms, showing how difficult it is to distinguish the fake from real guns. The Honolulu Police Department had introduced a bill at the Legislature this year that would have essentially made the use of a replica gun or airsoft gun during a crime the same offense as using a real firearm.

Police said the agent was flagged down after 1 p.m. and was told by a man and a woman that they saw someone brandishing a gun.

The agent saw a vehicle stop in front of him, and Boegel allegedly got out with a gun, police said.

He ordered Boegel to put the weapon on the ground, and when Boegel advanced, he was shot, police said.

Police officers are confusing replica guns for real guns.

Robinson said Honolulu police have never had a case in which Honolulu police officers fired at an armed suspect where the suspect's weapon was recovered and found to be a replica.

Boegel, who was at the Queen's Medical Center

recuperating after being critically injured, has a history of mental illness, his mother said.

An FBI team is conducting a thorough investigation and will return to Washington, D.C., to present their findings to their review board to determine whether the agent acted in accordance with policy and whether deadly force was warranted.

Boegel was also arrested Thursday for impersonating a police officer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He allegedly wore a jacket with the word "police" on it and had some kind of badge.

After being charged with impersonating a police officer, Boegel was freed on $100 bail.

New principal for Danville's Monte Vista High named

DANVILLE — Janet Terranova, principal of the San Ramon Valley school district's Venture Independent Study School, has been named the new principal of Monte Vista High in Danville.

The San Ramon Valley school board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve her new job, and her replacement, district spokesman Terry Koehne said.

Terranova has been principal at Venture, located in San Ramon, for two years. She started teaching in the district in 1987, and spent four years as president of the San Ramon Valley Education Association teachers union before entering administration as assistant principal at California High School in San Ramon

She has teaching credentials and a master's degree from the University of San Diego, and an administrative credential from Cal State Hayward, now Cal State East Bay.

During the same meeting the board approved appointing Matt Hermann, an educator for 27 years, to replace Terranova at Venture, according to the district. He has been principal at Montair Elementary School in Alamo since 2000. The two will start their new jobs in July and the district will begin looking for his replacement.

Terranova will be the permanent replacement for Rebecca Smith, who had been principal at Monte Vista since 1996, before being placed in administrative leave in the fall after an incident in which a student felt threatened by Smith with an Airsoft pistol. The board later decided to reassign her. No decision has been made on offering her a job, Koehne said.

Air gun law questioned at OV meeting

An ordinance the Oro Valley Town Council passed in March has come under fire.

The law banned the use of pneumatic guns like paintball, pellet or potato guns. The law also disallows the use of Airsoft guns, a firearm similar to a BB gun that fires plastic projectiles. The ban includes the discharge of such firearms except for target practice on private property.

"These things can't even break a window at point-blank range," Lee Souter told the council at the May 5 meeting.

Souter represented enthusiasts of Airsoft guns, more than 20 of whom also attended the meeting.

The guns are used in war game scenarios, similar to paintball. The Airsoft weapons fire a projectile at 700 feet per second, as opposed to BB guns that fire at more than 1,000 feet per second.

Souter said the new ordinance would actually ban the use of Nerf guns because they also can fire a projectile more than 10 feet. He also noted that a golf ball carries more force that Airsoft projectiles.

The town council adopted the changes after a resident complained about use of air guns.

"Since you are amending ordinances based on a single complaint, I found a golf ball in my yard," Souter said jokingly, then added, "Can we find some common ground here?"

Souter commented during the call to the audience portion of the meeting. He did not address an agenda item and the council did not discuss the issue.

Councilman Barry Gillaspie requested to have the council discuss the issue of Airsoft guns and the town's rules on firearms in a future study session. The session has not yet been scheduled.

Imitation firearms legally available in Swords

HIGHLY realistic firearms such as the Kalashnikov and the Glock gun – the gangster’s weapons of choice - are legally available for sale in Swords.
In what will come as a shock to some local parents and business owners, it’s now possible to purchase the imitation firearms for as little e100 in the strikearms.com store in Airside Enterprise Centre.
No license is needed to purchase the highly realistic firearms, which range in size from handguns to sizeable rifles.
Northside People would have been able to buy the replica Glock, a firearm commonly associated with gangland crime, for just e100 from the Strikearms.com store.
With a proper blow back mechanism and metal shaft, only those familiar with weapons would be able to differentiate between the gas-powered imitation and the real Glock.
The Kalashnikov is also a top seller as it’s the “same as the real McCoy” with a real steel body and wood panelling.
Hobbyists use these legal guns in mock war games as part of a sport called airsoft, which has taken off in Ireland over the last four years.
The sport is becoming increasingly popular with young children although only people aged 18 and over can purchase the guns from the store.
High-force pellet guns are illegal in Ireland and are deemed an offensive weapon under the Firearms Act.
However, the airsoft guns, which shoot plastic pellets, are legal in Ireland because the velocity is one jule or less with pellets travelling 328 feet per second.
Shop owner Alan Behan conceded that these imitation firearms would put the “fear of God” into a victim if they fell into the wrong hands.
“There is an obvious concern that these imitation firearms could be brandished in hold ups, burglaries and raids,” Mr Behan told Northside People.
“However, despite being an imitation the court of law draws no distinction between real guns and toy guns with a minimum sentence of 10 years for anyone who commits a crime with an airsoft gun.
“All of these guns are designed for shooting at people but the pellet will bounce off them without injury.
“Obviously, it is up to the individual what they do with the firearm but we do our best to warn customers that it is an offence to brandish the replica.
“The one thing I’d say is that it would be better for any victim to be held up with a replica than the real gun which could be used to kill by a raider who gets overwhelmed in the situation.
“Our clients are mainly those into airsoft and gun collectors who want to buy the imitation to complete their collections.”
Mr Behan insisted that it wouldn’t be possible to fire a metal pellet out of the imitation firearms.
“A metal bb won’t travel as far because it is heavier so it just wouldn’t be viable,” he said.
The sale of imitation firearms is big business as there are a number of airsoft clubs based on the Northside.
Mr Behan said he has followed all the guidelines and customs procedures from the Department of Justice and that business is thriving with parents often dropping by to pick up imitation firearms for their children.
“It might come across as distasteful but some parents who have struggled to get their children into football and the normal outdoor sports often hit on the fact that their kids are more interested in playing shooting games on the playstation,” he stated.
“They take that hobby to the next level with airsoft which can be quite positive for kids as it gets them in the outdoors; it’s a good team-building exercise.”
When contacted, a spokesperson for the gardai, said the legality of such items related to how they were used.
“Imitation firearms may be deemed illegal, regardless of their jule, depending on their usage,” the spokesperson told Northside People.
“It is all a matter of interpretation and how they are used.
“For instance, a kids’ toy gun can be deemed an offensive weapon if used in a threatening and criminal manner.”

The First Fundamental of Marksmanship for the Airsoft Sniper (Part 1 of 4)

A lot of airsoft snipers face a significant barrier to their ability to fulfill their position as a precision marksman because they bring with them a whole host of bad habits that have been established while engaging in skirmishes as the member of a squad wielding assault-style AEGs. Unlike those who join the military, there is no barrier to entry and no basic marksmanship training required before getting involved in airsoft. Getting started is pretty much as easy as buying a gun and showing up at an event. Load gun, point, shoot, done.

Unfortunately, this translates into an entire group of players that lack a basic understanding of the fundamentals of marksmanship and how to employ them. Now this may not seem like such a big issue in a squad-type setting with close up engagements being the norm where simply sending enough shots toward your target fast enough may be the major determining factor, but this is not the case once a player buys an airsoft sniper rifle and starts to take up long-range firing positions.

If a player finds himself on terrain that requires constant movement between concealment points, then the exertion of getting from place to place along with getting into a sometimes unfamiliar position can often make aiming a very difficult proposition when the crosshairs are bobbling all over like sugar-high kid in a moon-walk.

Other than working hard to maintain a high level of fitness, the only thing that can help overcome these obstacles so that a player can properly fill the role of an airsoft sniper is mastering the Fundamentals of Airsoft Marksmanship. These four principles will enable any sniper who is struggling to accurately place shots with his or her new airsoft sniper rifle to be able to quickly improve accuracy and become the most feared operator on your team.

In this four-part series, we’ll outline what these four principles of marksmanship for the airsoft sniper are, and how you can employ them yourself. Here’s the first one:

Aiming – the first thing that needs to be taken seriously when using an airsoft sniper rifle is to understand basic aiming techniques. Point, shoot, fire is the oversimplified version that many shooters take when in fact aiming is composed of two major elements. Sight alignment and sight picture.

Sight alignment is making sure that your rear sight is properly aligned with your front sight to ensure that your rifle is pointing in the direction that you THINK it is. Sight picture boils down to properly placing your sights on your target.

When shooting with a rifle that doesn’t have a scope, paying close attention to both sight alignment and sight picture are essentially important.

Sighting in with a scoped sniper rifle however, is a different experience from aiming with a non-scoped gun. Sight alignment is not as much of an issue as the scope itself compensates for the proper & straight alignment of the rifle. It is important to know exactly how your scope works, and follow the instructions to properly zero it in well before showing up at the safe zone of any competition.

If your airsoft sniper rifle did not come with a scope, then it’s HIGHLY advisable that you do your best to get one ASAP. With few exceptions all of these guns do not come equipped to properly aim without a scope. Trying to operate as a airsoft sniper without a scope is a lot like building the fastest NASCAR ever but then failing to budget for some good racing fuel…the thing is just not going to work right.

Your scope will come with instructions on how to properly zero it in so that your shots actually end up where you aim. If no instructions are provided, you can find various guides simply by searching the internet.

Once your airsoft sniper rifle and scope are zeroed and ready to go, aiming is as simple as setting your sights on your target and squeezing the trigger. Both sight alignment and sight picture should naturally fall into place.

Brian Kurtz was an active duty member of the United States Marine Corps from 2000-2004. Rated as an expert marksman and achieving high-shooter status on more than one occasion he now runs the Airsoft Sniper Rifle Shop and shares his knowledge with airsoft snipers across the globe.

How to Make an Airsoft BB Holder out of a Broken Airsoft Mag.

This Simple Instrional will show you how to make an awesome BB Holder out of an old, unused Airsoft Magazine. This is also my first instional, so please forgive me if something is messed up in it. Note: My Digital Camera is broken, so I had to use my Cell Phone to take the pictures.

step 1Supplies
For this Instructable, you will need: 1. A Screw driver 2. A Broken Airsoft Magazine (Any Size Will Work) 3. A Place To Work 4. Airsoft BB's

step 2Taking The Mag. Apart
Take the magizine and turn it to the side where the screws are facing up. Now use the screwdriver to take out every screw from the Mag. Gently lift off the top half ot the magazine and set it aside. Note: It's Easier to leave the screws in the magazine than take them out, that way you'll know which one goes where and won't stress out trying to find where each one belong…

step 3The Modifications
Next, take out the spring,(The longest one, Near the front of the Mag.). This will take away the loading ability for the magazine. Note: Try not to let any pieces fall off, because when they do, you'll have a very hard time trying to find where they belong.

step 4Put It Back Together
Now Gently place the top half back onto the bottom half, making sure you don't disturb any parts other than what we're working with. Once fully back on top, screw the screws back in place.

step 5Usage
To Use your new (Kinda) BB Holder, look for a button/Slider on the side that you can push/slide to open the top of the magazine. Some Magazines also have a slide near the back that you can pull back to store BB's in. Just Pour them in, and you're done.

step 6Celebrate!
Look at you!!! You just recycled! How easy was that! Don't be lazy and throw out perfectly good/reuseable items. If you do, you'll end up like him, (Look at the Picture Below).