Innocent mistake' sparked Gunn lockdown

Weston Healy, an Eagle Scout with a 4. 17 grade-point-average, was about to complete his senior year at Gunn High School and looking forward to enrolling at Cornell University this fall. All that was jeopardized last Thursday after the Gunn campus was thrown into an emergency "Code Red" lockdown, terrifying students and parents and resulting in Healy's arrest on charges of possessing a weapon on a school campus. Today Healy, 18, is at home in Los Altos Hills, suspended from school, while his lawyer works with Gunn officials and the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office in hopes of ensuring Healy's plans for his future unfold as previously expected. It was all an innocent mistake, according to Healy, his father and lawyer Eric Geffon of San Jose. District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Amy Cornell said Healy's case is under review. A court clerk said an arraignment is scheduled tentatively for next Thursday, which is the day after Gunn's graduation ceremony. The weapon in Healy's car the day of his arrest was an airsoft rifle, a recreational weapon that can be purchased for $50 to $300. Unlike metal BBs from a BB gun, airsoft products shoot non-puncturing plastic BBs and are used in games similar to those played at the popular birthday-party venue Laser Quest in Mountain View. Purchasers of airsoft guns must be 18 or older because the products "look so realistic and could be mistaken for the real thing," a Big 5 Sporting Goods salesclerk said. Healy inadvertently had an airsoft rifle in his car when he drove with a friend onto campus last Thursday afternoon to drop off equipment for the robotics class, his lawyer said. A city employee saw the rifle and called police. "You can't blame them for calling the police, and you can't blame the police for responding as they did," Geffon said Thursday. After dropping off the robotics equipment, Healy and his friend were heading back to the car when the school lockdown was imposed, and the two were pulled into the nearest classroom, Geffon said. "Weston and his friend thought the Code Red was unusual, and Weston said, 'Do you think it's possible that we're the reason it's a Code Red?'" Geffon said. At that point, Healy approached the teacher and explained about the airsoft rifle, he said. Asked whether Healy still plans to go to Cornell, Geffon said: "Knock on wood he's still going. "Everything we're doing with both the school and the district attorney is to make sure he continues to graduate and go to Cornell," the lawyer said. Geffon said Healy realized as he was pulling into the Gunn campus May 27 that "having this (airsoft rifle) in the parking lot is a bad idea," but he and his friend decided to just put it in the trunk because they intended to be on campus for such a short time. "I have a growing list of 75 letters that I've been receiving from various people -- teachers, scoutmasters, friends of the family -- that speak in glowing terms about this kid," he said. "He's a really, really good kid, and this is a very unfortunate situation. "Geffon said Healy had owned the airsoft rifle "for some time" but that calling it a hobby "would probably be an overstatement. "Besides scouting and robotics at Gunn, Healy participated in water polo, swimming and wrestling and has been active in his Mormon church, the lawyer said. About two days before the Code Red episode, Healy had put the airsoft rifle in the trunk of his car to take it from his father's house to his mother's house in order to compare it to a new airsoft gun that had been purchased for his younger brother, he said. While Weston and a friend were at Orchard Supply Hardware purchasing supplies for robotics last Thursday, May 27, the friend commented on the airsoft rifle and asked to look at it and was holding it when the two drove into the Gunn parking lot, Geffon said. Among the items police reported they found in Healy's car were "two face masks, one spade shovel with a 4-inch pick, a hatchet with a removable saw and a military style knife with a 7-inch blade. "Geffon said what police called "face masks" were airsoft safety goggles used for eye protection while playing with airsoft guns. The other items had been left in the trunk after a camping trip Healy had taken with friends the weekend of May 15 to Tunitas Creek in Half Moon Bay. "He doesn't tend to clean out his car very often," Geffon said. "He removed the tent and a couple of chairs because he needed to transport a couple of kids home to do a project. So he moved the big things but left the knife and hatchet. "Gunn officials declined to comment on the Healy case. Geffon said Healy has been suspended from school until Monday and has not yet been told whether he will be permitted to participate in graduation. "Our concern is we make sure Weston is able to finish the school year and get his diploma," he said.

Pellet Gun Surprise

May 25- 5:26 p.m.- Police were dispatched to the area of Rosemary St. for a report of kids firing a Airsoft BB gun out of a window. Officers were met at the home by a juvenile, the latter of whom nwas asked to get an adult to speak with. Two parties came to the door and officers asked if they were aware of the shooting taking place. The parties stated that an Airsoft pellet gun was being shot from upstairs and out the window, but that the shooter was aiming at the fence and "didn't mean to hit the neighbors house."
The parties said that they were looking after the house while the owners were away at work. Officers confiscated the airsoft gun and called the boy's mother. The also spoke with the reporting neighbor, who stated that she heard the airsoft BB pellets hitting her house. She stated that there was no damage to the property and would not be pressing charges.
When the boy's mother arrived at the scene, police told her of the incident. She related that she had already taken a gun away before and "will address this matter accordingly." Shortly after, the boy's father arrived and was notified of the incident. He took the airsoft gun in question, as well as two others, and said that he would dispose of them.

Crosman Corporation Wins 2010 International Business Of The Year Award

Crosman Corporation Wins 2010 International Business Of The Year Award

Crosman

ROCHESTER, New York - Crosman Corporation, long known for innovation and quality in the shooting sports, airsoft and airgun industry, was named the 2010 International Business of the Year at the First Annual Upstate New York Trade Conference last night.

The International Business Council of Greater Rochester, New York (IBC), an affiliate of Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) hosted the conference to provide Upstate New York businesses with the resources to succeed in international trade.

Crosman Corporation Wins 2010 International Business Of The Year Award

The award celebrates the achievements and successes of Upstate New York companies trading internationally, whose international business success impacts the prosperity of the region, according to Laurie DeRoller, IBC’s Executive Director.

“Crosman’s ability to embrace the challenges of global competition, display resiliency in our economic climate and achieve sustained growth is remarkable. This award recognizes Crosman as a worldwide ambassador for our region’s industry, innovation and expertise,” said DeRoller.

Ken D’Arcy, Crosman’s President and CEO says Crosman thrives on challenges presented in the diversity of the worldwide marketplace.

“We recognize the need for a tailored, strategic approach in each international market and adapt our products to meet local needs. Each market we approach has potential language barriers, differing distribution networks and distinctive regulations for product compliance. Our sales team works closely with each country’s distributors to execute country-by-country plans, allowing for customization of products, pricing and packaging,” said D’Arcy.

“By entering into new territories and adapting to the needs of the changing marketplace, we’ve seen increasing demand for our products all over the world.”

Marc Miller, Crosman’s international sales manager agreed. “Crosman recently entered into negotiations to open a European distribution facility,” he said. “Streamlining the customer’s order flow process to ensure faster delivery times will meet or exceed Crosman’s global supply chain standards. By reducing transport costs, improving delivery times and providing efficiencies in inventory management, merchandising solutions will be provided to European customers,” he continued.

“Crosman will now have the ability to offer a larger assortment of goods to markets with differing product and marketing requirements. We anticipate even more growth as a result of these improvements,” he said.

D’Arcy said that it is gratifying to have recognition from an organization whose relationships include some of the most successful international exporters in the US. “This is a solid endorsement of the strategic direction we’ve embraced.”

Airsoft Guns Growing in Popularity For Combat Sports Play

Airsoft is a relatively new combat sport in North America. It isn’t as well known as paintball, but the sales of airsoft guns are increasing steadily each year. The game is very similar to paintball, using strict rules for taking shots, keeping score and how participants are expected to maneuver throughout various types of competition. Such competitions include skirmishes and various types of military simulations.
While just beginning to gain popularity in North America, airsoft guns have been extremely popular in Asia for decades. They were first introduced f in Japan and East Asia in the 1950’s, when it was almost impossible for private citizens to get any form of firearm. To fulfill their passion for target practice and role-playing military games, airsoft guns filled a niche that quickly spread across Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. Today the popularity of airsoft weapons is quickly spreading across North America and Europe, with interest particularly high in areas such as Ireland and the United States.
Airsoft guns are increasing in popularity in the U.S. in contrast to paintball guns for a number of reasons. One reason is that airsoft pellets themselves are less likely to cause damage to the guns during the course of play. There is no paint enclosed in the pellets, therefore there’s no opportunity for them to rupture in an airsoft gun’s chamber and damage the gun itself. Because of this, airsoft guns are easier to take care of, keep clean and maintain. They also have fewer mechanical parts to take care of and are less prone to break down, making them less likely to jam up or cause problems during game play.
The cost of airsoft guns and their ammunition is also considerably less than that of paintball weapons. While you can certainly invest a substantial amount of money in either form of combat sports play, the cost of a reasonably accurate and powerful airsoft gun is approximately twenty percent less than that of a paintball gun. Ammunition for airsoft guns is also less expensive; you can purchase about 5000 airsoft pellets for approximately twenty dollars. For the same price, you will get less than 1500 paintballs of similar quality.
Airsoft guns may not be as popular as some other forms of combat game play in North America, but it is quickly getting noticed not only for its affordability but for its flexibility. While there are fewer formal, organized locations for airsoft competitions and team play, this doesn’t limit anyone’s ability to enjoy airsoft guns. These combat play weapons can be used in almost setting, including empty buildings, wooded areas or on farms without damaging property because there is no mess from paintballs and far less debris from pellet shells.
You can use airsoft guns for routine skirmishes, the most common form of play that the casual player is familiar with, or military simulations that last for days at a time. Whichever form of play you favor you’ll use less ammunition and be able to travel lighter using airsoft guns.
If you are interested in learning more about airsoft guns, talk to someone who is a current player and ask them to teach you how to play. Keep in mind that you should always wear protective gear. Airsoft guns shoot their pellets with enough speed to cause bruising of the skin at relatively close range and serious damage to the eye. Properly designed goggles and padded clothing are a must any time you are playing an airsoft game.
Because of the many advantages of airsoft guns for your combat play, it seems certain that you’ll see them increase in popularity in the next several years. Give it a try the next time you have the opportunity and you may become a convert to what is often considered the most realistic form of combat play there is.

EXCLUSIVE: Toy Gun Sold in U.S. Can Easily be Converted to the Real Thing

Felons, illegal immigrants and all others banned from buying a gun in the United States have a new alternative if they’re looking to get their hands on a firearm: Just buy a toy.

A FoxNews.com investigation reveals that a popular recreational pellet gun can be converted easily to a real semi-automatic weapon. And while the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is already aware of the issue, these “toys” -- new, top-of-the-line airsoft rifles -- continue to be sold throughout the country.

Like paintball without the paint, the propane-powered airsoft guns are designed to shoot quarter-inch plastic pellets and are generally used for recreation or in military and law enforcement training.

When the ATF seized a shipment of 30 of these guns in October from a port in Tacoma, Wash., it said they could be “readily convertible” to machine guns. But gun experts called that claim absurd and said the ATF was overstepping its bounds.

Now one of those critics is reversing his position, saying at least one airsoft manufacturer has taken the quest to be authentic a little too far.

“The airsoft can be converted to an AR-15,” firearms manufacturer Leo Gonnuscio told FoxNews.com after testing the make and model of airsoft guns seized by the ATF.

Having concluded that several other airsoft guns could not be converted to fire real ammunition, Gonnuscio said he was surprised to find that he was able to to transform this particular gun to the real thing -- and with “minimal work,” because its bottom half, or “receiver,” is so similar to an AR-15's.

To make the airsoft receiver function just like an AR-15’s, Gonnuscio said, “All you have to do is drill one hole.”

And once that's out of the way, the rest is even easier. The AR-15 receiver is the only part of the semi-automatic rifle that is given a serial number, and is the only part that is regulated. All the remaining parts of the real thing can be purchased by anyone – any kid, criminal or terrorist.

The cost of buying the Taiwan-made airsoft gun and all the parts needed to convert it to an AR-15 comes to roughly $1,100 -- more than the cost of some real AR-15s. But someone who can’t clear a background check or has been refused a gun for any other reason could use this method to make his own lethal weapon, Gonnuscio said.

Making it into a machine gun, he said, would require yet another conversion, and the makeshift gun would likely be able to fire only 15-20 rounds before it stopped working due to the pressure it would have to withstand while firing in an automatic fashion.

But as semi-automatic weapon, Gonnuscio said, “It may not last forever, but they’ve got a gun to get the job done that they were assigned to do, and nobody knows the wiser.”

The ATF has made no reported moves to regulate or seize any more of the airsoft guns, which continue to be sold in stores around the country, and it appears to be bowing to critics and reconsidering its stance on the guns' convertibility.

“We’re having to take a serious look at this, so it’s just something that we’re reviewing, and I’m hoping we’ll have some information that we can make available to the public certainly very soon,” ATF spokesman Drew Wade told FoxNews.com.

But firearms expert Len Savage said the ATF is taking a “serious look” at the wrong issue -- or, more specifically, the wrong part of the gun.

The reason it’s possible to make these airsoft receivers function as real receivers is that all an AR-15 receiver does is hold the gun together, Savage said. So with enough gun knowledge, almost anything can be made into a receiver.

“There’s a line of AR-15 firearms out there where the lower (the receiver) is made entirely of injection molded plastic … It could be made of cardboard and scotch tape,” he said.

The most important part of an AR-15, and the most difficult part to replicate, he said, is the upper half of the gun -- which is unmarked, unregulated and readily available for purchase.

"The ATF is regulating the wrong part as a firearm receiver, not the part that goes bang," Savage said.

“The upper is what contains the barrel, the breech or bolt, that’s what contains all the pressure,” he added.

The reason the lower half of the AR-15 is the part with the serial number, and thus classified as the receiver, is that when the gun was created it was up to the manufacturer to choose the location of the gun’s serial number, he said. Because the bottom of the gun has a flat surface, it was the easiest to mark.

And though federal law has since defined a gun’s receiver as the part “which provides housing for the hammer, bolt, breechblock and firing mechanism,” Savage says the bureau has continued to mark and regulate the lower part of the AR-15 to avoid confusion.

“In the stream of commerce, you’d have uppers that were marked and regulated and then lowers that were marked and regulated, you could see the confusion on a dealer basis” in determining which parts require licensing and which don’t, Savage said.

But even though the upper half of the gun can be bought by anyone, Gonnuscio still says that banning the airsoft receivers and implementing a few new rules for airsoft manufacturers could be a good start to keeping unregulated AR-15s off the street.

“I would hope that the ATF applies pressure to the manufacturers of these airsoft guns to redesign them so they cannot be converted," he said. "Make them move the pin holes ... so that an upper can’t be attached to it without major machining.

"Fill in some of that gap so that they would literally have to chuck this thing up in a mill and totally reconfigure it to work. Tighten up the magazine well so a regular magazine won’t fit in it.”

And because the U.S. is such a big market for these airsoft guns, Gonnuscio said, a foreign manufacture would change the product if its current design were banned here.

“There are tons of good uses for these guns: We use them for training, kids do reenacting with them, kids get out there and play just like the old days. We played BB gun wars when we were kids and we survived. These are little plastic balls that are shot by electricity or propane.

"So let them have their toys. Just make sure they're still toys.”

**See a previous post on this topic which more clearly describes what the facts are: http://airsoftgun.blogspot.com/2010/05/if-parts-dont-fit-you-must-acquit.html**

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 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 - 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 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).

Lakeside Christian Church

I arrived early for the 10:40 a.m. contemporary service at Lakeside Christian Church; Bible study was just finishing up its session in the dim adobe (!) church. (The two arched alcoves in the sanctuary were not merely period details; they served to house a drum set and a baptismal pool, both of which saw use during the service.) The group was watching a video accompaniment to Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ; Strobel was teaching from the back of a taxicab:

“A hunch is a good place to start; it’s not always a good place to finish. Journalists and scientists know that you have to find hard facts. If your hunch doesn’t fit those facts, then you need to jettison it. As we continue our investigation, you may find some of your hunches about Jesus falling away — and that’s okay.”

After the study, the screen switched to pictures from a church hiking trip, airsoft skirmish, and an ad for the church’s motorcycle getaway to Julian. Later, Pastor Masser reminded the congregation about upcoming events: softball practice, another Airsoft war, and a marriage outreach Friday date night. “The Lakeside ministerial association has...rented the community center. If you know someone that’s in a marriage that maybe needs tweaking and they’re not in church to help get it tweaked enough, we would like you to invite them.” (Masser had marriage on his mind; his sermon twice mentioned marriages in trouble and the hope for their salvation/resurrection.)

The band started up, and the sharpness of the guitar, the boom of the drums, and the rumble of the congregation under the sloping ceiling gave power to the familiar lyrics. “Better is one day in Your courts/ Than thousands elsewhere.... Be the strength of my life...”

Masser mentioned the intentions for each of the four prayer quilts on the rack beside him. One was for an 11-year-old girl who “just had one of her ovaries removed and has cancer in the lymph nodes around her heart. To be honest, the diagnosis is not good. We’re praying for God’s power and presence in her life.” He prayed, “We ask...for You to guide doctors.... And what we can’t do, we ask, if it would be Your will, that You would heal and bring restoration.”

That would have made a decent segue into Masser’s chosen Scripture for the day — the story of Lazarus’s rising from the dead. But the church was in the midst of its series “Jesus Knows What Women Want,” an investigation of “the different times that Jesus dealt with women.” Masser stressed that he had “preached a lot of sermons on Lazarus being raised from the dead. But I’ve never focused on Mary and Martha” — Lazarus’s sisters and Jesus’ friends.

He began with prayer. “You know that inside of our hearts, there is a dark corner that has to do with death. Help us to push aside some of that darkness so that we can make room for Your word....

“When we face death,” said Masser, “our definition of God is challenged. Max Lucado asks, ‘Why is it that we interpret the presence of death as the absence of God?’ If healing doesn’t come, does that mean God wasn’t there? The truth is, when we have one foot in the grave, that’s what we believe.... This view of God has no place for death.” (At the end of the sermon, he prayed “that You would help us, as we mature in our faith, to allow death into our lives.”)

But then he reminded the congregation of Christ’s words: “‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies...’ Do you believe that He can turn death into life?”

He compared death — Lazarus’s death — to a trickster, clouding the faith of Mary and Martha, both of whom challenged Jesus: “‘If You had been here...’ Jesus is agitated,” Masser explained, citing the Gospel: “‘He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled...Jesus wept.’ He is torqued by what death has done to His children.” So He calls Lazarus out of the grave, “‘And the dead man came out.’” Masser paused over the line. “Will you read those words along with me? ‘And the dead man came out.’” A bit off topic, but it reminded me of the airsoft term "dead man walking".

Before communion, a man read from Psalm 23 and repeated the last verse: “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

What happens when we die? It's like like airsoft where we just sit out for a round after being hit.

“Jesus said, when He was talking to the thief of the cross, ‘Today, you will be with me in paradise,’” said Masser. “That is my own belief — the moment we close our eyes on this life, we enter into eternal life. If we’ve accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior...then we’re invited into what is traditionally called heaven.”

Airsoft Safety Essentials Part II: Safety Equipment and Attire

In Part I of this series, Airsoft Safety Essentials Part I: Handling your Gun, we examined important safety measures to bear in mind when handling an Airsoft gun. Part II provides an overview of some key pieces of protective attire that can help prevent injury when playing Airsoft:

Safety Goggles A pair of impact resistant goggles is the absolute minimum protection that must be worn when playing with Airsoft guns. Eye protection is so important that yelling “blind man” has emerged as a widely known signal to stop firing immediately due to someone in the vicinity lacking eye protection (the phrase can also be shouted for other reasons, but always means cease fire). Do your part to promote Airsoft safety by never shooting at anyone who is not wearing eye protection.

Face Mask Many Airsoft players choose to wear protective face masks, which cover and shield the face during play. Some face masks are combined with goggles for full-face protection, while others are designed for use in combination with impact resistant goggles. A face mask can help prevent a direct hit to your face and teeth.

Tactical Vest An Airsoft tactical vest protects the skin from the direct impact of an Airsoft BB. In addition to adding a layer of protection, these vests also make it convenient to carry extra guns, magazines, BBs and other supplies. Airsoft tactical vests are available in many styles at a wide range of prices.

Airsoft Helmet An Airsoft tactical helmet prevents direct hits to the head during play. Many players also enjoy the realism that a helmet adds to the game.

Full Coverage Clothing Generally, wearing a long sleeve shirt and long pants is advised when playing Airsoft. Clothing that covers exposed areas of skin lessens the impact of BBs and can prevent welts from forming as the result of a hit.

Though all of the protective equipment mentioned here is not required to play the sport of Airsoft, a protective pair of safety goggles should be worn at all times during a skirmish.

Student In Trouble For Shooting Airsoft Gun On Bus

RAYMORE, Mo. -- An area student faces suspension for pulling the trigger on an Airsoft gun on a school bus on Monday, school officials said. Raymore-Peculiar School District officials said a student brought an Airsoft gun on board a bus on Monday afternoon and fired several shots, hitting a couple of students with plastic projectiles called BBs. The district said the student who brought the airsoft gun did not mean to injure anyone, but the individual still faces consequences for bringing the replica airsoft weapon to school. Parents who spoke to KCTV5 on Tuesday said they weren't overly concerned about the incident involving a Raymore-Peculiar Middle School student. They said they trust the district to discipline the student."Hopefully they'll handle it in an appropriate manner," said parent Deanne Wehmeyer. "Ray-Pec is a wonderful district, and they handle everything appropriately."The district said the student is in trouble for endangering other students and for bringing a toy airsoft weapon to school that looks like a real gun. A hearing will be held to determine how long the student will be suspended from classes.

Man, 18, found with replica handgun, beer during East Brunswick traffic stop

EAST BRUNSWICK — A Middlesex Borough man was arrested after police found a replica airsoft handgun, a baton, sharpened metal knuckles and beer in his car during a traffic stop in East Brunswick, authorities said Tuesday.

Philip Donato Jr., 18, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and underage possession of alcohol after the stop on Milltown Road just before 11 p.m. Friday.

East Brunswick police stopped a vehicle driven by Donato near Claire Road after an improper lane change on Route 18, police said. Sgt. Jeff Marino approached from the passenger’s side and was getting the driver’s credentials when he noticed what appeared to be the handle of a gun protruding from the map pocket behind the passenger’s seat.

Marino ordered Donato to exit and recovered a KWC Airsoft handgun that was altered to look like a Taurus 9-mm handgun, Sgt. Paul Natalicchio said in a news release. The sergeant also allegedly found a collapsible PR-24 baton, metal knuckles that had sharp metal tips and several unopened cans of beer.

Donato was arrested and charged, Natalicchio said. He was released on his own recognizance, pending a court appearance.

The Reason Why Being an Airsoft Sniper Is Way Better

The Airsoft Sniper Rifle is becoming a very popular weapon of selection to the veteran Airsoft enthusiast. Arguably 1 of the most dominant Airsoft rifle in the market, the sniper rifle is made to fire a plastic bbs with a higher velocity using amazing consistency.

It can be very significant for the Airsoft sniper to choose the proper rifle. You will discover a number of respected producers who make distinct design lines of Airsoft Sniper Rifles. Some having such detail that they are incredibly complicated to identify from their actual "steel" counterparts. Most of the Airsoft Rifle is normally available for the buyer at a broad price tag range. Some of the types with the additional exquisite detail, and with metal and wood casings can cost nicely over a whopping 2,000 U.S. dollars! Created nearly totally out of steel and wood, these super high-priced types have high top quality interior mechanisms that fire the gun. With their heavy feel, long barrel lengths, averaging close to 42 inches (1070mm), and with their good quality detail, these expensive versions are nicely worth the price to the avid Airsoft player.

The above regular charge with the sniper rifle has proven to become a barrier to some enthusiasts. Though the regular Airsoft player cannot afford such a excessive cost for a gun, you will find some exceptional, much less costly products. These rifles aren't from the very high priced luxury category, but nonetheless are still a higher top quality gun. For a effectively built model, a single can expect to pay all over the same value that he would for an automatic electric Airsoft gun (AEG), between two or three hundred U.S. dollars.

ABS plastic are probably what is usually used to be able to make more higher effective airsoft sniper rifles. This heavyweight material is a blend of plastic and metal. The ABS plastic gives the gun a cost powerful, realistic heavy really feel without the high-priced steel manufacturing. TheAirsoft Sniper Rifle which is manufactured of this material is usually marked ABS, which generally increases its overall worth. The Japanese Airsoft Gun manufacturing organizations Tanaka and Maruzen make the most popular of these designs.

It truly is also important to note that even much less pricey Sniper rifles are also offered. These guns are created primarily out of plastic, and can typically be bought for all around 100 U.S. dollars. Unicorn Hobby Firm (UHC) of Taiwan makes a single of one of the most well-known models. This low-end, cheap Airsoft Sniper Rifle model is referred to as the UHC Super 9.

In purchasing a cheap Airsoft Sniper Rifle, a single can very easily exchange some in the parts for metal or wood at a later time. This not only makes the gun feel and look a lot more realistic, it increases the its overall worth. Most major airsoft suppliers offer upgrades for instance metal barrels, custom grips, red dot scopes, wooden stocks, laser sights, bi-pods and other accessories. The added expenses of potential needed upgrades should be kept in mind. Although capable of a decent firing experience when initially purchased, in order to be useful in serious war game battles, some upgrades will be needed.

The newest sniper rifle from Tokyo Marui is call the VSR-10. At a manageable price, this airsoft rifle works quite properly before any upgrades are created.

Choosing the Airsoft Sniper Rifle that accommodates the suitable budget is certainly quite essential. No matter the selling price, these exciting soft air rifles are certain to bring wonderful enjoyment to gallant Airsoft players just about everywhere.

The Citadel – Indoor Airsoft facility in Worcester, MA

The Citadel in Worcester Massachusetts, is the largest and best Airsoft CQB or Airsoft CQC facility in the New England. Citadel Airsoft strives to provide the highest quality Airsoft experience to our players. We are located in the center of New England in Worcester, Massachusetts. Visit our website for all the information about our facility and about Airsoft events and rentals at The Citadel or to register or RSVP for an event.

Tango Down & Friday Night Firefights - The Citadel’s regular weekly night-time airsoft skirmish events. TD & FNF are typically a series of small scenarios and skirmishes to keep airsoft gameplay fresh and fun. This is a great time to come play in the dark (we will run at least one lights-out skirmish), hone your Airsoft CQB/CQC skills, practice teamwork, and have a lot of fun in a relaxed skirmish environment.

Sunday Skirmishing - The Citadel is open every Sunday that we do not have a big operation planned for all day airsoft skirmishing. This is a great chance to come on down, practice your skills, sort your kit out, have some serious 6mm fun, and stay out of the weather as we are an all-weather facility!

Where: The Citadel, 344 Franklin St. (rear) Worcester MA

When: Tuesdays & Fridays Doors open @ 5pm, Skirmishes from 6-10pm.

Sundays Doors open @ 12pm, Skirmishes from 1pm - 9pm.

What do I need: You, your Airsoft gun, your kit.

Who: Tan/Black versus Green (yellow and green tape will be provided if we need to even teams)

Field Rules and Event Info - http://www.citadelairsoft.com

Event Signup/RSVP - http://www.citadelairsoft.com/store/

Citadel Forums - http://www.citadelairsoft.com/forums/

(The Citadel)

OUR VIEW: Say no to airsoft guns

It's common sense that anything that looks like a real gun shouldn't be allowed in urban areas. The risk for accidental injury is too great, particularly at night when vision is obscured.

We urge the North Ogden City Council to maintain its current law prohibiting the use of airsoft guns and reject a request that youngsters and others be allowed to use the guns on private city property with adult supervision.

Recently, a Boy Scout troop, fulfilling a merit badge requirement, approached the city council and asked that airsoft guns be allowed with certain safety requirements. This would be for personal use and not as part of the Scouts, Scout leader Dean Halbert explained to the council.

Boy Scout Colby Widdison told council members that he and the other boys believe that with safety gear, playing with an airsoft gun can be done without harm.

And Councilman Brent Taylor and city resident Dave Hulme both expressed support for changes in the law that would allow some type of airsoft gun use.

However, we hold with the opinion of North Ogden Police Chief Polo Afuvai in wanting to maintain the ban on airsoft guns. Right now possession of one is a class B misdemeanor. As Afuvai demonstrated to councilmembers, an airsoft gun looks like a regular handgun.

Its only distinction is orange at the end of the gun. That is not enough disguise to prevent a misunderstanding that could lead to a fatal tragedy.

Besides, it is clearly stated on the airsoft gun that was shown to the North Ogden council that it is not for youngsters' use. And North Ogden is not the only city that prohibits the use of airsoft guns. Ogden, Centerville and South Ogden also have laws against its use.

Afuvai is correct that ending the prohibition on airsoft guns can make the city less safe.

He suggests parents talk to him about requests to use the toy gun in backyards.

Frankly, as we've stated before, if it looks like a weapon, we don't want to see it being used.

BATFE Guilty of More Arrogant Behavior -- Seizes AirSoft Toy Guns

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), apparently unable to distinguish between real guns and replicas AirSoft, seized a shipment of 30 toy AirSoft guns in a February bust at the Port of Tacoma in Washington.

Airsoft guns, which fire little plastic balls, are used by a growing number of loyal enthusiasts (think paintball, only not as messy). In addition, thanks to their realistic look, weight, and feel, these guns are often used for training purposes by National Guard units and law enforcement.

It was this realism that led CBP agents to seize the shipment—which was destined for Airsoft Outlet Northwest in Cornelius, Oregon—and to call in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) for a closer look.

The BATFE was at least knowledgeable enough to discern that the guns in question were, in fact, not real guns. The case should have ended right then and there. After all, the agency has authority only with respect to the importation of real guns. Toy guns fall no more under BATFE jurisdiction than teddy bears.

However, a little technicality like lack of jurisdiction was not enough to keep BATFE off the case.

“In its present state, our firearms technology branch classified this as a machine gun,” said BATFE special agent Kelvin Crenshaw.

But wait a minute. Didn’t the BATFE previously admit that these are not real guns?

Yes, but “With minimal work it could be converted to a machine gun,” Crenshaw said.

Astonished, the owners of the store, Brad Martin and his son, Ben, inquired with the agents as to exactly how “minimal” the work would be to “convert” these toys into real machine guns.

The Martins were given the government version of “talk to the hand.” File a Freedom of Information Act request, they were told.

The Martins have done just that, as has Gun Owners of America. There must be accountability with this agency because if the Bureau can unilaterally decide to get into the business of regulating toys, its mission has grown dramatically without any congressional input or oversight.

Of course, that would not come as a big surprise to many gun dealers who interact with the BATFE on a regular basis. The agency has become an arrogant and out-of-control bureaucracy with a history of trampling on people’s gun rights.

Even more troubling is that this agency’s mission—at least as it relates to firearms—falls completely outside the framework of constitutional authority given to the federal government.

As the Supreme Court reaffirmed in the 2008 Heller decision, Americans have an individual right to keep and bear arms. But if firearms transactions have to be approved by the Washington bureaucrats, what was once a “right” has morphed into a “privilege.”

And now they are opening the door to regulating toy guns, even though it would be extremely risky, expensive and, well, dumb, to attempt to convert an Airsoft into an actual machinegun.

In fact, GOA and the Martins separately consulted with several gunsmiths who debunked the notion that the seized Airsoft guns could be converted with “minimal work.”

To make the transformation, the entirety of the upper receiver would have to be replaced, but the lower receiver would still be unable to endure the intense force of live ammunition because it is made of pot metal (inexpensive alloys) instead of hard steel. And all of this work would actually cost more than buying a real—and stable—AR-15 rifle.

BATFE also tried to justify the seizure because the toys lacked the blaze orange tips now required on all imported toy guns. This again raises the question of jurisdiction and the BATFE regulating toy guns.

The Martins noted that previous shipments from Taiwan lacked the orange paint, but that they were allowed to simply go to Tacoma and paint the ends of the barrels themselves.

Not this time, though. The toy guns, valued at over $10,000, remain in the hands of the BATFE and are slated to be destroyed.

Brad and Ben Martin were robbed just as surely as if they had been mugged walking down the street. Only in this instance, the thugs operated under the color of law by an agency whose very existence is questionable.

Real but not lethal - The world of Airsoft Guns

DORRANCE TWP. – The soft crackling throughout the woods only vaguely implies combat, like hearing exchanges of gunfire muffled by earplugs – or maybe just nuts falling in the autumn.
But that’s Airsoft: as real as possible without being lethal.

Simulation though it might be, Airsoft seems anything but for the battle gear-clad participants in the field, who refer to each other using call signs, engage in tactical maneuvers and geek out about their gear.

“For people who are into it, you can easily spend $3,000,” said Jon Rizzo, whose family owns the 50-acre home field of Saints Airsoft, a Christian-based group based in the township.

On a clear blue Saturday morning earlier this month, bright white snow contrasted sharply with bleak, bare trees – an intriguing area of operations for the day of loosely structured “open play” the Saints were hosting.

Northeastern Pennsylvania is surprisingly replete with Airsoft teams; all but one of the teams there were from the region: Mountain Top-based Ghost Recon Assault Team, the Deathdealers from Honesdale and Carbondale, Dead Man’s Hands from Hanover Township and Ashley and Wilkes-Barre’s two squads – the Rebels and the Patriots.

While its members consider it a sport, Airsoft is probably more akin to a live-action version of warfare video games such as “Call of Duty” and “Medal of Honor.” Players usually sort into two sides – outfitted with guns, ammunition and other equipment, such as canteens, radios and flash grenades – and take to the field in an attempt to outflank and outwit the opposition. There’s even an injury and medic system for role-playing non-lethal hits, and players who have “died” can “respawn” by returning to a certain spot on the field.

“That’s where most of us started out, with a game like that,” said Don “Keeper” Swelgin, who’s turned his Shavertown property into a close-quarters training ground for his Patriots teammates.

“I only have 4.6 acres, so I actually made it more busy by adding more buildings,” he said.

While it might seem unpublicized, the community is robust enough that a player usually can find a game on any given weekend.

Unlike paintball, the guns shoot biodegradable plastic airsoft BBs at speeds up to 500 feet per second, which players say can be painful depending on the location of the hit. But the cleanup is easier.

“I don’t have to change my clothes before getting in the car,” said Ryan “Dizzy” Dziak, a Patriots airsoft team member.

Even women get involved – sort of. Lisa Pritchard humors her boyfriend, Patriots co-founder Kevin “Chips” Chlipala, by capturing the squad in action. “I take pictures,” she said. “I don’t shoot guns.”

Many military aspects crop up during games. “We have these call signs, and after a while you forget people’s real names,” said James “Dublin” Holland, a Moosic native and Patriots co-founder.

Bo Stobodzian, of Hanover Township, was in the Marines before he found paintball and then Airsoft. Rizzo, who’s been playing since he was 12, hopes to parlay his six years of experience into a commission at the U.S. Naval Academy. He said it’s been helpful for initial interviews.

“They love it,” the Crestwood graduate said. “Some of the guys were able to relate.”

Chlipala didn’t get that far, but Airsoft helped him find what he was looking for.

“When I was 18, I wanted to join the military, but an illness held me back. I figured this was the next best thing, kind of simulate the real-world army,” he said. “When I started this, I found a community with it. If I wanted to explain our community in one word it would be a brotherhood.”

ATF seizes 30 toy airsoft guns, infuriating local business owner

CORNELIUS, Ore. - A local business owner is flabbergasted after a shipment of 30 toy guns for his store was confiscated by ATF agents in Tacoma.

Brad Martin and his son, Ben, sell the Airsoft BB guns from their store in Cornelius where they’ve been in business for seven years.

The Martins said they buy their stock from Taiwan because the merchandise is less expensive. But the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives seized a shipment of 30 in October. That shipment is worth around $12,000 and the ATF is promising to destroy the entire shipment.

Special Agent Kelvin Crenshaw said the toys can be easily retro-fitted into dangerous weapons.

"With minimal work it could be converted to a machine gun," Crenshaw said.

Brad Martin is furious about the loss of money, for sure, but also in what he now thinks as a loss of his time and the use of government agents to seize toy Airsoft guns.

"All this manpower, all this time, all this taxpayer money, [it is] wasting my time and my profitability,” Martin said. “[Just] to seize 30 toy airsoft guns!"

Ben Martin disagrees that the toy guns could ever be considered dangerous.

"To say these are readily convertible to machine guns is absolutely preposterous,” he said. “The round wouldn't go into the firing chamber and even if the firing pin did strike the primer the gun would basically blow up in your face.”

ATF said it also seized the toys because they are missing the blaze orange tips required on all imported toy airsoft guns.

The Martins said they've received shipments before from Taiwan that were missing the orange tips and were simply asked by customs agents to drive up to Tacoma and paint the tips orange themselves. They are wondering why it is an issue now.

News covereage can be seen at
http://www.koinlocal6.com/content/mediacenter/default.aspx?videoId=15289@koin.dayport.com&navCatId=156

+1 for ATF, 0 for Airsoft. 'Toy' rifles seized by federal agents in Tacoma

Earlier this month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Tacoma seized a shipment of 30 toy M-4 automatic rifles that had arrived on Oct. 20 in a 40-foot ocean container.

The shipment's manifest listed the contents as "Toys and Parts" and was shipped from a manufacturer in Taiwan, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. The rifles were the same size, weight and look of an M-4 automatic rifle, which is used by the U.S. military. The rifles had no serial numbers and did not have an orange-blaze tip which is required for all imported of toy guns.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) tested the files and determined they were tooled to shoot plastic balls. However, ATF also found that the internal components could easily be refitted with original machine gun components, making the rifles capable of firing live ammunition. ATF lab results indicated the rifle to be a WE-Tech, Model AWSS M4CQBR, Airsoft M-4 copy.

ATF also confirmed the shipment did not arrive with the proper permits to enter the U.S.

The machine guns were turned over to the ATF to be destroyed.

"These rifles could have had far-reaching and potentially devastating ramifications if they had gotten into the hands of individuals who wanted to do harm in the American population", Customs and Border Protection Area Port Director Rolando Suliveras Jr. said in a news release.

Using Airsoft to Teach Your Son about Gun Safety

Real guns are very dangerous, and a lot of people die every year in America due to gun accidents, usually involving kids playing with their father’s guns. But all of this can be avoided if your kids know about the danger of guns, and have knowledge of the safety devices and techniques that will protect them from danger.

Using Airsoft Guns as a Precursor
That is where getting an airsoft pistol or rifle for your son can come in very handy. Especially if you purchase a higher end airsoft gun, you will get the look and feel of the real pistol in an airsoft gun, and you can show your son how the internal and external safety features work, how to keep the weapon pointed away from people, pointed down at the ground when moving, and ensuring that the weapon isn’t loaded when in storage. These are all great tips that the youngster must learn before touching a real gun.

Airsoft guns also feature the unmistakable blaze orange tip that will enable you to easily tell the difference between the airsoft gun, and the real gun. Also, you will be able to teach your son how to shoot accurately, timely, and know exactly how to load and unload the weapon quickly. The more knowledge they have, the better the chances are of avoiding a catastrophe.

Be sure to always keep your guns locked away, especially while the kids are home alone and you aren\’t there to make sure they stay out of your gun closet. A combination lock on a vault that is bolted to the floor provides very difficult access along with protection from being moved or tipped over. But even with the best teaching, accidents can still happen, and you don\’t want to face the consequences of such accidents. Take all the precautions possible.Sarah specializing in electric air pistols, gas air pistols, and other air pistols is a fan of the intelligence that the sport has to offer. Team play combined with leadership separate it from many other games.

Airsoft Guns Provide A Unique Way To Play Soldier.

these reproduction firearms got popular in Japan and other parts of the orient and Europe and then eventually found their way to the United States. Although they were original intended to satisfy collectors they have since become an important part of a worldwide craze.

While they are mostly manufactured in Asia airsoft guns are available in all parts of the world. However regulation has made it necessary within the United States for any airsoft firearms to have a distinguishing orange mark or cap on them. This is so that they are easily identifiable and can be distinguished from the real thing.

Police department and military training units have started to recognize the feasibility of airsoft guns as usable for training exercises. Manufactured in identical size and weight these weapons provide a relatively inexpensive alternative to using authentic firearms.

Many methods of play have developed using airsoft guns. Perhaps the most popular of these is known as MilSim or military simulation. Military simulation is basically a hard core game set up around military missions with teams that play against each other. These serious players often go as far as to use rations, explosives and radios.

With replica m16’s and other traditional military weapons these battles can often look like the real thing since players are often required to dress in particular military uniforms. In other cases the players wear regular civilian clothing rather than fatigues. These skirmishes where the players wear civilian clothing are called skirmish in silly kit or SISK.

Players have to be honest when it comes to whether they have been hit since airsoft pellets are small rubber balls and not paint packed balls, as is used in paint ball guns. Paint ball is another popular war like game played with authentic looking guns that fire paint balls that leave marks on their targets and victims. Since Airsoft ammunition does not leave these marks often it is up to the player to admit that they have been hit.

Due to the exactness of these guns some areas have restricted their use, such as large inner cities. In the United States these guns are required to contain orange markings that are permanent. So they can be quickly distinguished from authentic fire-arms.

These mock-up semi-automatics can be found at many retail outlets and can be commonly found at flea markets and swap meets. Another popular way to locate these weapons is at kiosks in malls and even at some sporting goods retailers. Airsoft guns can also be found via the internet at a variety of retailers that over large selections of guns and other associated items.

Author Information: Anthoy Carter is very into the sport of airsoft and is very knowlegdeable about airsoft guns. Visit this website to find the best place to find airsoft guns.

Teen of the Week: Teen juggles academics, sports, unique hobbies; like airsoft

If there is a different way of getting directly from point A to point B, you can bet Victor Alexander Fernandes of Arnold has already done it.

When he isn't warming up for Broadneck High School's outdoor track team meets in the spring, the 17-year-old Arnold youth, a Broadneck senior, is an avid practitioner of free running and parkour.

Never heard of them? The two are not new. In the past decade, these athletic activities have been depicted in a number of action flicks and have a global network of enthusiasts. Free running and parkour are two non-competitive methods of running along a set route in the most efficient way possible while using one's body and the environment to get over any obstacles in the way, like low walls or picnic tables. No fancy pads, no helmets, no tools. Free running is a form of urban acrobatics. Think of it as skateboarding without the skateboard.

Victor is also a skilled stilt-walker and unicyclist. In years past, he's trick-or-treated on stilts he made himself. Or, wearing a costume he designed and stitched, Victor unicycles through Severna Park during that town's annual Fourth of July parade. Victor is usually juggling a collection of steel mesh balls. Yup, he made those, too.

"They're made of hundreds of small rings," Victor explained, showing off the hacky-sack balls he's covered with a skin of hand-made chain mail. In addition, Victor creates long, snakelike necklaces or beautiful, dangly earrings of small, intertwined rings. Each ring has been pried apart with needle-nosed pliers and linked with other rings in an intricate mesh design.

The Renaissance Festival in Crownsville has made good use of his energy. On autumn weekends when he's available, Victor is in the festival's juggling booth teaching passers-by to juggle.

Heather Nealy Torosino, the booth manager, said: "He's wonderful. Even before he was officially employed there, he'd hang out and help people who were learning. He'd help us cover breaks if it was a little tough. He's a great teacher. Victor just keeps working with people until they get it, and he's fun too!"

The Fernandes family has a history of RennFest employment and enjoyment. His father, John, a Class of 1982 Naval Academy grad who works for a federal agency, has served as the money counter. Sister Andrea, 23, a writer for Mental Floss magazine, is a souvenir booth manager. Middle sister Juliana, 21, who is pursuing a master's degree in architecture at Roger Williams University, spent two seasons at the festival. And sister Christy, currently attending Union County College in New Jersey, has labored as a "bubble fairy."

His mother Terry, an editor-researcher for the Office of Naval Intelligence, has her hands full as a Bruins Music booster. Brother JC, 19, is a sophomore at West Point..

Victor also moves by marching - he was a valued member of the Bruin's award-winning marching band. A member all four years, he was the brass captain and section leader this past fall. Victor plays the baritone, a low brass horn.

"Victor is so funny," exclaimed Sandra Balderson, chair of the music department. "He is calm, yet works hard and always surprises me. Just when I think he's not listening, he comes up with an answer that convinces me that indeed he was right there with us. He has a delightful sense of humor that just pulls everyone in.

Marching band director and instrumental music instructor Matt Heist adds: "Victor has a fun personality that causes people to want to be around him. He is very dedicated and selfless. He knows what it means to be a 'team player.' "

Airsoft is another of Victor's many interests. It is a simulated warfare game similar to paint ball, but the Airsoft guns fire plastic BB pellets instead of paint-filled balls. It's a great way learn gun safety and improve shooting markmenship.

Victor doesn't drop the ball when it comes to academics either. He earned a perfect SAT verbal score of 800. His combined score is 2280, placing him among the top one percent of all SAT test-takers in 2009. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the Tri-M National Music Honors Society, and is an AP Distinguished Scholar.

Next fall, Victor hopes to attend a small university with a good engineering program, possibly on an Army ROTC scholarship. He is juggling application paperwork for three colleges. Down the road, Victor "hopes to get a job designing after market parts for hot rods."

His real passion, it turns out, is fixing up cars that rolled down Detroit assembly lines years before he was born. A couple years ago, he put a new engine with a used V6 into an '84 Ford LTD. Next, he restored a '66 Ford Mustang, which he traded for a '76 Chevy Nova he found on CraigsList.com. His dream is to eventually own a '72 Pontiac Firebird Formula.

"It's the best-looking car made by Pontiac," Victor said. "With after-market parts, it can be made into an extremely fast car."

Despite piles of schoolwork and all his interests, Victor has a steady girlfriend, too. Somehow, he manages to juggle everything seamlessly.