Hey Canadians...

[Agglet]

I know MCB doesn't really do politics and I like that about the place but any Canadians that enjoy airsoft and/or paintball might want to contact their MP. The new bill targeting gun ownership (don't get me started) now also targets airguns.

The Government is proposing to prohibit airguns that:

• closely resemble a real firearm (replica); and
• discharge a projectile at a velocity between approximately 366 and 500 feet per second.

So quite a bit of potential to totally wipe out airsoft and bleed over into paintball as well. When it comes to prohibited "weapons" in Canada the list of things that become non-prohibited is so small it isn't work mentioning.

[MAr]

It I recall from reading the bill, that’s not the language from it. It’s more specific that ‘closely’ resembles. Exact replicas are definitely in trouble. Paintball markers should be fine.

[Agglet]

That leaves a lot of discretion up to police there are lots of milsim guns that look close enough to a real gun to cause trouble. Besides as much as I don't really care for the GI Joe aspect of airsoft it should be allowed to exist. God knows this country has enough bubble wrap deployed already letting some people shoot airguns at each other isn't going to cause society to collapse.

[MAr]

It only leaves discretion up to the police until it goes to court. I have an EXCELLENT ruling where a Judge smacked down a cop for thinking a BB pistol was a real gun, based on the markings on the side and barrel diameter. The assessment was also at a distance. With that precedent in the pocket paintball should be fine.

[Toestr]

It I recall from reading the bill, that’s not the language from it. It’s more specific that ‘closely’ resembles. Exact replicas are definitely in trouble. Paintball markers should be fine.

Airsoft and paintball are intertwined. Many fields and stores make a good chunk of their money from airsoft and/or magfed. I know that is the case with a local store.

To @Agglet's point, without the language of the bill having specific criteria, a cop could certainly make the argument that say brass in a stock resembles a rifle or shotgun.

Writing a letter to your MP (so long as it's respectful) will only help paintball. It will not hurt their chances of reelection at all. If they hear it enough they might actually bring it up to the big guys in their party.

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[MAr]

The wording of the statue isn’t ‘resembles’ it’s something like ‘with near precision’ or something very specific. I’m not the least worried. But yes to your point about paintball fields and Airsoft. I feel like we are blue paint or an orange tip away from Airsoft guns being fine.

[StrayBlackCat]

I still remember the YouTube video of that girl being body slammed to the pavement face first for carrying a TOY Star Wars blaster while dressed up as a storm trooper just outside of a comic shop. The Canadian police are either incredibly stupid or outright abusive. Either way, this will not go well for airsoft or paintball if it passes.

[MAr]

In that case lamentably fucking stupid. Unreal. No common sense. Should both have been sued and harshly disciplined. That girl was terrified. Really awful example of police work.