ATF Bans Consumer Grade Smoke Grenades

[JonM]

Official notice here: https://www.atf.gov/explosives/docs/...osive/download

Effective 11/2/23 The ATF has rescinded the exemptions which allowed consumer grade smoke grenades and flashbangs. While flashbangs aren't much of a concern to the paintball community, smoke grenades (such as those sold by EG) are included in this ban. So, I suppose we can expect to see this change affect big games, scenarios, magfed events, and general recreational play.

[Jonnydread]

I'm not big on over regulation, but personally I'm fine with that. It's hard enough to breathe running around out there without inhaling a fart cloud.

[Brandon]

lol fart cloud..

[Painthappy]

Just got back from Fulda Gap where smoke was a big part of the game. Interesting.

[Insixdays777]

This is LOL... their pistol brace ban is failing miserably... they are about to get stomped in court over bump stocks.... so I guess it's time to pick some low hanging fruit that will not fight back... smoke grenades ... they have to try and justify their budget somehow I guess. Ridiculous.

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

Just wonderful people. David Koresh was a pederast though. I'll give them credit for that good deed.

[SniperPedik]

hey, arent these the photos where they triumphantly posed as badasses in front of the burnt corpses of families and children they just firebombed? bunch of classy lookin dudes

[Arthur]

Long history and short memories about the alphabet boys.

[iamthelazerviking]

Typical ATF behavior 🤣🤣🤣

[Shaftski]

they are great at causing fires. why a lot of places don't allow them to begin with.

blame the dimwits igniting the countryside in desert areas during gender reveals. probably main reason they are now banned.

[ford]

Fine with it.

As Johnny pointed out, breathing and playing paintball around these things suck. I’ve gotten to the point I will actively chuck one off the the field if it’s with a quick distance away. Whether my team threw it or not.

I don’t see a lot of good for them floating around the general public.

but I welcome all anectodes about use cases explaining how less life would be without them

[Interl0per]

I'm really surprised they weren't regulated before now I haven't seen any kind of grenade on the field since Clinton's first term.

[Hp_lovecraft]

This is just dumb, and they don't actually have the authority to do it. At some point, someone will sue them over it, and they will quietly reverse.

Thank said, I work at fields for most of the 90s. We sold tons of smoke bombs.... and they were a nightmare. Not did they start lots of fires, which meant I would be getting shot while trying to put it out, it meant tons of blind firing in and out of the smoke screen. Very dangerous.

and at least once a year we would have some kid pull the pin, but not throw it right away. instead, run around with it looking for the best oppurtinuty to throw it... and it burns there hand! But... like with grenades.... the field owners loved them because it was a huge profit margin. A way to make extra money....

I think the ban was designed more for the MC-18 military style smoke bombs. People would bring them to the field sometimes, and it would set of a huge plume of sparks before shooting out the smoke, Those really were terrifying and definetly not "cold burning".

[Impactfour]

I'm torn on this. Like many others, I dislike regulation, but also feel the safety concerns around smoke grenades can be dismissed too easily.

Two incidents come to mind, one in which a forest fire started at a field I was at.

The other occured when I was in an enclosed bunker where the game objective was and an errant throw landed the smoke grenade inside with me. Suddenly I was choking down nasty smoke, and the only spot I could escape to was a barrage of paint and smoke, in which most players couldn't see me calling myself out. Had I been an asthmatic or someone with breathing problems it could've been ugly...

[jetenginekyle]

What's next? Is the atf gonna come after us for burning leaves? That makes a lot of smoke too

[ford]

Stockpile this fall while you can.

[cougar20th]

Ah crap. Guess no smoke grenades at Reaperball next year. If I could even talk the field owner into it.

[martix_agent]

Ah crap. Guess no smoke grenades at Reaperball next year. If I could even talk the field owner into it.

It's perfectly legal so long as the vendor and the buyers have an appropriate license....which is most likely not going to happen.

[bellicose]

I put out two fires at Supergame last year because of them. Got lit up while doing it. Apparently a ref holding a fire extinguisher looks like a good target to shoot at. Not of fan of them.

[JonM]

A smoke grenade started another fire at Supergame this year too.

[William the Third]

I know of one small fire started with one at Fulda this year (not a surprise, it was very dry). It was caught early and stomped out.