Bill to Ban Fake Guns in Public Gets Assembly OK

[Rose Siding]

SACRAMENTO — After an Orange County legislator brandished two authentic-looking weapons on the Assembly floor — causing an uncomfortable flurry among his colleagues — lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill banning fake firearms from being carried in public.

The legislation was built on anecdotes, but tragic ones nonetheless. In various cases, law enforcement officers have killed children and adults who displayed replica or toy guns, thinking they were weapons. Police, sheriffs, district attorneys and gun-control groups supported the bill.

"I can tell you that law enforcement officers are scared to death of actually having to take another person's life," said Assemblyman Todd Spitzer (R-Orange), who brought the replica guns onto the floor with permission from legislative leaders.

One lawmaker told the story of his 9-year-old son taking a toy handgun to a fast-food restaurant, after painting over the fluorescent-colored tip — currently required by law — to make it look authentic. Alarmed restaurant employees called the Sheriff's Department while the boy and his friend were in the restroom. "When they walked out of the bathroom, the L.A. County … waiting there for them with their guns drawn, prepared to fire," said Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy (R-Monrovia), speaking about his son. "They told me, 'Mr. Mountjoy … he could have been killed today.' "

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bills19aug19,1,3444632.story?coll=la-headlines-california

[bluestateguy]

1. I actually support this

I am very pro-gun and against most gun control, but guns are not toys and more often than not result in tragedy.

[Massacure]

2. Didn't you ever play cops and robber when you were a kid?

[TX-RAT]

3. In restaurants?

[Massacure]

4. not in restaurants.

However they say banning it in public, so I assume that would include the street outside their house?

[TX-RAT]

8. I would hope it doesn't go that far.

I spent 21 yrs in Law enforcement, I've come across toy pistols several times. They look real enough to get yourself shot.

[NickB79]

7. I was poor, we BUILT our own toy guns

Imagine a few 10-yr old kids hammering together pieces of scrapwood into vaguely gun-shaped pieces and then chasing each other around the woods with them. Mine was high-tech; I put a plastic PVC-tube "scope" on it with some string for a crosshair :-) Good times.

[olddem43]

5. This is a good idea - once a neighbor kid surprised me by

sticking what I thought was a rifle in my ribs. I instinctively grabbed it and started to punch him with everything I had. Just in time, I realized that the gun was a BB gun instead of a rifle. I was very shook up for several reasons, but especially that I came close to hurting him. The kid was about 12 years old. Kids shouldn't be taught to play with guns, even toy ones.

[RamboLiberal]

6. In public yes as long as possession is legal

I agree that one needs to be extremely careful about exposing these guns in public - you certainly could get shot by a cop or a CCW citizen. They are modeled exactly after the real thing except for the orange tip and you got idiots who remove or paint over that.

I heard from a couple of sheriff's deputies who are also tactical firearm instructors that there are reports in some cities that the bad guys are painting orange tips on their guns to make cops hesitate - probably urban legend but I sure wouldn't want to be the cop or citizen with a gun pointed at me trying to figure out if it's real or fake.

This is an airsoft gun.



My caveat on the law would be to make sure people could transport them boxed to areas where they are used. The airsoft guns are being used for competition by Weekend Warriors for their war games.

Hey, maybe the Army and Marine Corp recruiters should show up at those games and offer to send the participants off to the real thing with real automatic weapons.

Brookfield - A recent confrontation between a police officer and a boy could have had devastating consequences as the officer made a split-second decision on whether to shoot, police Capt. Phil Horter said in announcing his department's new effort against look-alike guns.

A police officer found a young boy reported to be carrying a gun and saw it tucked into his waistband. The boy touched the gun when he saw the officer.

Believing it was a real gun, the officer ordered the boy to show his hands. Fortunately for the boy, he listened. The gun was a so-called airsoft compressed air gun.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wauk/may04/227409.asp?format=print

[TX-RAT]

9. This is an airsoft gun?

Looks like a Beretta or a Taurus to me.

[RamboLiberal]

12. Oh yeah - you can buy whatever model you want

A $215 1911


A Benelli Shorty (Shotgun clone)$195


An Electric M15 $325


Some even come with rails to mount tactical lights.

Want to have one of these pointed your way and try to figure out it's just a "toy"? Especially at night? Parents who buy these for their kids need to lock them up just like the real thing unless they want to take their chances of seeing their kid in a bodybag or a wheelchair.

[TX-RAT]

13. That is scary.

[Trillo]

10. How is "fake gun" defined?

An example: a BB gun still shoots a projectile that can injure; some of the more powerful pellet guns can kill. I believe I read long ago about an air-powered large caliber "pellet" gun that was historically used for hunting large game in another country, but had long been "outlawed" in the U.S.

Since any BB gun shoots a projectile, isn't it a "real" gun? Since an Airsoft gun shoots "soft plastic" pellets, doesn't that make them a "real" gun?

[TX-RAT]

11. Lewis and Clark carried a air rifle.

They've been around a long time.