Legality of realistic BB rifles/pistols

Legality of realistic BB rifles/pistols

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Discussion

croyde

Original Poster:

23,635 posts

235 months

Saturday 7th September 2013
quotequote all
As far as I can tell, you can only own a realistic black metal 6mm plastic BB firing gun if you are a member of a skirmish group and have a licence to prove this, yet you can own realistic air rifles and guns that fire steel 4mm BBs, as long as you are over 18 and show ID to prove this.

I must be right as I did walk into my local airgun shop and bought a very realistic Sig Sauer P226 with no problems what so ever, and you can also buy this:

http://www.rusmilitary.com/html/airgun_ak74.htm apparently made in the same factory as the real thing.

Does anyone know how come this is so or have I got it very wrong.

Just seems strange that that you can own a very real looking gun that fires steel balls without having any form of restrictions yet if it fires the slightly larger plastic balls, it is heavily regulated.

Discuss biggrin

Silent1

19,761 posts

240 months

Saturday 7th September 2013
quotequote all
That reads awfully dodgily like it can be converted... i'm tempted to buy one to have a look.

croyde

Original Poster:

23,635 posts

235 months

Saturday 7th September 2013
quotequote all
Read a bit about them. They can't have them in the US as too much of it is real AK, so I presume that they are scared that they may be converted back to a real fully auto firearm.

Silent1

19,761 posts

240 months

Saturday 7th September 2013
quotequote all
croyde said:
Read a bit about them. They can't have them in the US as too much of it is real AK, so I presume that they are scared that they may be converted back to a real fully auto firearm.
in the US a firearm is defined by the receiver (simplistically the bit that the bag goes into and the trigger) so thats why the us bans them.

croyde

Original Poster:

23,635 posts

235 months

Tuesday 10th September 2013
quotequote all
Well I was tempted so bought one today.

Seemingly very authentic even down to the box it came in and covered in oiled plastic as well as a badly translated manual with loads of Russian stamps in the back. As far as my inexperienced eye can tell, it's a modern AK74M with a folding stock and even has the little tool kit in the butt of the stock with the iron sight adjuster tool.

I did buy it in order to fiddle around with it and even buy a M4 stock adapter and rails but being folding stock the rear trunnion can't take all the after market goodies.

Never mind, maybe I'll stick it back in it's box and wait for it to become even rarer biggrin

I'll post some pics when I can.