Why Users of Airsoft Guns Should Strive for Safety
Although the term seems harmless enough, you should closely monitor safety if your adolescent has set his sights on an airsoft pistol.
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These non-powder firearms, which are available in sporting goods and other retail establishments, resemble actual firearms. Children shoot 6 mm plastic pellets at each other or targets with them.
An upsurge in eye injuries has been linked to their growing popularity.
According to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) injury prevention specialist Eliot Nelson, M.D., FAAP, “the name is terribly misleading.” “These should not be used by anyone who is not wearing the proper eye protection.”
What Kind of Danger Is There?
According to the AAP, people who do not use eye protection run the risk of suffering an eye injury. When airsoft pellets get in the eye, they can scrape it, induce severe blood clots inside the eye, dislocate the lens, or even cause blindness.
The AAP advises children to wear protective eyewear like to those used for paintball. Search for a label indicating that the eyewear satisfies ASTM F1776 safety requirements.
Not Every Air Gun Is Created Equal
Other non-powder weapons such as paintball guns that shoot paintballs, pellet guns that shoot tiny lead pellets, and BB guns that shoot metal ball bearings are available alongside airsoft guns. The gun’s ammo is propelled out of it with the use of electricity, springs, air, and other gasses. To avoid confusion with genuine weapons, non-powder guns are distinguished by their orange tips. Removing the tip is not advised.
Metal pellet guns and BB guns are not meant to be fired at humans. However, they may also kill tiny animals. Dr. Nelson stated, “(They) are clearly better described as weapons.”
Paintball and airsoft weapons are intended to be aimed at other players during gameplay. They shouldn’t break the skin, although they can make the skin welt. They hurt. If you wish to avoid getting stung, use protective gear, Dr. Nelson said.
The AAP does not recommend a certain age at which airsoft weapons are deemed safe due to these factors. Parents ought to think about whether their kids are aware of the dangers and will wear goggles.
“All of these weapons have the potential to cause harm,” stated Dr. Nelson. “Parents need to be extremely cautious to avoid considering any of them as kid-friendly toys.
Airsoft Guns: Safety Issues
Airsoft weapons are considered toys by many. Still, they are weapons that shoot projectiles and may do damage. Over 13,000 youngsters under the age of 18 are hurt by non-powder weapons every year, according to a 2019 research. Additionally, there has been a notable 55% drop in total injuries; yet, there has been a 30% increase in eye injuries.
BBs are fired by air guns at hundreds of feet per second. They put one at risk for severe eye damage. Hospitals and medical specialists around the country have noted a marked increase in eye injuries caused by airsoft in recent years.
The fact that airsoft weapons may be lethal is a bigger worry. There have been other incidents when police have mistakenly shot persons (usually young people) brandishing airsoft guns that looked real.
Because airsoft, spring, and BB guns are perceived as toys, young individuals who own them may not realize the hazards involved with just possessing these “toy guns.”
Laws and Rules Regarding Airsoft Guns
Federal importation regulations in the United States mandate that all airsoft guns imported or moved inside the nation have barrels with a minimum 6-mm-wide blaze orange tip. They take this action to prevent them being mistaken for actual weaponry.
The majority of merchants contain disclaimers noting that it is prohibited to remove the orange tips from their airsoft weapons.
Additional rules apply to the usage of airsoft weapons. In the USA, the legal age to acquire airsoft weapons and AEGs (electric airsoft rifles) is eighteen (18). Nonetheless, these goods are permitted by federal law and are not categorized as guns.
The usage and acquisition of airsoft weapons are prohibited in several states and localities. For instance, they are completely illegal in areas of Michigan, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. It is illegal to openly carry a lookalike firearm in California. In addition, the police have the right to prosecute you with a crime for which you were arrested if you were carrying an airsoft pistol during the arrest.
