bigrich wrote:Yeh, this subject could turn into a can of worms. To someone who knows nothing about firearms it probably looks real enough. Take a good look at the pictures then think about what this kids parents attitude might be. Not really appropriate to let ya kid walk around with that toy in the city I think?
No... that isn't smart. You could see that (or something like that) going really bad quite easily. It's clearly too small to be an actual AK, but people in stressed situations probably won't think that clearly. And if you have a stressed out cop yelling at the kid to drop it, and the kid's freaking out and doesn't... In your backyard or wherever, who cares... but not in Martin Place.
Dealer one is an interesting one. So, I don't know how his gel pellet guns work. And it seems insane that he's been getting the all clear from the police and now he's being prosecuted. But, leaving aside whether you think the law is sensible or not (I don't), it's also pretty clear:
- An air gun is
" a gun that:
(a) can propel, or is designed to propel, a projectile:
(i) by means of any gas or mixture of gases, including air but not including a gas or mixture of gases generated by an explosive, or
(ii) by means of a spring, and
(b) is operated or designed for operation by means of a trigger or similar device."So its quite likely that what he's been selling is an air gun under that definition, right? And then:
-
firearm means a gun, or other weapon, that is (or at any time was) capable of propelling a projectile by means of an explosive, and includes a blank fire firearm, or an air gunAnd you can't own a firearm without a licence and registration, and you can't sell a firearm without a dealers licence. I'm not saying it makes any sense that a gell pellet gun would be covered by the same regulations as a .50 bmg, but it is... which is why in NSW you need a permit for paintball guns. To be honest, hate to say it but I reckon good odds he's screwed...
EDIT: I'll answer before anyone asks - how can you get away with Nerf guns? And the answer is because the regulations exclude things that are specifically packaged and marketed as children's toys.