[BBC News] Three held over imitation firearm

[Vulgarian]

I'm probably not quite up to speed with this kind of thing but is not a BB gun capable of inflicting injury (blinding?) someone?.

 

If I'm right this boy (not an innocent 6 year old playing cowboys and Indians) was brandishing a weapon in public and therefore should face the appropriate sanction. That's me being candid.

 

A BB gun is an air-powered gun. They're usually just toys, firing tiny plastic pellets, and their muzzle velocity is usually far too low to make them capable of doing any damage at all. If you were hit by one of these at close range you would feel a momentary stinging sensation but that's it. I doubt if one could blind someone unless fired point-blank into someone's eye.

 

Above a certain muzzle velocity they count as fire-arms and require a licence, i think. Then they're normally called air rifles, and fire lead pellets - totally different thing.

 

Anyway, the article just said 'imitation firearm' - there's was no suggestion that it was capable of firing. I just said BB gun because they're basically imitation weapons, incapable of causing real injury.

 

It wasn't being used in the perpetration of another crime, like threatening somebody or robbery, as far as we know it was just being waved out of a car window. Possibly a bit frightening for anyone panicky enough to think it was real, and seriously fucking stupid on the part of the young men, but it hardly warrants locking them up for ten years.

[Wake Up Call]

Wow stop the press. The question should be whether anyone actually thought it was a real gun. If I painted my water pistol black and started pointing it at people would that warrant losing 10 years of my life? I do however agree that all guns should be illegal.

 

No but people have been shot dead by the police for less.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article529139.ece

 

God, I really hate them.

 

Gosh, HATE is a very strong word. Who exactly do you HATE?

[La_Dolce_Vita]

Gosh, HATE is a very strong word. Who exactly do you HATE?

 

Not so much the individual members of the police, but the institution. But let's not get into this, I have explained before why on a number of other threads.

 

If I'm right this boy (not an innocent 6 year old playing cowboys and Indians) was brandishing a weapon in public and therefore should face the appropriate sanction. That's me being candid.

 

Says a lot when you use the word boy, which is quite right. But what is the appropriate sanction?

[Nitro]

Anyway, the article just said 'imitation firearm' - there's was no suggestion that it was capable of firing. I just said BB gun because they're basically imitation weapons, incapable of causing real injury.

 

It wasn't being used in the perpetration of another crime, like threatening somebody or robbery, as far as we know it was just being waved out of a car window. Possibly a bit frightening for anyone panicky enough to think it was real, and seriously fucking stupid on the part of the young men, but it hardly warrants locking them up for ten years.

 

BB guns are easily modified though to make them more powerful and equally more dangerous, 260 feet per second will do some damage, are these the same idiots who shoot at a girl waiting by a bus stop a couple of years ago?, totally mindless and I don't see the "fun" in waving a gun about, heh, perhaps the police should have called the firearms officers to point a few real guns at them, see how it feels.

 

I like to see the driver lose his licence (if mates are happy enough to wave a gun around and he doesn't stop them, it doesn't say much for him when he's driving a lethal weapon does it.), as for the others community service would be a good idea, if your happy enough to scare a community, you should be forced to help out and learn some respect.

 

These weren't "kids", they were 16/17 year olds, people who are legally old enough to :

 

Live on their own

Work

Shag

drive

 

etc....

 

To me thats just scary and I take a totally different view, a 13-14 year old running around with a bb gun thinking he's funny I can sort of understand to a degree, but 16/17?..... that takes the piss, name and shame.

[P.K.]

It seems to me they did it to scare the shit out of people. Custodial sentence please.

[Miss Roo]

Anyway, the article just said 'imitation firearm' - there's was no suggestion that it was capable of firing. I just said BB gun because they're basically imitation weapons, incapable of causing real injury.

 

It wasn't being used in the perpetration of another crime, like threatening somebody or robbery, as far as we know it was just being waved out of a car window. Possibly a bit frightening for anyone panicky enough to think it was real, and seriously fucking stupid on the part of the young men, but it hardly warrants locking them up for ten years.

 

BB guns are easily modified though to make them more powerful and equally more dangerous, 260 feet per second will do some damage, are these the same idiots who shoot at a girl waiting by a bus stop a couple of years ago?, totally mindless and I don't see the "fun" in waving a gun about, heh, perhaps the police should have called the firearms officers to point a few real guns at them, see how it feels.

 

I like to see the driver lose his licence (if mates are happy enough to wave a gun around and he doesn't stop them, it doesn't say much for him when he's driving a lethal weapon does it.), as for the others community service would be a good idea, if your happy enough to scare a community, you should be forced to help out and learn some respect.

 

These weren't "kids", they were 16/17 year olds, people who are legally old enough to :

 

Live on their own

Work

Shag

drive

 

etc....

 

To me thats just scary and I take a totally different view, a 13-14 year old running around with a bb gun thinking he's funny I can sort of understand to a degree, but 16/17?..... that takes the piss, name and shame.

 

Totally agree, if this was to happen in say Liverpool, Birmingham or London it would be a different matter.

Just because crime is "allegedly " non existant here on the Island does'nt mean people (age irrelevant if over 14years) can go brandishing a weapon out of a car window.

I do think the responsibility obviously lies with the driver, and should have had the nouse to put a stop to it, if only for it being a distraction.

[La_Dolce_Vita]

It seems to me they did it to scare the shit out of people. Custodial sentence please.

 

For what purpose? At least community service makes some sense.

 

Live on their own

Work

Shag

drive

 

etc....

 

I don't really see this vast distinction between 13-14 and 16-17 or rather the basis for such a very strong distinction. If you think there is one because you CAN drive, have sex, shag, live on your own...that has nothing to do with some 'real' guide to maturity and adulthood but are just arbitrary legal ages for which these things can be done. It could be argued that 13-14 year old are just as responsible.

[P.K.]

It seems to me they did it to scare the shit out of people. Custodial sentence please.

For what purpose? At least community service makes some sense.

Good, honest, decent people hate scrotes. The fewer on the streets the better as far as I am concerned. I would allow community service for the scrotes in return for their parents paying for the irresponsibility of their offspring in some way.

[MilitantDogOwner]

I'm probably not quite up to speed with this kind of thing but is not a BB gun capable of inflicting injury (blinding?) someone?.

 

If I'm right this boy (not an innocent 6 year old playing cowboys and Indians) was brandishing a weapon in public and therefore should face the appropriate sanction. That's me being candid.

 

A BB gun is an air-powered gun. They're usually just toys, firing tiny plastic pellets, and their muzzle velocity is usually far too low to make them capable of doing any damage at all. If you were hit by one of these at close range you would feel a momentary stinging sensation but that's it. I doubt if one could blind someone unless fired point-blank into someone's eye.

 

Above a certain muzzle velocity they count as fire-arms and require a licence, i think. Then they're normally called air rifles, and fire lead pellets - totally different thing.

 

Anyway, the article just said 'imitation firearm' - there's was no suggestion that it was capable of firing. I just said BB gun because they're basically imitation weapons, incapable of causing real injury.

 

It wasn't being used in the perpetration of another crime, like threatening somebody or robbery, as far as we know it was just being waved out of a car window. Possibly a bit frightening for anyone panicky enough to think it was real, and seriously fucking stupid on the part of the young men, but it hardly warrants locking them up for ten years.

 

The BB guns that you refer to has having a "muzzle velocity...usually far too low to make them capable of doing any damage at all" are the cheap nasty plastic variety common sold on market stalls and knock off shops like Extreme. Proper Airsoft standard BB guns or Airsoft guns, can reach an FPS (feet per second) in excess of 300+fps. Bolt action and single action rifles can reach 600+fps. To be considered a firearm I believe the limits is 1,000 fps although no retailer of Airsoft guns will sell one with a velocity that high.

 

The "imitation firearm" commonly wielded by your average shaved primate in a baseball cap is easy to get hold of. To buy a proper BB gun you have to be a member of a registered site and provide proof of said membership.

 

In the Forces while on armed duties on home soil the rules of engagement are clear. If you feel that your or someone in your immediate area are under armed threat you can re-act with deadly force. You dont stop to see if the oik is carrying the real steel or a replica. My M4A1 is full metal, full size and unless you hold it and read the serial number you can't tell the difference. So yes they have committed a crime, and should be punished as such.

 

Its baseball capped lowlifes like this that paint Airsoft weapons in a bad light and almost caused the sport I enjoy to be banned.

[MilitantDogOwner]

I'm probably not quite up to speed with this kind of thing but is not a BB gun capable of inflicting injury (blinding?) someone?.

 

If I'm right this boy (not an innocent 6 year old playing cowboys and Indians) was brandishing a weapon in public and therefore should face the appropriate sanction. That's me being candid.

 

A BB gun is an air-powered gun. They're usually just toys, firing tiny plastic pellets, and their muzzle velocity is usually far too low to make them capable of doing any damage at all. If you were hit by one of these at close range you would feel a momentary stinging sensation but that's it. I doubt if one could blind someone unless fired point-blank into someone's eye.

 

Above a certain muzzle velocity they count as fire-arms and require a licence, i think. Then they're normally called air rifles, and fire lead pellets - totally different thing.

 

Anyway, the article just said 'imitation firearm' - there's was no suggestion that it was capable of firing. I just said BB gun because they're basically imitation weapons, incapable of causing real injury.

 

It wasn't being used in the perpetration of another crime, like threatening somebody or robbery, as far as we know it was just being waved out of a car window. Possibly a bit frightening for anyone panicky enough to think it was real, and seriously fucking stupid on the part of the young men, but it hardly warrants locking them up for ten years.

 

Really? My M4A1 will reach about 375fps on a good day, and a friend of mines sniper rifle will hit around the 600fps mark. My M249 SAW will reach about 320fps but its got a self loading 200 round magazine so thats a lot of rounds in the air at one time. Now that your going to feel.

 

For information on how responsible people use Airsoft (or BB gun as non-Airsoft community call them) guns in a sport.

 

http://www.manxairsoftclub.co.uk/manxairsoftclub/

 

Edit: First post didn't show so made a second...then the first appeared...doh!

[WTF]

oh goody, a linky to weekend warriors of mann.

[MilitantDogOwner]

oh goody, a linky to weekend warriors of mann.

 

You mean adults enjoying themselves in a controlled environment.

 

I could find a link to a weekend manx football team and make some comment about grown men chasing a bag of air around a field.

 

Horses for courses.

[WTF]

oh goody, a linky to weekend warriors of mann.

 

You mean adults enjoying themselves in a controlled environment.

 

I could find a link to a weekend manx football team and make some comment about grown men chasing a bag of air around a field.

 

Horses for courses.

 

true enough, is there a pretend navy club??

[MilitantDogOwner]

oh goody, a linky to weekend warriors of mann.

 

You mean adults enjoying themselves in a controlled environment.

 

I could find a link to a weekend manx football team and make some comment about grown men chasing a bag of air around a field.

 

Horses for courses.

 

true enough, is there a pretend navy club??

 

I believe they call that a yacht club and douglas harbour might be a good starting place.

[Nitro]

It seems to me they did it to scare the shit out of people. Custodial sentence please.

 

For what purpose? At least community service makes some sense.

 

Live on their own

Work

Shag

drive

 

etc....

 

I don't really see this vast distinction between 13-14 and 16-17 or rather the basis for such a very strong distinction. If you think there is one because you CAN drive, have sex, shag, live on your own...that has nothing to do with some 'real' guide to maturity and adulthood but are just arbitrary legal ages for which these things can be done. It could be argued that 13-14 year old are just as responsible.

 

My point was made and you've read far too much into it, IMO if it was a kid pratting about with a bb gun i'd treat it differently than someone who is supposed to be a adult. (ie a 16/17 year old), much like other crimes.

 

To clarify my basic input is this : There is something seriously wrong with anybody (regardless of age) who goes about waving a gun about in public, obviously intending to get attention, intimidate and possibly harm others, clearly no respect at all and these are people who are part of our community?!?