Airsoft

[metrojoe]

Do we have any airsoft experts in the house? I've got a 13 year old that has been hounding me about getting an airsoft gun. He has a big B-day party coming up next month and they are going to be having an airsoft war.

I don't know a thing about these guns. It seems to me this would be a big return item for most retailers. What should I keep in mind when buying one? Are there any to stay away from?

Any info would be great? Also all the kids will be required to be wearing protective gear.

[Tom7227]

They are illegal in St. Paul and Mpls unless they are cleaer colored or a pastel color - I can't remember the specific colors that are legal. Stay away from anything that looks like a real gun because of the risk of encountering a cop and having a really bad situation develop. The don't shoot that hard but some people claim they hurt when shot in the leg. I guess you could always claim the old saw 'you're going to put your eye out' and try and require some type of glasses.

Frankly I think you'd be better off taking the youth to a firearms safety class and then to a range to learn how the real thing works and what it can do. Just my opinion.

[UMDSportsman]

It depends on what one you get as far as how much it will hurt. Couple roomates in college had them, one a really cheap automatic one that did not hurt very much, and another one (shotgun shaped) that would hit pretty hard. It even drew blood when my roomate got shot from about 5 feet with his shirt off. good luck, have fun, and be safe.

[Tyler23]

my little cuz's and there friends have these guns. they just get the cheap ones. they dont hardly hurt, there on like 9yrs old and they will shot each other all day with out any problems. they do where saftey glass's tho. letting them shot each other all day is alot better than sitting there playing video games IMO

[Capt. Don*]

I'm no expert on using one, but several years ago the little shi#$ in the house behind us had some, they hit hard enough to put holes in the vinyl siding of my garage. They then thought it was fun to shoot my dogs, 90lb + labs, who yelped when hit. My experience with the airsofts ended there when I had a conversation with them about what my 220 Swift would do to their cat and the Co. Sheriff took the airsofts. Hopefully the guns have been toned down since then because they were certainly more powerful than one would expect from a "toy".

[metrojoe]

He's already had firearm safety and has handled shotguns and a 22 many times. He also has a couple BB guns that he is allowed to shoot at a target in the basement.

I've been procrastinating this purchase as long as I can. Hoping it is just a fad and would eventually fade away. He has about a dozen friends that all have them and this birthday party airsoft war is becoming the event of the summer.

I went to Fleet Farm today and took a look at what they had. Not much of a selection, but I think we may have found what we were looking for.