Shot My Friend With Airsoft Gun

The director of an airsoft gun and equipment store in Waterloo says the sport is being unfairly targeted past Canada's new gun control legislation.

Ziming Wan, director of BlackBlitz Airsoft, demonstrates an airsoft burglarize at the testing range in Waterloo store. (Joe Pavia/CBC)

Ziming Wan, manager of BlackBlitz Airsoft, demonstrates an airsoft rifle at the testing range in Waterloo shop. (Joe Pavia/CBC) 0:58

The manager of an airsoft gun and equipment store in Waterloo says the sport is being unfairly targeted past Canada'southward new gun control legislation.

Pecker C-21, is currently being debated in the Business firm of Eatables. Its goal, according to Federal Minister of Public Rubber Beak Blair, is to "stop the proliferation, importation, export or sale of those replica firearms that exactly resemble regulated firearms and belch projectiles at a unsafe velocity," said his role in an emailed statement to CBC K-W.

The statement said when information technology becomes law, Beak C-21 will non impact "police-constant owners and sport shooters." And air guns — or airsoft guns — "that do not exactly replicate an existing firearm are not prohibited."

But Ziming Wan, who manages the BlackBlitz Airsoft store in Waterloo, says the legislation didn't clearly state that when the bill was presented in its first reading and he worries it will ultimately lead to the banning of replica paintball guns and airsoft guns used past gamers beyond the country.

"If the neb passes in its current state, this business will shut down. I will lose my job. The owner volition lose everything. Our five employees will all lose their jobs," said Wan.

Sgt. David Caron with Guelph Police Service says the claiming for constabulary is many officers wouldn't know if a gun was a replica or real until they handled it for themselves. (Joe Pavia/CBC)

"All this [stock] would be prohibited from being sold, transferred or exported in Canada. So information technology becomes dead inventory that we can't even liquidate."

Existent vs. replica

Airsoft is a pop simulated armed services combat game — substantially a game of tag with faux weapons, said Wan. It'south played in either small-scale groups or weekend events that, before the pandemic, could involve up to 500 people.

The object of the game is like to paintball and played at paintball fields. Players wear protection, including goggles or safety glasses, and instead of paintballs airsoft players shoot small-scale plastic biodegradable pellets at each other.

Sgt. David Caron, who played paintball when he was younger says "in the right environment, with the right people it can be a safe sport."

But in his work with Guelph Police's Tactics and Rescue Unit, he knows commencement-hand that replica guns are a claiming for police services beyond N America.

"At that place's been a number of investigations I've been involved in where until I actually first treatment the firearm to prove it prophylactic, I don't even know at the fourth dimension picking it up and putting information technology in my hand if information technology's real or if it's a replica," said Caron.

"They are so real looking, said Caron. "They have the logo of the manufacturer and serial numbers so you can't tell the difference."

He says law have every gun call seriously — whether information technology's shots fired or a citizen spotting someone in their neighbourhood walking down the street holding a gun that may exist fake.

The airsoft game uses small biodegradable pellets. (Joe Pavia/CBC)

Petition for change

Wan believes including airsoft guns under the replica ban essentially criminalizes the sport, and he wants to run into the industry pushing for total legalization.

"In that location was no consultation with the industry before [the government] did this," said Wan. "Airsoft toys are non a threat to public safety. They are made and so you tin play with your friends and non hurt your friends. All airsoft stores in Canada are small-scale businesses and they can't take blows similar this."

Airsoft groups across the state accept started e-petitions request the government to remove airsoft guns from Neb C-21.

More than 50,000 people have signed through a Change.org petition and ane hosted on the House of Commons website.