Airsoft Limits

[frankiet]

Wrong. You must exceed 5.7J also, and with a 0.20g BB that is equivalent to 785.5 fps.[/QUOTE]

Actually it's OR not AND as per the exception clause:

( d) any other barrelled weapon, where it is proved that the weapon is not designed or adapted to discharge
(i) a shot, bullet or other projectile at a muzzle velocity exceeding 152.4 m per second or at a muzzle energy exceeding 5.7 Joules, or...

[Greylocks]

The problem is not just the velocity. Airgun laws are pretty clear as to what you can buy with or without a PAL.

The real problem is that the authorities tend to look at airsoft as Replicas, and that's a whole different set of laws.

Yes, those laws make no sense, BUT they can bite.

[Mantelope]

Originally Posted by frankiet

Wrong. You must exceed 5.7J also, and with a 0.20g BB that is equivalent to 785.5 fps.

Actually it's OR not AND as per the exception clause:

( d) any other barrelled weapon, where it is proved that the weapon is not designed or adapted to discharge
(i) a shot, bullet or other projectile at a muzzle velocity exceeding 152.4 m per second or at a muzzle energy exceeding 5.7 Joules, or...[/QUOTE]


You're taking that quote out of context, if you included the entire section it's pretty clear that both the FPS and the joule requirements be met before it's classified as a firearm.

[Gryphon]

Heh, actually fellas (and this is going to throw everyone off) it's neither. It's AND/OR according to the CFC.

The joule limit was introduced in response to ultra-light lead .177 cal pellets that when used in an otherwise normal airgun, suddenly caused it to shoot faster than 500 fps. Here's my non-lawyer interpretation of the and/or modifier. Under normal circumstances using projectiles of "typical" weight (whatever an average .177 cal pellet weighs) or heavier, the OR modifier is used as you do not want someone pushing a heavy bullet past 500 fps or beyond 5.7J if it's heavier than average. For light projectiles such as the ultralight lead pellets (and therefore by logical extension, airsoft guns), the AND modifier is used as you can easily push a lighter projectile beyond 500 fps but not be breaking the joule barrier.

In summary, if they added this joule limit in response to light lead pellets it was done to avoid classifying firearms shooting light projectiles >500 fps as firearms. Airsoft pellets are even lighter still, ergo it should be 500 fps AND 5.7J.

Grain of salt not included.

[frankiet]

You're taking that quote out of context, if you included the entire section it's pretty clear that both the FPS and the joule requirements be met before it's classified as a firearm.[/QUOTE]

Actually, according to the Criminal Code of Canada, a firearm need only fire a projectile that can cause serious injury or death. The whole point of the 500 fps / energy requirement does not mean that it is not a firearm. It is actually the opposite. It only exempts the firearm from certain sections of the Criminal Code and Firearms act. But it is still a firearm if it can cause serious bodily harm.

If an airsoft gun shoots a .2g bb at 450 fps, and hypothetically thought can cause serious injury, it is considered to be a firearm. Because it fires less than 500 fps though, it is exempt from several sections of the Criminal Code, and much of the Firearms Act.

Maybe I'm not understanding your train of thought on this, and where you are going with it, but the original post was basically wanting faster shooting guns. Bottom line, it doesn't matter what weight you are shooting, or what speed it is flying at... If it can cause serious bodily harm or death, it's a firearm. 1000 fps is just plain silly. And regardless of bb weight, 1000 fps would not exempt a .05g bb from the "Certain weapons deemed not to be firearms" section.

[luciusthegod]

These are air guns that are not powerful enough to cause serious injury or death, but that were designed to resemble a real firearm with near precision. Replica firearms, except for replicas of antique firearms, are classified as PROHIBITED devices.

In particular, some air guns that are commonly called air soft guns may fall into this category. These are devices that have a low muzzle velocity and muzzle energy, and that usually discharge projectiles made out of a substance such as plastic or wax rather than metal or lead.

this is exactly what the website daes posted says, reading this with basic understanding of law states that ll airsoft guns are illegal.