Legalise Airsoft in Australia

About Airsoft ‘taggers’: Airsoft Taggers known around the world as Airsoft guns are not lethal firearms, though in Australia they are classified as firearms. They are made of ABS plastic and low grade metal. They are recreational devices. They shoot light weight plastic balls at limited velocities over a distance of approximately 50m. However real they may look Airsoft Taggers cannot, in anyway, be converted into a lethal firearm. Physical reality prohibits it!

Are they/could they be turned lethal? Governments and Police in Australia continue to classify Paintball markers and Airsoft taggers in with lethal firearms. A lethal firearm is a weapon that utilizes combustible chemicals to project a solid metal object at velocities that kill, maim or destroy targets. Firearms Acts in most States define "firearms" in such a way that Airsoft Taggers and Paintball Markers simply end up being categorized with lethal firearms.

One of the most persistent myths about Airsoft Taggers is that they can be somehow transformed or be modified to fire real bullets. This is absolutely false! More than that it is a demonstrable scientific fact that an Airsoft Tagger can never be converted into a lethal firearm. Guns built to use real bullets are manufactured using high grade steels like Chromium-Molybdenum steel, weapons grade ABS plastics and anodized aircraft grade Aluminium. Airsoft Taggers are not built from such high grade materials.

What do they shoot? Airsoft pellets are spherical projectiles used in Airsoft Taggers. Typically made of plastic, they usually average 5.98 mm in diameter and weigh between 0.12 and 0.48g, the most popular weight being 0.20g. Although sometimes called "BBs", they are not the same as the metal projectiles fired by BB guns or air rifles. Biodegradable pellets are available, and are often required by outdoor fields where sweeping up is not an option. Biodegradable pellets are made of various types of resin, often developed for the agricultural industry, and better brands are certified as compost.

How will the sport be run? The Australian Airsoft Council as the peak body responsible for Airsoft related sports, will begin the process of registering fields and competitors to ensure the association is self regulated prior to legalization. To assure the public and police of the sports inherent safety and the Airsoft community's determination to demonstrate good faith with the Australian public. To achieve these aims the council;

• Has drawn up statutes or association rules to regulate its activities after incorporation
• Has created statutes to govern and regulate airsoft skirmishing in Australia
• Has established ties with international Airsoft associations in New Zealand and abroad
• Will create and institute a field Marshall (safety officer) training program & certification
• Will establish a member registry and identification system to ensure only legitimate competitors have access to airsoft devices.
• Will affiliate with International Airsoft Practical Shooting to standardize its target shooting activities.
• Will continue to report illegal activities to the Police, related to airsoft technology

The facts:
• They are made from non-weapons grade materials, cannot be made to fire bullets. And under our proposals would be only sold to licensed adults.
• They shoot light weight plastic pellets, not metal BBs, and our proposals restrict kinetic energy to 1.21joules and under.
• The pellets impact at far lower energy levels than paintballs, and with appropriate face protection are harmless.
• Their appearance while realistic is no more so than other products available in Australia, including painted Nerf guns, Laser Skirmish Taggers, Replicas and Realistic Non Firing Toys.
• Brightly coloured versions of these devices are available to further allay public concerns.

About the sport itself:
• Proven safer and more affordable than Paintball.
• A social game with players from diverse professional backgrounds.
• Great exercise for your whole body, promotes cardio and muscular stamina.
• Increases self esteem and self confidence.
• Gets you outside into the fresh air and sunshine.
• Promotes an environment of honour, integrity and teamwork.
• Provides a real and enduring sense of community and camaraderie.

What we propose: In the long term we feel that Airsoft, Paintball, Laser Skirmish and Non Firing Replicas used for re-enactment should be re-classed under new legislation purpose written for recreational air & gas powered and non-firing realistic devices used in skirmish sports or re-enactments.

The current legislation is an ad hoc arrangement that unfairly restricts Paintball and was written at a time when Airsoft was all but unheard of. We are therefore developing proposals that more accurately define Airsoft. We also believe that the safety and usage concerns regarding these sports are so different to that of activities related to real guns that alternative legislation is not simply desirable - it is absolutely necessary.