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Is it legal to shoot airsoft guns in a public park in VA?

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mercutio545

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High density of course means higher weight, which means reduced velocity, which means less energy.

But, I concede the point. They *could* have had a 650 fps spring-powered PSG-1 firing .66g pellets, aimed via scope right at the baby's fontanel.



I agree that airsofting should be done where people won't get hurt. I don't see why it should be illegal under those circumstances, however, which is my sole gripe, I might add.



Aw, having a bad day today?

I sincerely hope you don't need me to reiterate for the hundredth time that I am as well a Virginia resident (my user account even reflects that much of the time), and that therefore I pay particular attention to the VA subforum. Not to mention the forum rules explicitly note that the state subforums allow out of state participants. :p


I agree with you as well, I don't see why it should be illegal to play in the middle of the woods, but it is. Frankly, I could care less if they played there (at the secluded area I mentioned). But they were playing in an area where they shouldn't be playing. They wouldn't leave, and they came BACK the next day when even more people were there, and started playing again. This is why I got the law involved.

I think if you went to the park in question, you would agree that they were playing in the wrong area. You might be thinking it's heavily wooded, but it's not. Basically it's a big field with some light woods surrounding the perimeter of the park (it's surrounded by water, the Nansemond River I believe). The trail and disc golf course run around the perimeter. At the thickest point along the trail, there might be about 200-300 feet of woods from the field to the water.
 

mercutio545

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Ok, I made a map of where they were playing. Judge for yourself.

RED is where they were playing on the first day.

BLUE is where they were playing on the second day.

YELLOW is where they could have been playing with no problems, but chose not to.


196414_868374408816_25511434_43780319_4295707_n.jpg
 

marshaul

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OK, put in those concretes, I have no further gripe. I agree that they were jackasses, and that they should have chosen something off into the trees, like that yellow area. And you agree that it shouldn't be illegal if they do it well away from the beaten path.

While we're on the subject of airsoft in public, I'm actually undecided about orange tips (one of the few things I don't have a strong opinion about :lol:). I haven't encountered the (if there is a "the") winning argument yet. As a libertarian, my inclination is to allow it, shake my head at idiots who get themselves shot, and charge with brandishing and assault anyone who uses an airsoft gun (painted or unpainted) to intimidate another. On the other hand, in a public park, it may not be just themselves they are endangering if they scare someone into shooting them in mistaken self-defense. What do y'all think?
 
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curtiswr

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Any idea how much energy an airsoft pellet has? What about its penetrative ability, limited due to its elasticity, low density, and low velocity?

A plastic airsoft pellet is not a brass BB.

I don't have any numbers myself, but I would be absolutely astounded if an airsoft pellet is capable of causing harm to even a newborn's cranium.

I am open to education otherwise.

Regulated fields/competitions will set speed limits. If it's like paintball, all it takes for someone to change the limit once it's chronographed in is an allen wrench or other simple tool. Chances are, speaking from experience, when playing in an unregulated arena on their own these kids probably did up the speed at which their guns shoot and made them shoot faster than what a field would allow. It is somewhere between 300-400 fps allowed on fields, generally. Eye protection is required and head protection as well on some because of risk of damage to teeth and ears. Skin penetration has occurred within those speed limits.

When/if you ever have a newborn would you want to expose him/her to those flying pellets? Would you want your own eyes exposed to the risk presented by something flying 400+ FPS? Ever get some tiny speck of something flung into your eye by 20mph wind? That would have been around 29FPS, assuming the whatever of whatever the speck was didn't actually make it any slower. Did it feel good? Imagine it at 300 or 400FPS.

A lot of times being "open to education" is as simple as utilizing the Google search built into your browser, or else navigating to Google yourself (you use your browser's address bar for that, by the way.)
 
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mercutio545

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you agree that it shouldn't be illegal if they do it well away from the beaten path.

Yes, I agree that it shouldn't be illegal if it's in a safe area, and they are using biodegradable BB's (I pick up enough beer cans and other trash at that park every time I go out, I shouldn't have to worry about hundreds of little plastic pellets).

But from what I read out of that code section I posted earlier, it is illegal, since they don't have permission from the City of Suffolk. I agree that a lot of laws are stupid, but that doesn't mean I'm going to break them. However, if I saw them walking into those secluded woods (since I would assume they got permission from whoever owns them), then I would have no problem letting them have their fun.
 

peter nap

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High density of course means higher weight, which means reduced velocity, which means less energy.

But, I concede the point. They *could* have had a 650 fps spring-powered PSG-1 firing .66g pellets, aimed via scope right at the baby's fontanel.



I agree that airsofting should be done where people won't get hurt. I don't see why it should be illegal under those circumstances, however, which is my sole gripe, I might add.



Aw, having a bad day today?

I sincerely hope you don't need me to reiterate for the hundredth time that I am as well a Virginia resident (my user account even reflects that much of the time), and that therefore I pay particular attention to the VA subforum. Not to mention the forum rules explicitly note that the state subforums allow out of state participants. :p

No, just the normal, sick of bickering with an outta stater who is better suited somewhere else.

And don't bother with "I'm a Virginian". I doubt you ever were but you sure aren't now.
The forum rules allow a lot of things, that doesn't mean I like it.
 
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marshaul

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No, just the normal, sick of bickering with an outta stater who is better suited somewhere else.

And don't bother with "I'm a Virginian". I doubt you ever were but you sure aren't now.

I really don't don't need your approval. The state of Virginia considers me a resident. Furthermore I will be moving back permanently as of this summer. Not to mention I've lived there nearly my entire life. I think it's time for you to accept that there isn't (any longer?) the homogeneity of thought you'd like. And, and to get used to the fact that I am, as much as you clearly hate the fact, a Virginian.

At any rate, I don't see how I evinced an urban bias with my arguments. You immediately jumped to that conclusion, but in reality all my experience playing airsoft and paintball is in rural and semi-rural Virginia, and not an iota of it in urban California. Methinks it is your own bias showing through here, not mine as a temporary urbanite. Be honest, have you ever played airsoft? I'm not saying the validity of your arguments depends on that, but I am saying that it colors your perception of where my own are coming from.
 

peter nap

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I really don't don't need your approval. The state of Virginia considers me a resident. Furthermore I will be moving back permanently as of this summer. Not to mention I've lived there nearly my entire life. I think it's time for you to accept that there isn't (any longer?) the homogeneity of thought you'd like. And, and to get used to the fact that I am, as much as you clearly hate the fact, a Virginian.

At any rate, I don't see how I evinced an urban bias with my arguments. You immediately jumped to that conclusion, but in reality all my experience playing airsoft and paintball is in rural and semi-rural Virginia, and not an iota of it in urban California. Methinks it is your own bias showing through here, not mine as a temporary urbanite. Be honest, have you ever played airsoft? I'm not saying the validity of your arguments depends on that, but I am saying that it colors your perception of where my own are coming from.

It takes more than a voter ID to be a Virginian. You might move back here but you'll still have flowers in your hair!

No, I don't play airsoft. When I shoot at something I expect it to fall down.
 
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epilogue

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No, I don't play airsoft. When I shoot at something I expect it to fall down.

I've seen bright orange 12 gram airsoft pellets make grown (ish) men cry after being tagged and called out by the ref; they simply couldn't process the fact they were out, a loser, 2nd place, cut off in traffic, picked last in dodge-ball, dumped by their girlfriend after 12 minutes, done, finished, go get a coke and sit down.

Let's see your .44 do THAT, Peter.
 

marshaul

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Regulated fields/competitions will set speed limits. If it's like paintball, all it takes for someone to change the limit once it's chronographed in is an allen wrench or other simple tool. Chances are, speaking from experience, when playing in an unregulated arena on their own these kids probably did up the speed at which their guns shoot and made them shoot faster than what a field would allow. It is somewhere between 300-400 fps allowed on fields, generally. Eye protection is required and head protection as well on some because of risk of damage to teeth and ears. Skin penetration has occurred within those speed limits.

When/if you ever have a newborn would you want to expose him/her to those flying pellets? Would you want your own eyes exposed to the risk presented by something flying 400+ FPS? Ever get some tiny speck of something flung into your eye by 20mph wind? That would have been around 29FPS, assuming the whatever of whatever the speck was didn't actually make it any slower. Did it feel good? Imagine it at 300 or 400FPS.

A lot of times being "open to education" is as simple as utilizing the Google search built into your browser, or else navigating to Google yourself (you use your browser's address bar for that, by the way.)

OK, well, I was pretty much done with this, but if you insist on playing the "simple as a google search" card...

Forgetting that you didn't actually address what I said, which was "cranial damage", I didn't say I wanted babies to be exposed to flying pellets. I was attempting to point out that the biggest risk seems to be that of eye damage, which applies to any adult bystanders as well. So, obviously, they shouldn't be playing in such a way so as to potentially hit anybody who isn't a player. Baby or not.

As it happens, mercutio has provided more details and I've decided he was basically right in his appraisal of the situation.

Initially, however, I speculated (incorrectly, it now seems) that mercutio wasn't actually at any risk himself (which implies the baby also wasn't at any risk), but merely felt the need to butt in on others because of the presence child. Some people are like that. A huge number of antis are like that, for example.

However, it's clear to me now that the players were playing close enough to the beaten track that that they could have just as easily put out mercutio's eye as they could have magically sniped the baby in the fontanel, which in turn makes me more sympathetic to his appeal to the baby.

There is a tendency to take situations of trivial risk, and make them into a huge deal because of the nonspecific presence of children. Simply put, I suspected this was one of those situations. I misjudged, and I have already said as much.

Let that be the end of it.
 
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marshaul

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I've seen bright orange 12 gram airsoft pellets make grown (ish) men cry after being tagged and called out by the ref; they simply couldn't process the fact they were out, a loser, 2nd place, cut off in traffic, picked last in dodge-ball, dumped by their girlfriend after 12 minutes, done, finished, go get a coke and sit down.

Let's see your .44 do THAT, Peter.

The man makes a point. :lol:
 

peter nap

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I've seen bright orange 12 gram airsoft pellets make grown (ish) men cry after being tagged and called out by the ref; they simply couldn't process the fact they were out, a loser, 2nd place, cut off in traffic, picked last in dodge-ball, dumped by their girlfriend after 12 minutes, done, finished, go get a coke and sit down.

Let's see your .44 do THAT, Peter.

Thank God it was the epilogue, because that was the stupidest post I've seen you make yet.
Was that supposed to make sense?...NO DON"T ANSWER:uhoh:
 

curtiswr

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I've seen bright orange 12 gram airsoft pellets make grown (ish) men cry after being tagged and called out by the ref; they simply couldn't process the fact they were out, a loser, 2nd place, cut off in traffic, picked last in dodge-ball, dumped by their girlfriend after 12 minutes, done, finished, go get a coke and sit down.

Bitter much? :uhoh:

BTW: His post making a pun of your username was more humorous than your bitter attack.
 
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MSC 45ACP

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No, I don't play airsoft. When I shoot at something I expect it to fall down.

I "played" enough paintball & airsoft enough during force on force training to last me a lifetime. No thanks, I'm all set with that. I don't believe 'they' should be allowed to 'play' airsoft just anywhere. It isn't a 'firearm', but on the same note, when using this equipment to 'play', some specialized safety equipment is required. Since others using the public park don't wear this stuff around as a general rule, maybe you shouldn't use this kind of equipment where unprotected people could be affected.

I've been to parks that have trails that say "Mountain bikes only" and if you choose to walk on that trail, you may very well be taking your life into your own hands. I wouldn't push my baby stroller across a basketball court where a bunch of folks were playing "full court ball", nor would I take a casual stroll across a tennis court while it is in use. When using Burke Lake Park in NOVA, it is always prudent to look around for disc-golf participants before walking around the disc-golf course. I would think the same goes for golf courses and just about any other sport. Why should Paintball and Airsoft be any different?

I think the same thing applies with AirSoft and Paintball weaponry. They should be used only in specially-marked and well-posted areas with the list of required safety gear. I wouldn't play raquetball without wearing safety goggles and I darn sure wouldn't 'play' paintball without heavy clothing and goggles, either.

If they were brandishing by the definition of the law, then throw the book at 'em.
 

peter nap

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Well, it isn't the popular thing to do at the moment :lol:

But I will confess that I laughed. At both of those posts.

I don't think it's all that unpopular...

but that was just plain stupid!
What are you NOVA kiddies doing during lunch, huffing School Bus exhaust?
 

epilogue

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I don't think it's all that unpopular...

but that was just plain stupid!
What are you NOVA kiddies doing during lunch, huffing School Bus exhaust?

Mostly talking around the water cooler about how grumpy southern VA folks are.


.......--Moderator note--
With that I bid thee adieu - locked it
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