Hobbies And Interests
Pellet Injuries
Airsoft pellets are basically harmless as long as the users wear protective face masks and use the guns properly. Airsoft pellets do not penetrate the skin and are certainly not powerful enough to cause hemorrhaging in vital organs. Still, pellets fired directly at a person not wearing a protective mask can cause serious injury to the eyes, nose and mouth. Chipped teeth are not uncommon with improper Airsoft gun use. In many municipalities, protective face masks are required of all Airsoft gun users, though some kids and adults simply ignore these laws. Airsoft pellet impact at close range is considerably more dangerous than long-range impact. Though most Airsoft pellets are plastic or rubber, Airsoft users often purchase more dangerous copper bullets that can cause considerable damage. Guns also vary in their firing power, and the more powerful guns can cause serious injury without protection.
Airsoft Guns Mistaken For Real Guns
A major safety issue with Airsoft guns is that they are sometimes confused with real guns, resulting in potentially fatal situations. These days, most places require Airsoft guns to have bright orange tips to distinguish them from real guns, though illegal Airsoft guns without orange tips are available through the black market. With or without the orange tip, Airsoft guns can look extremely realistic, and many Airsoft models resemble common rifles, pistols and shotguns that fire bullets. In certain cases a person will mistakenly call the police to report a group of kids firing real guns at each other. The police arrive, mistake the Airsoft guns for real guns and fire at the shooter, resulting in serious injury or in rare cases, death. From far away or in low light, many police cannot tell the difference between real guns and Airsoft guns, even those with orange tips.
Real Guns Mistaken For Airsoft Guns
Another safety issue with Airsoft guns is that occasionally real guns are mistaken for Airsoft guns. This presents an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal situation. A child might pick up a real loaded gun belonging to his parents, for example, and fire it at a friend thinking it is an Airsoft gun. Countless tragedies around the country have happened as a result of this kind of confusion. The problem is that Airsoft guns and regular guns appear similar to a child and even to many adults.