Agents of Incompetence: Customs, ATF Dodging All Questions About Toy Guns (Part III)

Pajamas Media ^ | March 11, 2010 | Bob Owens

[KippLanham]

Airsoft toys are not machine guns.

Even though the replicas often strive to be as realistic as possible, most people intuitively grasp that a toy gun made to fire plastic BBs measured in tenths of grams is not remotely a lethal threat.

Read more: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/agents-of-incompetence-customs-atf-dodging-all-questions-about-toy-guns-part-iii/

[SkyDancer]

My understanding of what BATF said was they could be converted to shoot live ammunition. I’d like for their gunsmith to try that and then put the results on YouTube ...it’d be the funnest thing yet ...

[Smogger]

You'll shoot your eye out kid.

[OldMissileer]

My understanding of what BATF said was they could be converted to shoot live ammunition. I’d like for their gunsmith to try that and then put the results on YouTube ...it’d be the funnest thing yet ...

From other articles I have read, including one posted by the retailer who imported these Airsoft toys, they had a gunsmith try to retrofit them to fire real ammunition and it was basically a dud. It was less expensive to buy a real weapon since the entire thing had to be remanufactured to fire live ammo.

[Charles Martel]

The big issue here seems to be whether the lower receiver portion of this airsoft rifle is dimensonally the same as a real AR-15/M-16/M-4 part.

If it is the same (or very close), ATF could view that part as an "80%+ complete" lower receiver (which would require the usual FFL handling). Most airsoft guns are slightly different in size than the real firearms that they mimic for this reason.

[OldMissileer]

The big issue here seems to be whether the lower receiver portion of this airsoft rifle is dimensonally the same as a real AR-15/M-16/M-4 part.

These are the gunsmith findings quoted from Airsoft Outlet Northwest, who is the importer/retailer:

-The WE TTI M4’s lack any sort of functional gas tube which is integral to an AR15’s operation.

-The upper receiver of an AR15 fits onto the lower of the WE TTI M4.

-The stock trigger pack in the WE TTI cannot strike the firing pin of a AR15 bolt.

-The body of the WE TTI lower is several mils thinner than an AR15 lower, and shims would be needed for any AR trigger pack to work.

-The trigger pack of an AR15 appears to be able to fit onto the lower receiver of a WE TTI M4, one of the AR15 trigger pack retaining pins is impossible to insert without major modification, and the hammer isn’t operable with the WE TTI lower.