Gun similarities worry Pott. County sheriff (plastic pellet gun worries sheriff)

news-star.com ^

[chance33_98]

Which one is real? Which one is the pellet gun? The top weapon is a plastic pellet gun, while the bottom is a Glock 9 mm used by many law enforcement officers. (Staff photo by Kim Morava)

Gun similarities worry Pott. County sheriff By KIMBERLY D. MORAVA SNS Staff Writer

Similarities between pellet guns and real pistols that Pottawatomie County Sheriff's deputies carry while on duty could be dangerous, Sheriff Kurt Shirey said.

Shirey became worried about the similarities after his evidence officer purchased a pellet gun for $6 at an Oklahoma City fairgrounds event.

As Shirey placed the pellet gun next to Deputy Jerry Gay's duty weapon, it was nearly impossible to tell the difference.

It closely resembles the Glock Model 17, a 9 mm weapon used by many law enforcement officers. The barrel is a bit longer on the pellet gun, making it close to a Glock 17L, a target gun.

Someone could be killed because officers can mistake the "toy" pellet guns for a real weapon, he said.

"If this gun is brandished toward an officer, there's a good possibility there could be loss of life," Shirey said. "An officer couldn't tell the difference without close examination."

The pellet gun even has the Glock logo on the grip. But where the real Glock has a patent number, the pellet guns shows, "Made in Tokyo, Japan."

All other writing on the barrel of the pellet gun matches the real Glock and the airgun uses a regular clip and loads just like the Glock deputies use. When Deputy Gay unloaded it in the sheriff's office by dropping the magazine and opening the slide, "everyone thought it was real," Gay said.

"When its in the hands of someone else, we can't make a determination that it is a pellet gun," Shirey said.

"If someone had this in their coat, the only thing I can think is that this is a gun," Gay said. "Everyone thinks it is real until they get in their hand."

The gun also fits in a regular holster, they said. Deputies want people to realize that the pellet gun can be dangerous.

Parents should be cautious about letting children have one of these types of pellet guns, Shirey said.

In 2001, the News-Star reported about another comparison of guns in the Lincoln County area. At that time, a BB gun sold in sporting goods departments of area stores looked like a Beretta pistol, which concerned Lincoln County deputies. That type of BB gun is reportedly no longer sold at Shawnee's Wal-Mart, a store clerk said.

The bottom line, Shirey said, is that these types of pellet guns are dangerous for the person carrying them because law enforcement officers can't tell the difference.

[SJSAMPLE]

Doesn't matter which is real.
You point either at a cop (or a properly armed citizen) and you DESERVE TO DIE.
Since these are cheaper than a real Glock, I suggest we mass air-drop these into the 'hood'.

[steplock]

Those look-alikes just beg for an accidental killing - or "Suicide by Cop"

I don't believe in creating LAWS for every possibility, but I do think that if a manufacturer wont stop making it, then the stores should not carry it, and if they do the buyer should BOYCOTT the store that does.

Mass mailings work, letters to editors, posting here!

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[RS]

If you ran a liquor store, would you rather the robber carry one of these or a real gun ?

[umgud]

When I was a wee one, most kids had guns that looked real. Usually like single action cowboy guns or detective style snubbies. Times have changed, sadly.

[philetus]

Don't forget that Subway sandwitches also resemble the Glock.

[NYFriend]

They are called Airsoft guns. They are big in Japan, and most are made in Japan or S. Korea. I'm not sure if they were ment to be toys or training tools. Either way, they work great as both. They work like real guns. Safetys, slides, magazines and mag. releases, everything. Some of the gas powered ones are called gas blowback, which means the action cycles when you pull the trigger. Most rifles are electric, and a motor pulls back on a piston, releases and fire a pellet.

Like I say, they can be toys, but GROWN-UP toys. The pellets are plastic, bigger than bb's (I think .25 cal.) and lighter than plastic. They are built to be shot at willing people. The hurt and leave welts. You MUST where eye and face protection (I immagine they could not only take out an eye, but chip a tooth). You can use them like paintballs, as long as the guns are painted and there is some why to make sure that a local cop doesn't happen upon your game, think it's a gun fight and shoot you. In doors, airsoft pellets can be a slip hazzard.

They are dangerous, and 100% not for children. They shouldn't be for stupid adults either, but what can you do?
They also run a couple hundred bucks, which should go a long ways towards keeping them from kids. I treat mine like real guns, and store them field stripped in a locked box.

[Pete-R-Bilt]

Those look-alikes just beg for an accidental killing

Stupid is (and this is a good thing) self cleaning.

[Wilhelm Tell]

I remember as a child I had a toy Luger cap gun. It was even made of metal, looked pretty realistic, and the SWAT team wasn't even called once as I played. Sigh. I say if a lunatic is playing a game of "suicide by cop," I would much rather have the lunatic be holding a toy than something that could hurt someone. It's too bad but I can't help be rather callous about it--if some lunatic or criminal is going around threatening people and gets killed in the process--well that's just tough luck. I won't cheer but I sure won't shed a tear, either. If society were more effective in locking up violent lunatics and criminals, this wouldn't be so much of a concern.

[B4Ranch]

Ignorance works in the same manner. However, ignorance can be corrected with education.

[B4Ranch]

When we aere kids the idea of disobeying a cop was unheard of. If he said go home, we went home. Maybe that's because we knew he would speak with Mom or Dad if we didn't listen. Teachers got the same respect.

Yes, times were different!

[El Gato]

When I was a wee one, most kids had guns that looked real. Usually like single action cowboy guns or detective style snubbies

Yep, and I don't recall lots of kids being shot by police or citizens thinking they were real either. Times have indeed changed. There have been CO2 pellet guns that look like 357 revolvers for decades. Some of them even approximate the "heft" of the .357 too.

[Dan from Michigan]

If you point one at me, in the split second I have to react, I'm not going to assume it's plastic. I'm going to assume it's a real firearm and react accordingly.

[LibKill]

When we were kids the idea of disobeying a cop was unheard of. If he said go home, we went home. Maybe that's because we knew he would speak with Mom or Dad if we didn't listen. Teachers got the same respect.

Yeah Skippy! If we screwed up at school we got a second whuppin' when we got home.

Of course, back then Cops and Teachers were WORTHY of respect. Sadly, they no longer deserve it.

[Johnny Crab]

EDUCATION!

Wife has the real one, their are three(3) of the other kind for "children's" use against dogs, snakes, etc. One of them has been painted fluorescent orange. The "children"(10 and 12) have been EDUCATED to drop the other two and promptly explain to any skeered adult that it's only a BB/pellet pistol. The orange one is fires plastic pellets at low fpm for dog persuasion(i.e. don't chew on the kittens dog!).

They both KNOW the rules(thanks Jeff Cooper, 4-H, Anschutz, Glock, Browning, Texas, and our Founders). We do live in the boonies.

[Johnny Crab]

their=there(OOPS!)

[Centurion2000]

You point either at a cop (or a properly armed citizen) and you DESERVE TO DIE

Sorry, no dice. I expect a police officer to realize that a 10 year old holding one is not a LETHAL threat.

[Centurion2000]

If you point one at me, in the split second I have to react, I'm not going to assume it's plastic. I'm going to assume it's a real firearm and react accordingly.

Fine, now what are you going to do when a 9 year old kid has one and does the same thing ???

[absalom01]

"Plastic Glock"? Sheesh, what is this, the department of redundancy department?

(Sorry, couldn't help myself.)