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.

[VRWC_Member428]

I could tell immidately that the top one was the fake, but that's beside the point.

I think the plastic gun in the photograph (the toy plastic gun, not the real plastic gun) has been modified. I knew some people who were big into airsoft. They looked completely para-military when they were dressed up to game. Anyhow, all their weapons had orange plastic pieces over the ends of the barrels which screan "FAKE GUN" I wonder if they took that off for the picture so that it would have greater shock value?

[teeman8r]

as a child, my uncle brought back a pair of starter pistols from disney world for my brother and i to play with and a case of 100 rounds each...

they were very realistic except for a small blockage within the snubnosed barrel that was invisible unless looking straight down the barrel...

we enjoyed numerous hours of gun play as elliot ness and the untouchables.... i can only imagine what the neighbors thought, but no cops were ever called...

we never pointed them at others, just our little private gun fights...

alas, after the rounds were spent, the guns started to show their wear and eventually went the way of all toys...