[Scarecrow]

Yeah like I said, 50% opinion and 50% community enforced rules. I'm getting tired of hearing the law quoted when in fact it isn't the law, its custom.

The reality is the authorities treat airsoft guns on a case by case basis, based on circumstance and the behaviour of the person who posesses the airsoft gun and how they came to their attention. Law enforcement treats it one way, CCRA treats it another way. Airsoft Canada and various retailers have chosen to sell to 18+ in order to try and prevent airsoft guns from getting into the hands of those who would come to the negative attention of the authorities because it would simply be bad for business. Case in point, look at what happened out in BC. My understanding is because of one sale which then the person who bought the airsoft gun came to the negative attention of the authorities, most airsoft retailers selling complete AEG and GBBs out there have now come under scrutiny of the CCRA and law enforcement. They don't need to lay charges, they can use existing laws to deprive these retailers of their goods for "testing" and they most likely will never see their stock again - or it will be held onto until such time as the retailer can no longer operate because they've been deprived of their financial means to operate through stock seizure or customs border harassment. It all amounts to the same thing.

Incidently Blackthorne this is why when its suggested we 'come out of the dark' and try and present and characterize airsoft to Joe Public, myself and many others here get concerned. All police have to do is decide they don't like us and they can find pretexts for harrassing us out of existence without ever laying a charge.

I've been pulled over at RIDE stops and had my airsoft collection inspected. Had I not been a knowledgable 38 year old father of three driving an Oldsmobile and out in God's country, I am sure the officers would have reacted differently to my posession of such items. I was able to articulate my lawful purpose for having those in my car at that time of night, the explanation which the officers found reasonable so I was left to go on my way. Had that stop occurred in downtown Toronto and I was 20 years old driving a ricer and somebody just knocked over a 7-11 five blocks away, I am sure the stop would have gone differently.