Air Powered "firearm"

[OceanDreamer]

Sorry guys but this is a bit of a rant.... (just warning you in advance)

Also, this is NOT anti LEO in any way, I am ranting about the media...

So today as I was driving around I heard on the local news station (KCBS) about another officer involved shooting.

Upon listening to the story, it involved a group of people fighting. When officers got to the scene they saw a man pointed a gun at a group of people and opened fire. Nothing wrong there, as that is protocol...

When the reporter described what happened they revealed that it was an air gun that the guy was pointing at the group. Now again I am sure protocol was followed and the officers did as they were trained. I also know that most modern and decent quality air guns look very real from even from a short distance (I have 15+ air guns both rifles & pistols, and they could all pass for the real thing unless you were very close to them or you handled them).

What got me about the story as reported by the station and also on their website is this:

Instead of saying that the perp who was shot was using an air gun, they called it "an air powered firearm"........

I guess I should not be surprised that here in the SF Bay Area that the media has given up any pretense of being objective when it comes to gun control, but this story just made me mad... Not at the LEO's, but at the news station (and of course the stupidity of the perp). Does calling it a "air powered firearm" make it sound more scary to the average or anti-gun people?

Just had to rant about this.... An air gun IS NOT a firearm as defined by the law, but it seems these people will do anything and everything to paint gun owners in a bad light... Next thing you know they will be trying to regulate and wanting background checks and waiting periods on those...

OK, and of rant.............

[morrcarr67]

At least they didn't refer to it as an "Air Powered Assault Rifle"

[Written]

At least they didn't refer to it as an "Air Powered Assault Rifle"

They would have if it looked like this

[SILENT GUNMAN]

Sorry guys. Jimmy couldn't make it to the air soft game. He failed his background check so he couldn't get a gun to play with.

[gsparesa]

Symatics...air gun...air powered firearm. It may be funny to a few but this is real. Air guns or air powered firearms can kill animals and humans. Just search the web and you can find that info yourself. I was 14 years old when I shot my left hand. The LEO that took the report in the hospital was annoyed with my father. He could understand why my father, a WWII Army Vet, did't get his son properly trained in the use of a firearm. I still have the BB imbedded in the palm of my left hand as a reminder of poor firearm safety training.

[shhh]

One thing that surprised me in that report was that criminals use the "air powered replicas" because they carry lesser criminal charges and often don't trigger "gun enhancements" on all/some of those charges.

I was under the (apparently) wrong impression that replicas were treated the same as the real McCoy when it came to filing criminal charges.

[OceanDreamer]

Symatics...air gun...air powered firearm. It may be funny to a few but this is real. Air guns or air powered firearms can kill animals and humans. Just search the web and you can find that info yourself. I was 14 years old when I shot my left hand. The LEO that took the report in the hospital was annoyed with my father. He could understand why my father, a WWII Army Vet, did't get his son properly trained in the use of a firearm. I still have the BB imbedded in the palm of my left hand as a reminder of poor firearm safety training.

No doubt that an air gun can cause harm or even death. While browsing online I even ran across a .357 Caliber air gun.

My point is that I have never heard a reporter refer to an air gun as an "air powered firearm". I dont find anything funny about the report and I hope that the perp (he did survive the shooting) gets a long stay with Bubba as a cell mate. What upset me was the reporter using the word "firearm" instead of saying that it was an air gun.

[repubconserv]

Or... maybe the news media is just plain ignorant....

[9mmepiphany]

There is another way to look at it.

If you were confronted, on the street or in a store, with an airsoft pistol (Green Gas) and you thought your life was in danger. You have a legally carried pistol and you shoot the BG.

Would you rather the headline read:

"Armed citizen shoots robber, who was armed with an gas powered firearm"
...or
"Armed citizen shoots robber, who was armed with an air gun"

The first conveys your sense of danger and justification in using deadly force

[Lead Waster]

San Mateo City Code

SECTIONS:
10.26.010 Discharge of firearms--Prohibited.
10.26.020 Exceptions.


10.26.010 DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS -- PROHIBITED. No person shall discharge or fire any firearm within the city except as otherwise provided herein. For purposes of this chapter, "firearm" is defined as a gun, pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, BB gun, air gun, pellet gun, bow and arrow, crossbow, blow gun, slingshot

[OceanDreamer]

San Mateo City Code

SECTIONS:
10.26.010 Discharge of firearms--Prohibited.
10.26.020 Exceptions.


10.26.010 DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS -- PROHIBITED. No person shall discharge or fire any firearm within the city except as otherwise provided herein. For purposes of this chapter, "firearm" is defined as a gun, pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, BB gun, air gun, pellet gun, bow and arrow, crossbow, blow gun, slingshot

That is crazy.....

[Peter.Steele]

THIS is an "air powered firearm."

[axhoaxho]

Is it powered by assault air?

Then we must ban air!

[67goat]

That is crazy.....

A lot of townships include pellet guns in their laws when it comes to discharging in city limits.

[OceanDreamer]

There is another way to look at it.

If you were confronted, on the street or in a store, with an airsoft pistol (Green Gas) and you thought your life was in danger. You have a legally carried pistol and you shoot the BG.

Would you rather the headline read:

"Armed citizen shoots robber, who was armed with an gas powered firearm"
...or
"Armed citizen shoots robber, who was armed with an air gun"

The first conveys your sense of danger and justification in using deadly force

Actually didnt think of that until tonight, BUT if your scenario had happened, I am sure the the media would have called it what it is..... An air gun.

Why? to make legit gun owners look like gun nuts who are out to shoot anything or anyone that moves.....

Again (just MHO), the media will do anything in their power to p\aint lawful gun