Can Airsoft Guns Be Shipped to Chicago

Airsoft gun with gas canisters and shots

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Airsoft guns are termed "soft" for a reason. While they look like real guns, they don't shoot existent bullets, but rather, plastic BBs or pellets. Yet, if one of these hits a person, it doesn't feel at all soft. It stings a lot, but doesn't penetrate the skin. Many states regulate the use of airsoft guns, including Illinois. Anyone owning or thinking of acquiring an airsoft gun in Illinois should understand the layers of regulation involved.

What Is an Airsoft Gun?

Though paintball guns are better known than airsoft guns, the latter were invented start. Both types of guns can await exactly like the real thing: replica pistols, rifles and even sniper rifles, and they can be constructed of metal. They were invented in Nihon some eight years before paintball guns became available.

Airsoft guns unremarkably shoot 8mm or 6mm plastic BBs. A hitting from 1 of these BBs won't kill or seriously injury anyone unless it strikes a person'due south eye, in which case severe eye damage tin occur. Just even when the projectile hits the skin, it can crusade painful stinging and get out marks.

Given the fact that these guns look exactly similar the real versions, they can easily be mistaken for a lethal weapon by law enforcement. That creates an extra danger for anyone carrying or playing with this type of firearm. Note that federal law requires that whatsoever toy resembling a existent firearm must comprise a blaze orange coloring on the butt of the toy. This helps police enforcement place the product equally a toy so that it is not mistaken for a real weapon.

How Are Airsoft Guns Powered?

The original airsoft gun was powered by a compressed air cylinder fastened to the gun. The maker's intention was that the guns be used for playing war games. Modern airsoft guns come up with three unlike powering systems.

Some are spring powered where the shooter must cock the gun to gear up the spring before each burn down. These are sturdy and fairly cheap. The automated electrical guns (AEG) are the virtually popular and the virtually expensive. They are automated guns that can fire upwards to 900 rounds per infinitesimal. The tertiary type of airgun is gas powered with compressed air created by CO2 or Green Gas. These are often linked with paintball guns.

Airsoft Gun Laws

Because of the risks from airsoft guns, some states take banned them entirely, including Arkansas. Many other states restrict admission to minors. California, for example, makes it a crime to provide or sell whatsoever type of gun that puts out projectiles to a minor without their parents' consent.

Some states, like Maine, prohibit selling such guns to a child under the age of 16. Others, like Massachusetts, brand information technology illegal to sell them to someone under the age of 18. In Due north Dakota, all laws that pertain to actual firearms also use to air guns. In Texas, anyone can burn down i exterior of major urban areas if the city and county allow air gun utilise.

Illinois Restrictions on Air Guns

For some years, Illinois law treated "air rifles" similar regular guns under its codes. This inverse in 2012 when the law was amended. The current Illinois law treats air guns as firearms only if they have a quotient over .18 and/or a muzzle velocity of over 700 feet per second.

Current Illinois law also restricts air rifle ownership and use. Information technology defines the term to include:

"Whatsoever air gun, air pistol, spring gun, spring pistol, BB gun, pigment ball gun, pellet gun or whatsoever implement that is non a firearm which impels a breakable paint ball containing washable marking colors or, a pellet constructed of difficult plastic, steel, lead or other difficult materials...expected to crusade bodily harm."

Age Restriction for Air Burglarize Possession

Current Illinois law makes information technology illegal for anyone other than a parent or guardian to provide or sell an air rifle to a small-scale nether the historic period of 13. Likewise, information technology is illegal in the state for a minor under thirteen years of age to possess a loaded air rifle on streets, parks or other public belongings. Minors can keep air rifles but if they are kept in the family unit dwelling house and used on private property or for a group or club.

Municipalities May Enact Additional Regulations

Individual cities in Illinois can and do impose additional restrictions on ownership and employ of air guns. Like state laws, the range of Illinois urban center laws is wide. Some cities, like Deerfield, do not let possession of these guns. Others, like Elk Grove, ban the sale of "handgun styled" BB or pellet guns. Amboy, Illinois, prohibits their use inside city limits.

Many cities and counties in Illinois set higher age limits for airsoft gun ownership than state police does. For case, Illinois cities Elk Grove, Lombard, Niles and Streamwood set an historic period limit of 18 before anyone tin can legally buy or possess an air gun. In River Wood, a potential buyer must exist at least 21 years or older. Large cities, like Chicago, mandate that a permit to purchase be obtained from law enforcement before buying an air gun. And stores that offer air rifles for auction are banned from displaying them in the store windows, show cases or counters.

Examples of Additional Metropolis Regulations

In Belvidere, Illinois, the law provides:

"It shall be unlawful to discharge whatsoever firearms, air rifles, pellet guns or similar weapons within the urban center. However, this section shall not be construed to prevent any police officer from discharging a weapon in the performance of his duty, nor any citizen from discharging any weapon when lawfully defending his person or property. "

Like laws are in place in Bradley, Buffalo Grove and Chillicothe, among other Illinois cities. Other cities, like Beardstown, and many counties have no ordinances posted concerning these problems.

Laws change all the time, including city and canton laws. Information technology is recommended that anyone owning an airsoft gun keep up to date near the local laws in Illinois to make certain they are doing so in a legal manner.