Would you rather have Canadian Airsoft or New Zealand Airsoft?

[SHÖCK]

I've always been interested in the status of Airsoft legalities around the world. You have the US and their orange tip and trademark laws, the UK with the licensed players (best system IMHO), the Phillipines, Hong Kong, and Russia where it's almost anything goes and you have a lot of innovation...and then Australia and China where it's banned completely.

I came across the New Zealand Airsoft community recently and I was reading their forums and it felt a lot like the Canadian situation. They try to police themselves, have age rules, and people have to contact specific dealers with each club to get their legal weapons, etc. Turns out the issue in New Zealand is pretty interesting. Unlike here where the big deal is all about importing receivers, in NZ, they are not allowed to import and possess fully-automatic airsoft.

Any guns they import must have full auto permanently disabled and in some cases, even with full auto markings removed from receivers. They are not allowed to possess or play with fully-automatic airsoft so it's not just in the importation process. What's even more interesting is that you have Australians going to NZ just to play their semi-auto airsoft.

If you had the choice, which would you choose? The ability to freely import anything (as long as you had someone disable full auto before it got to customs) or the ability to own and operate full auto weapons with the Canadian import restrictions and the difficulty in getting anything that you truly want in? I'm thinking that for collectors, the semi-auto world would be much friendlier as you could get anything that you wanted. I'm not sure how well that would hold anyway since full auto can be disabled simply by removing the selector plate. I wonder how many in NZ just put one back on? From what I've seen though, it can get extreme with Escort gas weapons being mechanically modified so that they are permanently disabled, etc.

http://www.asnz.org.nz/forums/index.php

[Spawn28]

Ill stick to canadian guns,
Sure they are harder to get but at least theres the choice of full auto and its not illegal to have them(full auto i mean)


Squeeker Squeek!

[HeadlessChicken]

I honestly won't find much difference, I haven't run full auto on any of my guns at any of of the 4 games I've been to. I wonder what NZ's airsoft prices are like by comparison with our local airsoft prices.

[theguy]

How strictly is it policed?

Does that mean you can import AEGs, but only those that have been permanently set to semi only? And in that case, I wonder what methods are used. Many of the ways to do this i can think of would be easy to reverse.

Also, it would matter a lot on the prices they paid. If they paid HK prices, then i would probably be down for the semi-only rule.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by HeadlessChicken

I honestly won't find much difference, I haven't run full auto on any of my guns at any of of the 4 games I've been to. I wonder what NZ's airsoft prices are like by comparison with our local airsoft prices.

my friend paid NZ$230 for his AGM M4 GBBR

NZ$230 = $177 Canadian right now.

[coach]

Originally Posted by SHÖCK

If you had the choice, which would you choose? The ability to freely import anything (as long as you had someone disable full auto before it got to customs) or the ability to own and operate full auto weapons with the Canadian import restrictions and the difficulty in getting anything that you truly want in?

meh. if you got the know how, money, time and patience, you can get any gun you want in Canada.

one thing with full auto disabled is that there are times where you need to shoot full auto to release a locked up gearbox.

[L473ncy]

I would actually go with NZ laws. More/better access and it prevents people from hosing. However that's pretty much just because of my play style. I would like the full auto feature but it's not a big loss if I can't have it since I'd be just shooting semi 99% of the time anyways.

However, just think about it for a second first. If Canada adopts NZ laws couple that with the culture of Canada and there is a statistically significant chance something bad will happen.

Now that kids get access to cheap toys like this, stupid things will happen and will be all over youtube (lol lol loooll Look at me I shot at bystanders at the local park duuuurrrrrr). If the culture were to change such that kids don't have "that kind of attitude" then yeah but for now I'm happy with how things are. Just take a look at the underage backyard airsoft videos that come out of the US and 13 year old kids "reviewing" guns and "reviewing" retailers.

[KoolAidMan]

Originally Posted by coachster

meh. if you got the know how, money, time and patience, you can get any gun you want in Canada.

one thing with full auto disabled is that there are times where you need to shoot full auto to release a locked up gearbox.

allways happens when the batteries running low . switching to safe sometimes does the trick

[SHÖCK]

Originally Posted by L473ncy

Now that kids get access to cheap toys like this, stupid things will happen and will be all over youtube (lol lol loooll Look at me I shot at bystanders at the local park duuuurrrrrr). If the culture were to change such that kids don't have "that kind of attitude" then yeah but for now I'm happy with how things are. Just take a look at the underage backyard airsoft videos that come out of the US and 13 year old kids "reviewing" guns and "reviewing" retailers.

"Current legislation in NZ is that you must be 16 years and over AND have a current A-category firearms license to own an airsoft gun"

[Mitchell12]

I'll stick to Canada's. I like my suppressive fire.

[HeadlessChicken]

Originally Posted by L473ncy

Now that kids get access to cheap toys like this, stupid things will happen and will be all over youtube (lol lol loooll Look at me I shot at bystanders at the local park duuuurrrrrr). If the culture were to change such that kids don't have "that kind of attitude" then yeah but for now I'm happy with how things are. Just take a look at the underage backyard airsoft videos that come out of the US and 13 year old kids "reviewing" guns and "reviewing" retailers.

I was about to mention something similar. Canada isn't "smart" or "mature" enough to have easy access to airsoft guns, we've seen what happens with them being so restricted as is. I have no issues with our current laws, its a pain for us but its not like its there for no good reason.

[MoreToasties]

I'm all for it.

The only thing the concerns me is the sudden influx of noob snipers we would have.

You know how noobs all want snipers and the vets steer them towards full-auto AEGs?

That's going to be a problem.

In all seriousness, though, the implementation of a Firearms licence only rule would be great, as well the idea of cheaper guns.

[Huge]

I'd stick to Canadian regulations since here kids dont have an all-access pass to replica firearms and I think it's a good thing. Hell I'm 19 and still have to save my pennies and spend a month paying for my credit card because I bought a gun. Higher prices and difficulty obtaining replica firearms makes you think twice about doing something stupid.

[MoreToasties]

Originally Posted by Huge94

I'd stick to Canadian regulations since here kids dont have an all-access pass to replica firearms and I think it's a good thing. Hell I'm 19 and still have to save my pennies and spend a month paying for my credit card because I bought a gun. Higher prices and difficulty obtaining replica firearms makes you think twice about doing something stupid.

That's just an excuse for us being lazy with our stupidity.

The drive to not do something stupid should be internal, not external.

If it takes a chunk out of your bank account to make you realize you've done something wrong, then there's a problem.

This gets into the effectiveness of our legal system, which is not a topic for this thread. =P

Sorry for the derail, amigos.

[theguy]

Originally Posted by Huge94

I'd stick to Canadian regulations since here kids dont have an all-access pass to replica firearms and I think it's a good thing. Hell I'm 19 and still have to save my pennies and spend a month paying for my credit card because I bought a gun. Higher prices and difficulty obtaining replica firearms makes you think twice about doing something stupid.

So, before you bash me here for being a hypocrite, hear my reasoning :P

Often, when I see american airsofters on their fourms, youtube, and writing reviews on online sites, they really have no clue what their talking about. It seems like the vast availability of guns means that anyone can throw $100 at the sport, and have themselves a fine functioning rifle. Often, I see these people, who really have no idea what their talking about, giving other noobs ridiculous advice, Praising shitty brands, and saying high-end brand are crap. I won't tell you the number of reviews i have seen on VFC rifles, Saying they are total shit.

WTF? These guys have no idea what they're talking about! maybe they own a JG or two, but it seems the general knowledge of an average airsofter is far higher here then there.

Now, Im not saying that all Americans are bad airsofters, I dont want to come off as prejudice, but, the way airsoft is set up here now, It forces new players to be committed. It means that the players we play with are serious, and really want to be there.

Gah!
had to let that out

/Rant