[Ricochet]

Well before airsoft was a thing, the replica law in Canada was. So immediately Airsoft guns would've fallen into that category and I guess did for a time. Instead of removing the replica law and rewriting out firearms laws so that they made sense in modern times, they came up with a quick way to classify airsoft guns differently. This provided two conveniences; for starters they are no longer replicas and are allowed to exist here legally, and if a crime is committed with one they already have criminal codes in place. It wasn't a super proactive approach as much as reactive, but at least Airsoft flourished, instead of the alternative, which is either no Airsoft, or guns that don't look anything like real guns.