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Live Centerfire Weapons Painted to Look Like Toys

MikeT

MikeT

.270 WIN
I was at the range today and a young man (20's) opened a case and took out an AK-47. No magazines were in sight. The weapon was painted blue with an orange muzzle brake. I asked him if it was an airsoft toy. He immediately took a magazine from his thigh pocket, inserted into the rifle and three 7.62x39 rounds into the backstop. I asked why he would paint his AK to look like a toy, he responded that he did so "because I wanted to"... Am I wrong in thinking that painting a weapon to intentionally look like a toy is irresponsible?
 
MikeT said:
I was at the range today and a young man (20's) opened a case and took out an AK-47. No magazines were in sight. The weapon was painted blue with an orange muzzle brake. I asked him if it was an airsoft toy. He immediately took a magazine from his thigh pocket, inserted into the rifle and three 7.62x39 rounds into the backstop. I asked why he would paint his AK to look like a toy, he responded that he did so "because I wanted to"... Am I wrong in thinking that painting a weapon to intentionally look like a toy is irresponsible?
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Did you ask him if he's an idiot? Never mind, how would he know?
 
That is horribly irresponsible.

I don't know if it goes as far as breaking the law, but in a different time, said owner would certainly deserve some "percussive adjustment."


Sent from my California fondleslab
 
Not too long ago a very young teen was shot and killed over an airsoft rifle. Everyone screamed (Including me) how could this happen... I am beginning to see how.
 
I have been seeing more of this in pictures , ARFCOM and around the web.....I don't really know how irresponsible it is because it could be a claymore mine painted the same and if it is handles right and kept in control, hidden, locked up and or never left unattended then how is it irresponsible just based on looks.....HOWEVER hate it just because it seriously lame to think that is cool, might as well be wearing skinny pants and paint his nails.
I understand you all think its being thought of as a toy by the owner, and that would be irresponsible but for all we know he could have been the god of gun safety with the taste of Liberace
 
with idiots like this its no wonder officers don't trust any gun no matter what its painted. this idiot with his "because I wanted to" could cause another
innocent death. I'm for doing this to guns being a jailable offense.
 
As law makers look for anything to mess with gun owners, they can get wind of this and churn out laws against modifying guns. Soon you can't do anything to a stock gun. But one still has a right to like what this guy did, no problem. I
Just think it sets a terrible precedent.
 
mbshop said:
with idiots like this its no wonder officers don't trust any gun no matter what its painted. this idiot with his "because I wanted to" could cause another
innocent death. I'm for doing this to guns being a jailable offense.
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@nitesite I'm not either.

I will never pretend to think that I know what a politician thinks. They seem to be in their own reality the biggest percentage of their day anyway.

Painting a toy gun with orange tips became law after a child was mistakenly shot dead by police and in the same fashion as usual in that timeframe, a quick attempt to "protect the children" law was enacted. And to be honest, was done about the same time frame as yard darts were outlawed. (more legislation to protect us from ourselves, but I digress).

I'm not sure how many of us older guys can remember playing with toy guns that looked like a real one (not painted green or blue or red or whatever color), but I surely can. Matter of fact, EVERY toy gun came in realistic colors (usually black and wood color) unless you got a silver space gun that shot sparks every time you pulled the trigger thanks to the flint wheel inside of it like a huge bic lighter. Anyone back in the day ought to remember how cool those were in their time.

And I never had the false sensation that my children were safer because of paint on a toy either. There are many times where it doesn't matter what color the toy is, they all look the same anyway regardless of whether it has an orange tip or not. Especially at night or low light (which was when that shooting occurred anyway, but politicians don't let facts or logic get in the way of anything).
 
While I wouldn't agree to yet another law infringing on firearm ownership, I do wish that young man wouldn't have done that to his rifle. Sometimes, (heck maybe even most times) a little personal responsibility will go a long way. Take care. Tom Worthington
 
Might be bucking the trend here, but as a wise man one said,

"It's your goat. Dress it up how you want."

This guy has the right to paint his AK any color he wants just like anyone has the right to put twelve pounds of unnecessary gadgets and accessories on a shotgun. We may not agree with or understand it, but that doesn't matter one bit.

What does matter is whether or not the firearm is being used responsibly. We had a case here in TN, Embody vs. Ward, where a local guy with a reputation for pushing the boundaries of firearms laws decided to take a walk in a State park while open carrying an AK pistol. A newly passed law had allowed TN residents to carry in State parks, so he decided to push his luck on a little understood technicality. Embody painted only the flash hider of his AK pistol bright orange so it would appear as a toy. Park patrons panicked and called the cops. He was forcibly detained, disarmed, and arrested by a park ranger. The legal battle that ensued resulted in Embody losing his right to carry and set a legal precedent that one can lose their rights if their actions cause civil unrest or generally just scare people.

In the instance of the OP this guy was at a gun range, apparently using his weapon responsibly. He was not out to intentionally cause anyone harm or even provoke a reaction of any kind other than perhaps someone asking why the hell he painted his AK like that.

In my opinion, it's his gun, his choice. We cannot begin to decide his choices are wrong without opening the door for our own choices to be scrutinized. If we begin trying to impose our will on others simply because we don't agree with or understand it, then we are no better than the gun grabbers trying to revoke our rights and limit our freedom to make our own choices...
 
oli700 said:
I have been seeing more of this in pictures , ARFCOM and around the web.....I don't really know how irresponsible it is because it could be a claymore mine painted the same and if it is handles right and kept in control, hidden, locked up and or never left unattended then how is it irresponsible just based on looks.....HOWEVER hate it just because it seriously lame to think that is cool, might as well be wearing skinny pants and paint his nails.
I understand you all think its being thought of as a toy by the owner, and that would be irresponsible but for all we know he could have been the god of gun safety with the taste of Liberace
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No, the guy did not consider it a toy. My suspicion is he wants others to perceive it as a toy. What are his motivations? No clue. But this fits into the same catagory as the asshats walking into resturaunts with long guns strapped to their chests saying they are expressing their second amendment rights.
 
I just don't see it as negligent......depending on what he does with it.
I think its far more irresponsible painting a toy gun to look real because that is more likely to get spotted outside a range and get you shot......A gun painted like an air soft at a range....not a big deal really IMO.....now if he was at an air soft tournament I would change my opinion.
 
LAZY EYED SNIPER said:
Might be bucking the trend here, but as a wise man one said,

"It's your goat. Dress it up how you want."

This guy has the right to paint his AK any color he wants just like anyone has the right to put twelve pounds of unnecessary gadgets and accessories on a shotgun. We may not agree with or understand it, but that doesn't matter one bit.

What does matter is whether or not the firearm is being used responsibly. We had a case here in TN, Embody vs. Ward, where a local guy with a reputation for pushing the boundaries of firearms laws decided to take a walk in a State park with while open carrying an AK pistol. A newly passes law had allowed TN residents to carry in State parks, so he decided to push his luck on a little understood technicality. Embody painted only the flash hider of his AK pistol bright orange so it would appear as a toy. Park patrons panicked and called the cops. He was forcibly detained, disarmed, and arrested by a park ranger. The legal battle that ensued resulted in Embody losing his right to carry and set a legal precedent that one can lose their rights if their actions cause civil unrest or generally just scare people.

In the instance of the OP this guy was at a gun range, apparently using his weapon responsibly. He was not out to intentionally cause anyone harm or even provoke a reaction of any kind other that perhaps someone asking why the hell he painted his AK like that.

In my opinion, it's his gun, his choice. We cannot begin to decide his choices are wrong without opening the door for our own choices to be scrutinized. If we begin trying to impose our will on others simply because we don't agree with or understabd it, then we are no better than the gun grabbers trying to revoke our rights and limit our freedom to make our own choices...
Click to expand...


If only the muzzle brake was painted, I would be in agreement. However, the weapon was painted to look like a toy. The asshat in you example did break the law because the motivation behind his actions were to cause alarm. The asshat I encountered fired three rounds from behind the firing line to demonstrate to me his rifle was indeed real. he has motivation to make that rifle appear as a toy. No good comes from that.
 
If he takes his cased weapon from his home to the range, uncases and uses it safely, then cases it up and takes it home, what possible harm will come from it?
 
well, we all have rights. we have rights up the yazoo. we have so many rights that we tend to forget were responsibility comes in.
I will forever consider this person a true liability to all gun owners.
 
well I'm a gun owner all my life, you can consider him a liability for you, but not for me thanks.
I kind of mind my own business on matters like this, harmless......this is starting remind me of people who talk about other people for wearing camouflage pants to shoot their gun, who cares.
 
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