What is a BB or Airsoft pistol considered?

[nofearfactor]

What do you consider a BB or Airsoft pistol? Is it a hand gun? Or a toy?

Reason I am asking is that my brother-in-law is having some major issues in his life- namely excessive drinking,his beautiful wife of just a few months left him over the weekend,he lost his 6 figure income when he lost a job with a company he had been at for many years and now is only traveling around the country consulting in his field about once a month,he owes a mountain of bills and has borrowed heavily from family members,his kids private school dues are in arrears,his house payments are behind,etcetcetc- hence I suppose the reason for the heavy drinking.

So,these kids in their neighborhood have been shining a laser light in their window. Theyve done it quite a bit. Once when we were there socializing one night my big for his size kid chased them away. Harmless fun IMO.

Well I guess a few nights ago they did it again and he is a little drunk so he takes after them SHOOTING THEM WITH A BB GUN. When I heard about this from my wife,his sister,I just kind of tripped out. I dont think you can do that. I wouldnt anyways. So the kids parents come over and theres a big ruckus,etcetc. No cops were called though. This time.

Is a BB gun considered a pistol? Or a toy? It would seem to me that you cant just go around shooting people with one. Even though we did it as kids and my kid and the neighbor kid shoot each other with their Airsoft and BB guns. But to shoot kids with one for merely shining a light in your window? A little excessive to me.

 

[Danny]

Let me put it to you like this. If he used the BB gun to rob a store, it would be considered armed robbery, and the "toy" would be considered a handgun.

In this instance, at a minimum, it's assault and battery.

He would be better off having something rigged above them to pour on them. Like a bucket of skunk scent.

Or, he could do the manly thing and go over and confront the parents about their kids and tell them the next time they come on his property, trespass charges will be filed.

 

[bulbboy]

I would consider it a dangerous weapon - he could have blinded one of them




We used to shoot each other with them when I was a kid - but you can't do that nowadays

 

[nofearfactor]

Thanx. Thats what I thought too.

This guy is a ticking timebomb anyways and a family intervention is close. I just wanted to get some gun experts opinions because my FIL naturally is poopooing it as nothing to get all worked up over. I actually wish the kids parents would have called the cops on him to prove a point to the FIL.

 

[ez bake]

Let me put it to you like this. If he used the BB gun to rob a store, it would be considered armed robbery, and the "toy" would be considered a handgun.

In this instance, at a minimum, it's assault and battery.

He would be better off having something rigged above them to pour on them. Like a bucket of skunk scent.

Or, he could do the manly thing and go over and confront the parents about their kids and tell them the next time they come on his property, trespass charges will be filed.

This - plus, if my kids were acting like a bunch of idiots, I'd be pissed at them and punish them accordingly, but if a grown man was chasing them towards me with a realistic looking handgun, I'd be fully within my rights to draw and fire if he pointed it at them/me - I would be in fear of my life (unless it was an orange gun or less-than-realistic looking toy).

Not saying I would shoot, but I wouldn't discount that outcome from my mind in a situation like with very little time to react (hopefully it never happens to your brother-in-law or any of us).

That is clearly not a smart thing to do now days.

Good luck with your intervention and I hope for all the best for your brother-in-law - that's a bad situation that we're seeing more and more of with the economy going like it is lately.

 

[ldp4570]

From everything you've described, its past time for intervention!!!

 

[_CY_]

airing your in law's dirty laundry has nothing to do with issues at hand.

NO he should not be shooting any type of gun, BB or otherwise at anyone.
farmers have been known to shoot kids with rock salt too.

neither should the kids be shinning a laser into his house. could be easily considered to be a weapon with a laser pointed his way.

folks have been mistakenly shot for pointing lasers ... could turn into serious business.

So,these kids in their neighborhood have been shining a laser light in their window. Theyve done it quite a bit. Once when we were there socializing one night my big for his size kid chased them away. Harmless fun IMO.

 

[nofearfactor]

airing your in law's dirty laundry has nothing to do with issues at hand

It has everything to do with it. In my opinion his state of mind is all messed up. No rational person would do what he did if they werent all messed up mentally. Being drunk and chasing kids down the street while shooting at them with a BB gun for shining a light in your window is IMO, a little crazy. The guy needs some help. I just wanted to know if a BB gun was considered a 'gun' or a 'toy' for ammunition for my arguments with family members. Namely his father,my FIL,who is in denial that the guy is even having any mental issues.

 

[Glocktogo]

In this case it's a weapon used to commit an assault, even if he didn't hit one of the kids.

 

[Stingray]

I'm not an expert on these things by any means, by my understanding is that if you point an airgun at someone, it's brandishing the same as if you had pointed a real gun. As Glocktogo pointed out, it's also assault.

-S