Pointed a gun at a kid with an Airsoft.

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bt 223

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About a week ago I was home instead of at church due to the flu. While sitting on the couch, I looked out the window and saw a person dressed all in black, walking away from a vehicle I didn't recognize, with an AR-15 at his shoulder pointed at my neighbors house. My first thought was that it might be an airsoft, but there was no discolored tip. I immediately went and retrieved my own AR that I keep loaded, hammer down on an empty chamber. I put a shell into the chamber, put it on safe, and looked back out another window. Only through the scope on 9 power could I tell that his AR had a dark blue tip. I immediately dropped my rifle but continued to watch. Shortly another boy came around the far side of the house with a clear airsoft, and their "battle" ensued. Both boys were about 16-17. This scared me, not just because of what it looked like was going on at first, but what I was prepared to do if it had been real, and shots had been fired.

I feel I acted reasonably well all things considered. Had it been a real incident it would have ended quickly. I have learned much by this incident and hope others can as well. Feel free to critique me, but remember it all happened in about 10 seconds.
 
I would've done the same brother. Might have even had less patience than you, being young and quick to act as I am. Good job verifying your target. :cool:
 
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Thus far the Airsoft fatalities have mostly been involving law enforcement and victims who are unlikely to draw massive public sympathy (such as 7-11 stickup artists with a poor choice of sidearm.)

It's only a matter of time, however, before some photogenic suburbanite youth gets sparked by Joe or Jane CCW, and then the feces will meet the oscillating air circulator for sure.
 
What's to stop bad guys from putting colored plastic tips on their REAL guns to get people to be complacent?
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There's an unsettling thought. A moments hesitation is all they would get, but they may be enough.

I got a toy AR for Christmas as a kid. It looked so cool, other than that geeky orange tip. What was Matel thinking... that didn't look real at all. So, I cut it off. Ahhh... stupid kid.
 
You did fine.

My brother has been a cop in a large southern city for almost 30 years. He was a SWAT member and taught officer survival in the academy, in addition to regular patrol duties.

He responded to a call that a man was pointing a pistol at automobiles from a street corner. When he arrived he cautiously approached the suspect, who reacted in a startled manner, and turned party away as if attempting to hide something. My brother drew his service weapon, a hi-cap Smith .40, and pointed it at the suspect. The suspect -- a teenager -- ignored my brother's order to show his hands, which was shouted repeatedly. The suspect then began moving his hands down his leg, attempting to arrest the fall of a solid object that was obviously sliding down the front of his trouser leg. The suspect was ordered repeatedly to "freeze" and "show his hands" but did not obey. When his hands got down to the end of his trousers, the butt of a 1911 emerged. The only reason he was not killed at that point was that my brother recognized the "1911" as a "Marksman" BB pistol, a copy of the 1911, because we had one as kids.

It would have been a justifiable shoot of a YBM in a southern city by a white cop. My brother is an excellent marksman, and it would have been fatal, I have no doubt.

By the grace of God the kid lived to survive a major ass chewing by my brother in front of the kid's parents. It began with "I almost killed your son today." My brother has enough ugly memories related to his police service. I'm glad that killing that dumb kid isn't one of them.

I think you handled your situation just fine. Did you consider an ass chewing?
 
"What's to stop bad guys from putting colored plastic tips on their REAL guns to get people to be complacent?"

Nothing, and some have already figured out that representing real guns as toys may be advantageous, especially in instances where they think enough to "flash" the toy often enough that folks become accustomed to it.
 
Almost called the cops to let them handle any chewing, but I didn't.
One thing I would do different next time
 
As to the "Hammer Down" question, it also makes the AR quick to deploy in a home defense situation, pull the charging handle and your ready to roll. Also my kids could flip the safety, but are not old enough to be able to charge it.
 
I would let the kids know that people are watching. Don't tell him you had him in the crosshairs but someting like "If someone didn't know you guys were just playing they might call the cops." would get the message across.
 
You spotted a threat and then took defensive action, retrieving your own weapon and then covered the threat with your own weapon and because of its sighting system (the scope), you were able to re-identify the threat as a non-threat faux combatant. Aside maybe from not calling the cops because you had an AR15 carrying ninja in your yard, I think you did very well.

Of course, had it been a real ninja emergency...
 
BT 223, what you did demonstrated a responsible response to a potential threat. You did not act rashly, and that should be commended. Luckily, most gun owners have a similar frame of mind, or there would be far more senseless tragedies than there are every year. Airsoft users SHOULD be aware of their appearance, if they desice tio play in strange neighborhoods, and especially if they choose to appear as a potential threat by removing or painting the orange tip. Common sense to the fore, they should think ahead and perhaps choose to play airsoft in parks or away from people who could mistake what they are up to as much as practicable, if for no other reason as to not alarm people unnecessarily.
 
I feel it is irresponsible to make AIRSOFT firearms black. They could be either/or:

Day-Glo Orange
Flourescent Lime Green
Flourescent Yellow

with only the top of the slide/sights being matt black.

If I were king that would be the law. Paint it and you'd see the inside of a penitentiary.
 
I feel it is irresponsible to make AIRSOFT firearms black.
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I agree. I actually gotta agree with a wally world policy (which is to only sell clear airsoft guns)...I firmly believe that all non-firearms (as in toys, airsoft guns, etc.) should be made of clear plastic...because there is no way currently to make a clear firearm.

That would also fix the 'problem' the media has with people painting their guns funny colors :)

Plus, I'm not a fan of airsoft in general...a bunch of kids being taught that its ok to point (and pull the trigger at that :eek:) realistic guns (replicas, but remember, they'll probably own actual firearms some day) at other human beings.
 
I just left the Airsoft Forum and this very question (something to the effect of,"What are the chances of being shot with a real gun, when using an Airsoft gun?) was asked. Most of the replies were - Very Good in certain circumstances, like this one.
 
My nephew had one of those guns. It was a dead knockoff of a Beretta 92. The orange tip on his broke off during his play with it. When I saw it without the orange tip I told my sister in law that she needed to toss it before it got him hurt. She said, "Why?" I said, "Because anybody that sees him with it will think it's real, Might be a shoot first ask questions later situation".

He's got a clear one now that doesn't look quite as real.
 
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