Explain Airsoft guns to me
- Thread starter ztirffritz
- Start date
My wife was born and raised in New Jersey, exit 7 in case you were wondering. That is the middle of the state, well outside of Trenton (pronounced Tre'n), Hamilton area.
It is pretty, middle class suburbia there. It's funny because that is the NJ that I learned about first when I came to the US, it took me some visits to North NJ and Newark to understand the stereotype that I also see funnily reflected here.
Then later when I started hammock camping with some pineys and friends in the pine barrens I started to learn about the NJ rednecks.
New Jersey is really 3 major areas: Dystopia in the North, Suburbia in the middle and Redneckistan in the South.
And yes, the airgun laws are draconian there. Didn't stop me from going to fun silhouette matches though.
Airsoft, yeah... Not for me, and I am quick to point out the difference when someone mistakes my air rifle hobby for airsoft.
It is pretty, middle class suburbia there. It's funny because that is the NJ that I learned about first when I came to the US, it took me some visits to North NJ and Newark to understand the stereotype that I also see funnily reflected here.
Then later when I started hammock camping with some pineys and friends in the pine barrens I started to learn about the NJ rednecks.
New Jersey is really 3 major areas: Dystopia in the North, Suburbia in the middle and Redneckistan in the South.
And yes, the airgun laws are draconian there. Didn't stop me from going to fun silhouette matches though.
Airsoft, yeah... Not for me, and I am quick to point out the difference when someone mistakes my air rifle hobby for airsoft.
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I had this girl come up to me a while back...
She said, I see why you like air rifles so much, she explained her husband and her were
out with friends and chose sides and started combat in the wood.... she explained she had a ball
and again stated how she see's my addiction to it..... I tried to explain the difference....
I told her, Honey if you got shot with one of my guns.... you would be going to the hospital or the cemetery....
I tried to explain to her again about air guns... but it went over her head..... (well I tried to explain to her)
She and her husband could not understand the cost of my rifles..... says they can get one at walmart cheap....
that would be accurate....
I no longer try to explain my passion for air guns... not worth it...
they just pick on me and call me B. B. Billy.............
They just don't understand...
She said, I see why you like air rifles so much, she explained her husband and her were
out with friends and chose sides and started combat in the wood.... she explained she had a ball
and again stated how she see's my addiction to it..... I tried to explain the difference....
I told her, Honey if you got shot with one of my guns.... you would be going to the hospital or the cemetery....
I tried to explain to her again about air guns... but it went over her head..... (well I tried to explain to her)
She and her husband could not understand the cost of my rifles..... says they can get one at walmart cheap....
that would be accurate....
I no longer try to explain my passion for air guns... not worth it...
they just pick on me and call me B. B. Billy.............
They just don't understand...
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That guy has got his combat tactics down and is a good pistol shot. An extremely proficient soldier/player.
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Just putting up another aspect of 'air rifle' versus 'rifle.' Sometimes it might be beneficial to be under respected in the capacity of, say, a 50 ft/lb .25 cal rifle if the average uninformed citizen equates your doings with the Red Riders of yesterday. Example, I am walking around a suburban yard shooting...stuff. A person gets excited and asks a police officer to check on this guy walking around the yard with a rifle. I talk to said law enforcement officer and calmly/happily explain that I am just responsibly shooting my pellet gun in my own yard. Now I am not a terrorist or gun nut playing with a deadly weapon, I am slightly geeky man-child playing with my bb gun. That concept might be false but I will take it if the situation suits itself more in my favor. As long as I am not actually endangering anyone the general public can write me off as a geek rather than a military want-to-be.
As far as airsoft goes, I think it doesn't do anything for the general acceptance of air gun culture. Basically, some people get a thrill from mimicking combat (killing other people before those people kill them). I get it. that is why some video games are so successful. But for people outside of the loop, it might seem to just be a way to feed sick fantasy. People used to get shot by police while playing lazer tag (looks nothing like real guns and no noise) now people are dressing up in full combat gear, shooting rigs that are identical to real suppressed combat weapons, and hiding in the shadows with sniper rifles. I'm not saying that it isn't fun, or that it shouldn't be done. I am just saying that it probably is not helping the image of shooters who enjoy the skill of shooting sports in the world of a gun shy public. I am 35 years old and I would rather have my neighbors see me outside and think I am playing with a childhood toy for the weird nostalgic than look out their window and catch me belly crawling through the grass in full on battle gear with what appears to me an mp-5 with a suppressor on it.
As far as airsoft goes, I think it doesn't do anything for the general acceptance of air gun culture. Basically, some people get a thrill from mimicking combat (killing other people before those people kill them). I get it. that is why some video games are so successful. But for people outside of the loop, it might seem to just be a way to feed sick fantasy. People used to get shot by police while playing lazer tag (looks nothing like real guns and no noise) now people are dressing up in full combat gear, shooting rigs that are identical to real suppressed combat weapons, and hiding in the shadows with sniper rifles. I'm not saying that it isn't fun, or that it shouldn't be done. I am just saying that it probably is not helping the image of shooters who enjoy the skill of shooting sports in the world of a gun shy public. I am 35 years old and I would rather have my neighbors see me outside and think I am playing with a childhood toy for the weird nostalgic than look out their window and catch me belly crawling through the grass in full on battle gear with what appears to me an mp-5 with a suppressor on it.
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