Comments | little_details: Disabling an airsoft pistol

sabinelagrande in little_details

Disabling an airsoft pistol

Jun 10, 2013 00:49

Setting: Modern day USA. My character is using a spring airsoft pistol like this one (link SFW, if your workplace doesn't mind airsoft guns) as a prop. He has a high degree of knowledge in this area. Conditions are ideal, this is taking place indoors, and my character has done this preparation himself, taking as much time as he needs. No one else ( Read more... )

~weapons: firearms

Comments 12

penknife June 10 2013, 19:21:23 UTC

What scenario is your character envisioning in which the gun would be taken away from him and loaded? If he's had the gun in his possession since he unloaded it, it seems to defy all probability that someone would a) take the gun away from him and b) have airsoft pellets available to load it with but c) not already have a weapon of their own. I would think unloading it would be entirely sufficient.

sabinelagrande June 10 2013, 20:25:50 UTC

That doesn't answer my question. The gun must be disabled, not just unloaded. My character is intensely concerned with safety, and an unloaded but still functional gun is too much danger for him. It has to be safer than that.

nuranar June 10 2013, 20:35:49 UTC

It never occurred to me to disable an airsoft gun, but it wouldn't be very hard. I've taken apart standard .45 airsoft guns to clear jams, so I've got a basic understanding of one similar to your link ( ... )

sabinelagrande June 10 2013, 20:42:44 UTC

Thank you so much! This was really super helpful.

I don't need it to be mistaken for a real weapon, though the orange tip has been removed. The character at the other end of the gun knows about as much about guns as I do (nil). All he really knows is that he's (probably) not going to get shot, and he's too frightened to be examining the thing to check. He doesn't hold it or anything, so he couldn't tell the difference by weight, etc.

nuranar June 10 2013, 20:57:22 UTC

Glad I can help! I can understand it being mistaken for a real one, in the absence of the orange tip.

nuranar June 10 2013, 21:00:56 UTC

Just a couple other thoughts: The safety is functional on these guns. The trigger won't move when it's on. Also, the trigger will move on an uncocked airsoft, but it won't even click. At least not on the ones I've played with. And finally, in case it's not clear, you have to re-cock the gun each time you fire.

Thread 6

spartakos June 12 2013, 04:14:12 UTC

I apologize (as I know it's not direct to the question you asked), but you are aware that airsoft guns are highly unlikely to cause any kind of serious injury, even if you intentionally shoot someone? Most hits from an airsoft will only raise a welt, and not even that if wearing thick clothing. A shot to the eye could blind someone, but they really are not dangerous weapons.

If your shooter is so safety-obsessed that even the minor risk of a bruise is too much, disregard; but as you mentioned you had little gun knowledge, I thought I'd mention it.

sabinelagrande June 12 2013, 04:24:12 UTC

My main problems are that 1) he's going to put it in his partner's mouth, as well as putting it to his head and pulling the trigger 2) I want readers who know as little as I know (or knew before I started on this venture) to be assured that everything is perfectly safe. The story's about doing dangerous things safely, so the risk of bruising is too much in this particular instance.

spartakos June 13 2013, 02:09:02 UTC

Gotcha. Ne'er mind, then. :)

slhuang June 16 2013, 04:20:13 UTC

It's easy to remove, break, or glue the mechanisms inside an airsoft so that it will lack the capability for firing. Once you do so, however, it won't cycle, and depending on how you break things may not even be able to have the hammer drawn back ( ... )