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124gr9mm

Good place to buy Airsoft pistols?

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I have a junior shooter who wants to get involved with action shooting so I'd like to get an Airsoft pistol or two to run some practice stages before entering a match.

I'd love to grab something from Amazon but they won't ship to NJ.

Anyone know of stores that have a selection of lower budget Airsoft pistols that i can pick up?

I doubt there are any websites that would ship to NJ but I'd prefer that (price and selection would probably be better) but let me know if you're aware of any.

Thanks!

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Doesn’t nj classify air soft the same as BB guns?…and an air soft pistol need to be on a pistol permit? (By the letter of the law)

 

2C:39-1 Definitions:

f. "Firearm" means any handgun, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, automatic or semi-automatic rifle, or any gun, device or instrument in the nature of a weapon from which may be fired or ejected any solid projectable ball, slug, pellet, missile or bullet, or any gas, vapor or other noxious thing, by means of a cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or explosive substances. It shall also include, without limitation, any firearm which is in the nature of an air gun, spring gun or pistol or other weapon of a similar nature in which the propelling force is a spring, elastic band, carbon dioxide, compressed or other gas or vapor, air or compressed air, or is ignited by compressed air, and ejecting a bullet or missile smaller than three-eighths of an inch in diameter, with sufficient force to injure a person. 

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there's a shop in  the berlin farmers market. pretty good people there. can't remember the name though

an airsoft isn't gonna injure anyone beyond about 4ft.

 i think someone told me that it's the fact that airsoft uses plastic pellets is why they're legal;

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22 minutes ago, 1LtCAP said:

 i think someone told me that it's the fact that airsoft uses plastic pellets is why they're legal;

Plastic is part of it, but the weight is also a factor.  The beads need to be under a certain weight.

I bought a couple high capacity 50 shot "assault" shotguns at Lowes a few weeks ago.  Dangerous things they are, pistol grip, 50 round capacity.  Though NJ tries to make EVERYTHING illegal, they pick their battles.  Under the strictest interpretation of the law, my Bug-a-Salt gun is a firearm.  Nobody is going to convict a homeowner for shooting flies with table salt.  Nobody is going to convict kid for playing cops and robbers with airsoft in their back yard.  It would be ridiculous and the state knows that is a bridge too far.

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22 minutes ago, Scorpio64 said:

Plastic is part of it, but the weight is also a factor.  The beads need to be under a certain weight.

I bought a couple high capacity 50 shot "assault" shotguns at Lowes a few weeks ago.  Dangerous things they are, pistol grip, 50 round capacity.  Though NJ tries to make EVERYTHING illegal, they pick their battles.  Under the strictest interpretation of the law, my Bug-a-Salt gun is a firearm.  Nobody is going to convict a homeowner for shooting flies with table salt.  Nobody is going to convict kid for playing cops and robbers with airsoft in their back yard.  It would be ridiculous and the state knows that is a bridge too far.

While I completely agree with you … I see no reference of weight in 2C:39-1 definitions just the “smaller than 3/8”” and “any solid projectable ball, slug, pellet, missile or bullet” both of which airsoft pellets are….and while it’s nonsensical I am pretty sure there was a thread on here a few years back where someone/or their kids were playing with airsoft and had le interaction as a result. 
 

im not arguing the logic or merit of the law .. just that by the letter of the law it seems to not be “legal”. While there are plenty of people that very well may still have >10 and no one knows anyone that’s been charged that’s not a justifiable defense should the right circumstances align for one to find themselves being charged.

 

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The key difference between airsoft and BB is that the airsoft ball has a tiny, hollow center. The same applies to paintball - the center is liquid, not solid.

1 hour ago, pjd832 said:

2C:39-1 Definitions:

f. "Firearm" means any handgun, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, automatic or semi-automatic rifle, or any gun, device or instrument in the nature of a weapon from which may be fired or ejected any solid projectable ball, slug, pellet, missile or bullet, or any gas, vapor or other noxious thing, by means of a cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or explosive substances. It shall also include, without limitation, any firearm which is in the nature of an air gun, spring gun or pistol or other weapon of a similar nature in which the propelling force is a spring, elastic band, carbon dioxide, compressed or other gas or vapor, air or compressed air, or is ignited by compressed air, and ejecting a bullet or missile smaller than three-eighths of an inch in diameter, with sufficient force to injure a person. 

 

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1 hour ago, Scorpio64 said:

Plastic is part of it, but the weight is also a factor.  The beads need to be under a certain weight.

I'm not aware of any portion of NJ firearms law that has projectile *weight* as a factor.  Please cite.
 

29 minutes ago, Mr.Stu said:

The key difference between airsoft and BB is that the airsoft ball has a tiny, hollow center.

Airsoft bb's are NOT all hollow.  No guarantee that if you buy some random airsoft bb's that they will be hollow and not solid.

Paintball guns are legal in NJ because of the projectile size.

Airsoft guns arguably meet the NJ "firearm" definition the same as steel bb/pellet guns.

I don't know why, but apparently police/prosecutors have chosen not to regulate airsoft guns as firearms even though they meet the NJ definition of a firearm.

However, if you use an airsoft gun in a way that makes people call 911, you can get charged with NJ firearms law violations:

https://nj1015.com/nj-actor-arrested-for-prop-gun-could-face-more-than-5-years-in-jail-attorney-says/

...Bellario said he was handed a what he was told was a prop gun. He climbed into the passenger seat of a vehicle, with two cameramen in the backseat and another actor driving, and they took off to film the staged shootout. No actual shots were fired, he said.

After they finished filming the scene, the actors returned to the main staging area. That’s when Woodbridge police showed up after nervous neighbors, believing an actual shootout was taking place in their quiet, residential neighborhood, contacted authorities.

Bellario said he tried to explain that the gun — which a Woodbridge police report identified as an Airsoft pistol — was just a prop, but police still took him into custody. ...

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25 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

Airsoft guns arguably meet the NJ "firearm" definition the same as steel bb/pellet guns.

From the NJSP web site.

https://www.njsp.org/firearms/firearms-faqs.shtml

  •  
    Quote

     

    24 - Are airsofts firearms?

    No.  They are considered to be toys in New Jersey.  The plastic pellet ammunition utilized for an airsoft contain a hollow cavity which do not conform to a solid projectile.

     

     

    27 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

    I'm not aware of any portion of NJ firearms law that has projectile *weight* as a factor.  Please cite.

    Since airsoft is not considered a firearm, they are not subject to firearms laws.  However, I do recall reading about the projectile weight being a factor in the decision to classify airsoft as toys.  Something about the amount of energy in Joules yada yada.  It was not specific to airsoft, but to all toy firearms in general.

  • https://www.tintoyarcade.com/image/cache/data/product/Images_5100_5199/TTA5146-Suction-Cup-Gun-03-1000x1000.jpg

  • By NJs strict definition, the above image would require a FPID and a P2P.

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1 hour ago, Scorpio64 said:

Which is a state police "guideline", not NJ law.

You could likely get some deference from a judge/jury in stating "but I read at the NJSP web site" if charged, but what NJSP has on their web site is not NJ law.  They have a disclaimer on the site that you can't rely on the accuracy of what they publish.
 

1 hour ago, Scorpio64 said:

Since airsoft is not considered a firearm, they are not subject to firearms laws

Airsoft guns meet the NJ definition of a firearm by plain reading of the statute.  That NJSP/most LEO's/prosecutors choose not to enforce NJ law in respect to airsoft guns is not a rock-solid defense.  Go back and read the case I linked - that guy was charged with violations of *firearms* law for possessing an airsoft pistol.

I'm not trying to be argumentative - I agree that you can buy/possess Airsoft in NJ and most likely never have any issues.

However I believe there is a risk of getting charged with firearms violations if you do stupid things with airsoft that the police don't like.


 

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3 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

Which is a state police "guideline", not NJ law.

You could likely get some deference from a judge/jury in stating "but I read at the NJSP web site" if charged, but what NJSP has on their web site is not NJ law.  They have a disclaimer on the site that you can't rely on the accuracy of what they publish.
 

Airsoft guns meet the NJ definition of a firearm by plain reading of the statute.  That NJSP/most LEO's/prosecutors choose not to enforce NJ law in respect to airsoft guns is not a rock-solid defense.  Go back and read the case I linked - that guy was charged with violations of *firearms* law for possessing an airsoft pistol.

I'm not trying to be argumentative - I agree that you can buy/possess Airsoft in NJ and most likely never have any issues.

However I believe there is a risk of getting charged with firearms violations if you do stupid things with airsoft that the police don't like.

I've played Airsoft for over 20 years... It's always been legal as it's in the grey area.  NJ Legislature tried to pass a law to define them as firearms, which did not pass.  So they're 100% legal.

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36 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

However I believe there is a risk of getting charged with firearms violations if you do stupid things with airsoft that the police don't like.

It's not just airsoft.  If anything that resembles a gun, 1920's cap gun, non-functional replica, etc is used in the commission of a crime, weapons charges will ensue because the perp is using said item to give the impression of having a real gun.  If you want to stretch it to the extreme, if you loaded a rubber band in your fingers and pointed it at a cop's face, there will be charges (and probably a beat down) because the rubber band is being used as a weapon. 

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1 hour ago, DirtyDigz said:

So how is it possible to get charged with firearms violations for possessing one, as in the case I linked?

You can be charged with anything, but it doesn't mean you're guilty of it.

In the case you're referencing the actor was charged with a list of things but ultimately a plea was reached :

"Goias pleaded guilty to creating a false public alarm, a charge stemming from the reaction of  residents who thought the image of Goias leaning out a car driving down the street firing a gun was real and called police."

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/crime/jersey-mayhem/2016/07/20/actor-pleads-creating-public-alarm-gun-woodbridge-film-scene/87354984/

 

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2 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

However I believe there is a risk of getting charged with firearms violations if you do stupid things with airsoft that the police don't like.


 

Soooo...don't do stupid things with an airsoft gun?

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FYI, there's an Airsoft shop in Totowa NJ which has a good inventory of pistols, rifles, accessories, etc.

https://totowaairsoft.com/

It's half Army/Navy kind of store and half Airsoft.

It's local to me, so I stopped in and the young guy behind the counter was VERY nice and helpful.  I introduced myself as a noob and talked about what he had in stock, my needs, etc.

I think the guns they have are more than I really need ($150 and up), but if I do get a gun somewhere I'll try to support them and go there for ammo, gas/CO2, and other supplies.

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2 hours ago, 124gr9mm said:

FYI, there's an Airsoft shop in Totowa NJ which has a good inventory of pistols, rifles, accessories, etc.

https://totowaairsoft.com/

It's half Army/Navy kind of store and half Airsoft.

It's local to me, so I stopped in and the young guy behind the counter was VERY nice and helpful.  I introduced myself as a noob and talked about what he had in stock, my needs, etc.

I think the guns they have are more than I really need ($150 and up), but if I do get a gun somewhere I'll try to support them and go there for ammo, gas/CO2, and other supplies.

Most of the stuff those combo Army/Navy/Airsoft stores sell can be junk.  Look at the brands and the actual designs.  If you're looking at pistols, see which ones are CO2 vs Green Gas (Some are both).  See if they're Blowback or Non-blowback.  Avoid the Electric blowback guns.  See if extra mags can be purchased - they usually only come with 1.  You may think a $150 pistol is more than you need - however at a B&M type store - that's about what you would be paying for a semi decent one. Ones that are in the $50-100 range are most likely non-blowback CO2 models that may fire faster/harder than you want/need them to.  Most of the green gas blowback pistols shoot about 300-320FPS - which is enough to dent drywall... CO2 non-blowback will fire upwards of 400 FPS which can really cause damage without proper backstop.

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1 hour ago, chocodove said:

https://shop.ehobbyasia.com/
 

It’s been many years since I’ve ordered from them, but they are 100% legit and have the top quality (Tokyo Marui, etc.) stuff. No problem shipping here, though it was a while ago. 

eHobbyasia was fine before COVID - it's a shop in Hong Kong I believe... You have to deal with overseas shipping and customs... Will take a long time to get here.  That's why I prefer Evike.

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15 hours ago, 124gr9mm said:

FYI, there's an Airsoft shop in Totowa NJ which has a good inventory of pistols, rifles, accessories, etc.

https://totowaairsoft.com/

It's half Army/Navy kind of store and half Airsoft.

Yes, I was going to mention that place.  It's a fun store, with a decent selection, but I have not been there in a few years.  Still, probably worth checking out. 

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8 hours ago, Krdshrk said:

eHobbyasia was fine before COVID - it's a shop in Hong Kong I believe... You have to deal with overseas shipping and customs... Will take a long time to get here.  That's why I prefer Evike.

Good point, forgot about the current shipping issues. 

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2 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

 

Thanks Digz.

Your perspective has repeatedly and abundantly been made clear.

 

 

On 1/11/2022 at 11:08 AM, Krdshrk said:

Evike is the best place to shop from - I've been a customer of theirs for years.

I just placed an order, so I'll update when/if something is delivered!

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My order from Evike was dropped off by UPS today, so I can recommend them for anyone interested in Airsoft.

They had a VERY good selection of guns and accessories on their site and they offered free shipping for orders over $99.  I was JUST at that with with the pistol, CO2 (on sale), ammo (on clearance), and an extra magazine.

I won't get to play for a while but I shot a couple of magazines and I think this will be a great addition to my 'dry fire' practice.  I have a couple of 5 gallon buckets with old towels that I use as target backers so as long as my aim is good the bb's will be captured in the buckets.

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