If you are interrested in Airsoft guns and you live in Oregon or you might visit it some day, you are familiar with how realistic their appearance is. It is important to understand that without proper knowledge on Law you may find yourself in a big trouble.
Some people consider Airsoft replicas nothing but the toys, some consider them to be more than just the toys and some people are irrationally scared of anything that resembles a real gun. So what does the Oregon law say about firearms and replicas?
Airsoft gun is considered as replica and not firearm and therefore the different law shall apply to it, you can legally use it for entertainment purposes.
It is hard to spot the difference between a replica and a real gun for sure. Laws regarding replicas vary from state to state and in Oregon there are some important paragraphs of the replica Law that you must hear.
Although I am not a lawyer and nothing here can be considered legal advice, I have created a summary of the law for Oregon but you can find more information about firearms and similar laws that you do not want to break on the following government websites.
You can find it here for Portland and here for City of bend if you live there, but the law happens to be similar everywhere and the best way to stay safe is to use the common sense.
Are Airsoft guns legal in Oregon?
There are no laws that forbid any adults or juveniles from owning an airsoft gun on the state law.
Firearms are all weapons that are designed to expel a projectile by the action of powder, which tells a part real guns from replicas.
This is not case everywhere and as a matter of fact some countries like Australia consider airsoft replicas as firearms.
Although there are not many regulations regarding the use of airsoft guns, there is a replica firearm ordinance present in some cities or counties in Oregon, like in Beaverton or the city of Lake Oswego. We are going to mention the important parts of the law that you must know before you start using your replica.
For the best practice you should respect the ordinance anywhere in Oregon to negate the bad odds against you. If you are willing to go into the details you can call the sheriff department and check the law of your city furthermore.
All the law about airsoft replica guns is made to make the community safe from potential misunderstandings, so even when you find that legally you are allowed to do something with your replica that may be dangerous, just because it is not in the law does not mean that you should do it.
What are the important laws that one must know when using an airsoft replica in Oregon?
- You can use and display an airsoft gun replica on private property with the consensus of the owner. It is, however, recommended that you do not threaten any passenger or neighbour by shooting or pointing a gun at them. Take care that not a single BB leaves the private property. For more on using airsoft guns in private backyards check my specific post.
- It is highly forbidden to display an airsoft gun replica anywhere in a public place or to discharge it at any person if the person is in a public place.
- If a single offense occurs it is punishable as a civil violation.
- In case of repeated offenses or using an airsoft gun replica and breaking the law with it within 1,000 feet of school premises, it is punishable as misdemeanors.
What is the purpose of a replica firearm ordinance?
Even if there would not be for this ordinance it still makes the best practice that everyone should be aware of.
Recently there have been many incidents where the display of a replica gun has caused a public incident. With the increase in popularity of such replicas there is a need to ensure the safety of the community.
The realistic resemblance of replicas make it extremely difficult to tell it a part from a real gun. The police department officers will surely have a hard time distinguishing it from a real gun and even harder time goes for the common folk.
In order to negate the odds that any misunderstanding happen and that the police answer with fire, it is important to respect an airsoft replica as a real gun.
How to safely transport your airsoft gun?
All that matters really is that you keep it out of the sight of anyone while transporting it. This means that you should get a bag that can fit your replica.
If you transport your replica in a vehicle, the trunk of a car is the safest place where you can put it.
The reason for this is that if you get stopped by an officer, they must not notice that the replica is within the reach of the driver or any passenger to avoid the misunderstandings.
I have also covered the topic of transporting airsoft guns to other states, so if you plan to move anytime soon, check it out.
Is it illegal to remove the orange tip in Oregon?
If you have purchased your gun somewhere in Oregon and it came with orange markings you are supposed to keep it on. This is due to the Federal Law that makes it mandatory that all imported guns have the orange markings in order to distinguish them from the real guns.
However, most of the airsoft players do not care about it when playing and nor should you. This does not mean that you should carry a gun without orange markings anywhere in public though.
If you use the gun on a private property or in the fields you can remove the tip and markings, however if you get caught somewhere in public while carrying it there might be complaints.
The conclusion is that it would be a good advice that you reattach it when transporting it if possible, or improvise with some orange tape but if it is not possible, just keep it in a bag without displaying it.