On Tuesday, June 17, at 3pm the North Carolina House will consider bill HB1250 called "AMEND DEFINITION OF DANGEROUS FIREARM."
This bill would make air rifles, air pistols and BB guns exempt from the definition of " Dangerous Firearms" for certain purposes in the following counties: Anson, Cleveland, Harnett, Stanley and Surry.
The "certain purposes" are not spelled out but, most other countries, including the Czech Republic, Croatia and Kuwait, define these guns as "dangerous firearms" and restrict their use to children 18 and older. Most restrict velocity and some restrict pellet size as well. New Jersey and Rhode Island define all non powder guns as firearms, which generally ensures that all non-powder guns are kept out of the hands of children (absent direct adult supervision), and that felons and other individuals prohibited from possessing firearms are similarly barred from possessing non-powder guns
The current NC law,
SECTION 1.
G.S.14-316 reads as rewritten:
7"§ 14-316. Permitting young children to use dangerous firearms.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly permit a child under the age of 12 years to have access to, or possession, custody or use in any manner whatever, of any gun, pistol or other dangerous firearm, whether such weapon be loaded or unloaded, unless the person has the permission of the child's parent or guardian, and the child is under the supervision of an adult. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have compiled national data on non-powder gun injuries which illustrate the inherent danger of these weapons. Between 2001 and 2011, non-powder guns injured 209,981 people nationwide, including 145,423 children age 19 or younger. In 2011 alone, 16,451 injuries – including 10,288 injuries to children age 19 and younger – resulted from the use of non-powder guns. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, BB guns and pellet rifles cause an average of four deaths per year.
In 2011 two North Carolina children were killed within a week of each other from injuries sustained from pellet guns. And a 7 year-old was charged with two felonies for shooting at passing cars with a BB gun in 2013.
Because non-powder guns are designed to discharge projectiles, often at high speeds and with significant force, they should not be confused with toy guns. Both non-powder and toy guns, however, are often designed to appear almost indistinguishable from actual firearms, and may be mistaken for firearms by law enforcement or others. According to a New York Times investigation, "In recent years, dozens of police officers in Texas, California, Maryland, Florida and elsewhere have shot children and adults armed with what they believed were handguns but that were determined later to be BB guns or other types of air pistols."
Kids injured and killed with Airsoft pellet guns-
1-year-old Georgia toddler
15 year-old Pennsylvania boy
5 year-old Kansas boy
10 year-old California boy
9 year-old Alaska boy
10 year-old Michigan girl
12 year-old New York boy
7 year-old West Virginia boy
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics -
The range of muzzle velocities for non powder guns overlaps velocities reached by traditional firearms.
Non powder guns pose a serious risk of injury, permanent disability, and even death.
Non powder guns (BB guns, pellet guns, air rifles, paintball guns) are weapons and should never be characterized as toys.
Contact your representative in the House and urge them to strengthen this law, not weaken it! Children are children. It does not matter if they live in rural or urban areas, they still need adult supervision for certain activities. Certainly use of firearms is one of those activities!
NCGV
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