Are Paintball Markers consider lethal weapons?

[swat150]

I was talking to my mom and she is on probation. Her probation officer said that I had to go buy a safe because a paintball MARKER is a lethal weapon. I think she is wrong. If its a leathal weapon then why can you conseal it? any ways what do you think. I need some good arguing points for the probation officer

[AutomagRT1483]

Maybe there is something in your state's statutes that considers a marker to be a leathal weapon. I couldn't see why, but they can cause blindness if your not wearing the proper protection.

Now that I think about it, there could be the possibility of death if it was used to shoot someone excessively in the head at a very very close range.

[vaypourus]

I work at a county park, and the rules specifically state that paintball markers are not allowed becuase they are a firearm.

Like everything else though, you are going to have to look into your state/county laws and see what they say. They can vary from area to area.

[A to the G-Dizzle]

The truth is a paintball gun can kill someone pretty easy if the person operating it has the intent to harm. I believe that and the fact that it can project an object at over 150 mph would be considered a lethal weapon.

[Army]

There are NO state or Federal statutes on paintball markers classified as "lethal weapons" or "Firearms. That would immediately put them under the firearms guidelines of the BATF....they are not.

Local legislation can, indeed, call them anything they want to, but that will not hold up in court because of no mandated federal control.

Does your county park allow baseball bats and kiddie pools? Those have killed more "children" than all civilian firearms statistics combined.


*EDIT* I did an extensive search for ANY Montana state law that considers paintball markers/guns/launchers/projectors.....and found exactly ZERO. Ask the PO to produce a copy of the law she quotes.

[Marek]

Originally posted by Army
There are NO state or Federal statutes on paintball markers classified as "lethal weapons" or "Firearms. That would immediately put them under the firearms guidelines of the BATF....they are not.

Local legislation can, indeed, call them anything they want to, but that will not hold up in court because of no mandated federal control.

Does your county park allow baseball bats and kiddie pools? Those have killed more "children" than all civilian firearms statistics combined.


*EDIT* I did an extensive search for ANY Montana state law that considers paintball markers/guns/launchers/projectors.....and found exactly ZERO. Ask the PO to produce a copy of the law she quotes.

Can someone say OWNED on the PO?

Anyway, I don't see why they would be considered lethal weapons. A bar of soap could be a lethal weapon, but you don't see ppl barring Dove. Oh well, its 6 in the morning and lack of sleep is never good.

[shartley]

[openboater]

Go buy a safe like the PO said.

or leave the marker at a friends house...ALWAYS!!

Is playing paintball really worth risking your Mom going to Jail ???????

[Recon by Fire]

Originally posted by Army
There are NO state or Federal statutes on paintball markers classified as "lethal weapons" or "Firearms. Local legislation can, indeed, call them anything they want to, but that will not hold up in court because of no mandated federal control.

I would techniclly have to disagree with Army here. The definition of a firearm in your respective state's penal code will determine if a paintball marker is a firearm. In any circumstance it could possible be considered a deadly weapon even if it is not classified a firearm. If a paintball marker fits the penal code description for a firearm, then you can expect any criminal charges derived from any incidents to stick.

In the Texas Penal Code however, a paintball marker is not classified as a firearm. Of course neither is an antique pistol!

[SIGSays]

dang dude... big words...

but yeah i don't think a paintball gun would do anything? how did the probation officer even know.. you shoulda kept it on the downlow... make the officer buy you a safe... i mean it's not like someone is gonna rob a bank with a paintball gun

[A to the G-Dizzle]

SIG is right. You shouldn't of said anything about it. That always seems to be the case when it comes to paintball markers.

As much as I wish I could say it wasn't so, Paintball guns can be lethal. Someone has died already and it was linked to a paintball hitting him in the head. He already had complications with his brain, and but nonetheless it killed him. When cases such as this one come about everyone will start questioning the true saftey of paintball.

Here in IL, You have to have your paintball marker concealed. If you get pulled over with the gun in plain view you can be prosecuted.

Shartley, your point would not hold up either. I would glady let you shoot me in the face with a nerf gun 10 times from 5 ft. away but if you tried that with a paintball gun and I didn't have a mask on I would be in a coffin. What I'm trying to say is that if a person has intent to hurt or kill someone, they could easily do so with a paintball marker.

I would be willing to bet the reason theres NOT a lot of deaths resulting from paintballs is because no one is actually going to spend their money on a paintball gun, tank, hopper, paintballs etc. when they can just go buy the real deal(9mm Pistol or whatever). Ontop of that, if someone was going around killing people with a paintball gun he would be looked at as one of the biggest pansies to walk this earth.

Oh well, It's just what I think.

[shartley]

Originally posted by A to the G-Dizzle
SIG is right. You shouldn't of said anything about it. That always seems to be the case when it comes to paintball markers.

As much as I wish I could say it wasn't so, Paintball guns can be lethal. Someone has died already and it was linked to a paintball hitting him in the head. He already had complications with his brain, and but nonetheless it killed him. When cases such as this one come about everyone will start questioning the true saftey of paintball.

Here in IL, You have to have your paintball marker concealed. If you get pulled over with the gun in plain view you can be prosecuted.

Shartley, your point would not hold up either. I would glady let you shoot me in the face with a nerf gun 10 times from 5 ft. away but if you tried that with a paintball gun and I didn't have a mask on I would be in a coffin. What I'm trying to say is that if a person has intent to hurt or kill someone, they could easily do so with a paintball marker.

I would be willing to bet the reason theres NOT a lot of deaths resulting from paintballs is because no one is actually going to spend their money on a paintball gun, tank, hopper, paintballs etc. when they can just go buy the real deal(9mm Pistol or whatever). Ontop of that, if someone was going around killing people with a paintball gun he would be looked at as one of the biggest pansies to walk this earth.

Oh well, It's just what I think.

[FalconGuy016]

In Fairfax County, a paintball gun is classified as a firearm.

[BobTheCow]

Damn anal Fairfax County... it's true!! It's illegal to fire a paintball gun anwhere (I am 99% sure) in Fairfax County.
Although this probably has nothing to do with you, it's worth thinking about to try and check out... but it looks as though there's already been quite a bit of checking out.

[A to the G-Dizzle]

Wow, obviously you don't like to be proved wrong. I said intent to kill. Not shoot in face one time. I'm not going into detail, and VERY rarely has this subject been brought up, but from playing the sport for as long as I have been, we've come along way. Nowadays, there are guns out there that can achieve 20+bps at each ball roughly going 150mph(250fps) or more and thats what my observation is based on. It sucks knowing your going to have to get bunker'd by that, let alone any case that could be worse. Nobody was over-reacting. Giving this day and age we live in, whenever something goes wrong people question it and make assumptions. It sucks, but its all part of society. I know the facts. The guy had brain problems. Its a sad story and bad for the paintball community. I'm not trying to make you mad so please try to unbundle your undies. I understand your point of view.