I’ve had several questions about BB guns, pellet guns, and airsoft guns, and whether certain criminal offenses can be predicated on the use or possession of such weapons. I’ll try to answer them in this far-too-long post. First, some terminology. Generally, a BB gun is an air-powered gun designed to shoot round, metal .177 caliber projectiles. BB guns may be powered by an air cartridge or by air that is compressed by pump or lever action. Typical muzzle velocities are below 500 feet per second. Many guns that shoot BBs can also shoot .177 caliber pellets, non-spherical projectiles usually made of lead. (The lack of a bright line between BB guns and pellet guns is a point that will become relevant later.) Some air guns are designed to shoot only pellets, not BBs; these are often higher-end, and often higher-powered, competition and varmint hunting weapons, some with muzzle velocities up to 900 feet per second. Although less common, there are even some pellet guns with calibers larger than .177, such as .20 and .22. Again, these tend to be higher-end products. Airsoft guns are spring- or air-powered guns designed to fire round plastic projectiles, usually at muzzle velocities of approximately 300 feet per second. These guns are sometimes used by military and police forces for training purposes. Many of them are designed to replicate the appearance of genuine firearms. Broadly speaking, pellet guns are the most dangerous air guns, followed by BB guns (some of which can also shoot pellets), and [...]
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