Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Hey All,
Can somebody explain this to me?
If I give my underage nephew a air rifle,am I guilty???

§ 18.2-284. Selling or giving toy firearms.

No person shall sell, barter, exchange, furnish, or dispose of by purchase, gift or in any other manner any toy gun, pistol, rifle or other toy firearm, if the same shall, by action of an explosion of a combustible material, discharge blank or ball charges. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. Each sale of any of the articles hereinbefore specified to any person shall constitute a separate offense.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the sale of what are commonly known as cap pistols.


Thanks,mikeb

(Code 1950, § 18.1-347; 1960, c. 348; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2003, c. 976.)

mikeb123 wrote:Hey All,
Can somebody explain this to me?
If I give my underage nephew a air rifle,am I guilty???

§ 18.2-284. Selling or giving toy firearms.

No person shall sell, barter, exchange, furnish, or dispose of by purchase, gift or in any other manner any toy gun, pistol, rifle or other toy firearm, if the same shall, by action of an explosion of a combustible material, discharge blank or ball charges. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. Each sale of any of the articles hereinbefore specified to any person shall constitute a separate offense.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the sale of what are commonly known as cap pistols.


Thanks,mikeb

(Code 1950, § 18.1-347; 1960, c. 348; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2003, c. 976.)

Does your air rifle function by means of the explosion of a combustible material? No? Then, what is the problem?

I remember the carbide cannons we made when we were kids with carbide stolen from construction places. A lot of fun. Don't give your nephew one of that.

tursiops wrote:

mikeb123 wrote:Hey All,
Can somebody explain this to me?
If I give my underage nephew a air rifle,am I guilty???

§ 18.2-284. Selling or giving toy firearms.

No person shall sell, barter, exchange, furnish, or dispose of by purchase, gift or in any other manner any toy gun, pistol, rifle or other toy firearm, if the same shall, by action of an explosion of a combustible material, discharge blank or ball charges. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. Each sale of any of the articles hereinbefore specified to any person shall constitute a separate offense.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the sale of what are commonly known as cap pistols.


Thanks,mikeb

(Code 1950, § 18.1-347; 1960, c. 348; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2003, c. 976.)

Does your air rifle function by means of the explosion of a combustible material? No? Then, what is the problem?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I agree that the intent was to not outlaw air rifles. But technically, AIR IS COMBUSTIBLE.
So, is the rapid release of compressed air an explosion? HMMMMMMMMM I could argue that one either way.

kelu wrote: I remember the carbide cannons we made when we were kids with carbide stolen from construction places. A lot of fun. Don't give your nephew one of that.

I had a carbide cannon as a kid; and, A long time ago, I managed to set my shooting stool on fire with a carbide lamp (the lamp was used to blacken our M14's sights).

I think potato guns would be a no-go too, but a standard air gun should be OK.

dorminWS wrote:

tursiops wrote:

mikeb123 wrote:Hey All,
Can somebody explain this to me?
If I give my underage nephew a air rifle,am I guilty???

§ 18.2-284. Selling or giving toy firearms.

No person shall sell, barter, exchange, furnish, or dispose of by purchase, gift or in any other manner any toy gun, pistol, rifle or other toy firearm, if the same shall, by action of an explosion of a combustible material, discharge blank or ball charges. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. Each sale of any of the articles hereinbefore specified to any person shall constitute a separate offense.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the sale of what are commonly known as cap pistols.


Thanks,mikeb

(Code 1950, § 18.1-347; 1960, c. 348; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2003, c. 976.)

Does your air rifle function by means of the explosion of a combustible material? No? Then, what is the problem?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I agree that the intent was to not outlaw air rifles. But technically, AIR IS COMBUSTIBLE.
So, is the rapid release of compressed air an explosion? HMMMMMMMMM I could argue that one either way.

Nah, air is not combustible. It supports combustion, but is not by itself capable of combining with oxygen.

WRW wrote:

Nah, air is not combustible. It supports combustion, but is not by itself capable of combining with oxygen.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Now that's really, REALLY technical.

dorminWS wrote:

WRW wrote:

Nah, air is not combustible. It supports combustion, but is not by itself capable of combining with oxygen.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Now that's really, REALLY technical.

LOL. It's what allows uncles to gift nephews a BB gun.

Air itself isn't combustible, its only fuel for the combustion. You need something like gas or black powder, or pure O2

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KingAroan wrote:Air itself isn't combustible, its only fuel for the combustion. You need something like gas or black powder, or pure O2

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Pure O2 isn't combustible either, nor is air fuel. Something has to burn, and the O2 or the O2 in the air simply supports that burning by providing the oxidizer. No O2, no burning. That's why you can flood an engine room on a ship with halon and the fire will go out...all the O2/air is replaced with something that does not support combustion.