Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BALTIMORE, Maryland — For many people, owning a BB or pellet gun is a treasured rite of passage. They provide children the opportunity to learn safe gun handling techniques and to practice marksmanship.
However, BB guns, airsoft guns and other replicas have also been tied to tragedy, because they often resemble actual firearms. There have been multiple incidents in Utah, including cases in 2011 and 2015.
In Maryland, lawmakers have proposed a bill that would ban the possession of air rifles, as well as many toy guns. Essentially, the new law would require all toy or air guns to be brightly colored, have a closed barrel or have obvious markings from the manufacturer that would distinguish it from a real firearm.
Notably, the bill contains no “grandfather clause.” This means that if the laws were to pass, it’s likely that many Maryland residents who already own BB guns, pellet guns and airsoft guns would be in violation.
Several gun advocacy groups have criticized the legislation, with the National Rifle Association dubbing it “poorly drafted and short-sighted.”
So what is your take? Do tighter gun laws like these make us safer? Or is this proposal an invasion of personal rights? Take our poll below.
- - - - - -Grant Olsen joined the KSL.com contributor team in 2012. He covers outdoor adventures, travel, product reviews and other interesting things. He is also the author of the book "Rhino Trouble." You can contact him at grantorrin@gmail.com.
