Replica firearms such as airsoft pistols and rifles have been something the anti-gun side wants to regulate and wants to regulate badly. The fact that most of them have no appreciation for anything that fires a projectile, including BB and pellet guns, probably plays a factor.

And once again, the media is playing good little ally and pushing a narrative.

The problem is that this particular narrative is that these replica guns are somehow the reason people are dying.

In 2023, more than 12 million BB and pellet guns were bought in the United States. Many have roughly the same weight, markings and finishes as real guns. But these look-alike replica guns aren't federally required to have any clear indicators that they don't shoot bullets. In most states they are available for adults to purchase without background checks or restrictions.

Despite not being classified as lethal weapons, having one has gotten people killed.

Just this year, 12 people have been shot and killed by police while in possession of a replica gun. Three of them were under the age of 18. Since 2014, at least 320 people have been shot and killed by police while holding replica guns, according to a Washington Post database and CBS News review of incidents. Nineteen of those victims were minors.

As more of these guns get into peoples' hands each year, police, lawmakers and activists are struggling to find ways to keep them safe

Oh no. Innocent people are being killed because the police don't realize they're really unarmed.

That's terrible.

Or it would be if that's what was happening.

Let's look at a few of the cases that this story opted to highlight for a moment.

Already this year that's proven to be true.

On April 26, 17-year-old Brandon Salgado was killed by police in Long Beach, California while he was allegedly committing a home robbery. He was armed with a replica gun.

On May 1, 14-year-old Damian Scott Cadena Haglun brought what looked like a long gun to his middle school in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin and was killed by police outside the building. It was a pellet rifle.

On June 28, 13-year-old Nyah Mway was stopped by police in Utica, New York because they said he fit the description of a robbery suspect. Police said the boy tried to run away and pulled what looked like a handgun out of his pocket. He was shot and killed by police. He had a Umarex Glock BB gun.

The 14-year-old actually pointed the pellet gun at police when he was shot, and that's very relevant here. The 13-year-old also reportedly pointed a gun at police. Salgado had already threatened three people before police arrived.

One would assume that they chose three stories that would highlight the issue, but all three cases involve someone pointing one of these replica guns at others, threatening them.

No one is going to take the time to measure the diameter of the barrel in a case like that.

Of course, the crusaders want to make these guns look more like toys. The problem I have with that is that their evidence that such a law is needed are people being killed by police...while threatening others.

It's just another way they want to punish the law-abiding for the actions of criminals. 

Making airsoft guns and other pellet or BB guns be colored like toy guns are causes problems because airsoft guns are used in MilSim games, which is short for military simulations. Those color schemes will either prompt people to paint the guns or kill the hobby as a whole.

But if people can paint the guns, doesn't that just mean people like the three above would do the same?

I'm sorry, but if this is the best they can muster, I don't see any reason for anyone to do anything.