Im looking at upgrading my Garand to 400fps. Im removing the fire selector so it'll be single shot only. Will that be okay?
My answer was going to be:
I'm afraid not - removing the selector doesn't change the fact that it's an automatic gun. I'll expand on this if needs be but to be allowed to use the discretion of higher fps it must be bolt action or technically incapable of semi or automatic fire.
Is this OK?
Hmmm, not sure about semi-auto. Full auto yes, you start getting into the realms of section five.
Marushin Garands do WELL over 400fps with 8mm .36g bbs and they're semi-auto over 8 shots.
Come on Kermit - an M14 could still misfuction and fire on full auto I think?
Ah, his gun is a full-auto now? Sorry, thought it was only semi-auto. I think the fact that it is capable of full-auto, despite being temporarily disabled, would make it dodgy.
That's my understanding.
Also, as I recall, at Phoenix apart from bolt action guns the only other gun that was allowed anywhere near 500fps was the semi-auto PSG-1, and that was a grey area.
Do you want the full spiel on this, or the short version?
**edit**
ANYTHING above 1.35J - be it semi, bolt or full auto and you run into the precedent of "lethal barreled weapon" set by Moore Vs Gooderham in 1960.
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
OK, that's the theory but it's never been applied to an airsoft gun.
1.35J @ 0.2g is 381fps
Even if the selector is removed the M14 could still fire in automatic with a malfunction, which would be very nasty with an upgrated gun. Isn't there that electronic switch/controller thingy that makes it impossible to cycle more than once per trigger pull?
Soooo, since the question has been asked we need to reply. How can we pull all this together? A 'public' policy with a relaxed attitude actually on the field?
Easy.
"FPS limits are set by the site we are using"
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
Hmmm, so we ask F&O if a modded AEG can be used at 400fps?
I'd respond by saying that one should err on the side of caution and that one wouldn't want to become a test case with the potential of being looked after by Sgt Heide for 10 years......
It's too much of a grey area for people to take risks like that IMHO. Pkus it could bring the forum and the 'sport' into disrepute and make HM Gov look a little closer at what we do.