I had a client before who had an Airsoft gun with the orange tip. He wanted to look cool, so he spray painted the tip black, and carried it throughout the neighborhood. His mother and grandmother were unaware that he'd painted it and was carrying it around. He came to the home breathless one day, and stated that he'd been followed by a car throughout the neighborhood, and that he thought the people in the car were Bloods. During the questioning period that followed his arrival, he finally divulged (and his brother backed up) that he'd been carrying the 'gun' and wearing a red bandanna. He said he just wanted to look cool, and wanted people to think he was a Blood, but he got scared when the real deal showed up to see who was playing at being one of them.
Kids are kids. They often do very stupid things. What he did was extremely stupid, and he's lucky to be alive. I think if someone is going to have a toy or replica gun, it needs to be kept at home, or in a case. If someone goes around waving what looks like a real gun, that person is asking to at least be questioned by the police. The client had no problem spray painting the Airsoft tip to match the rest of the gun. If someone buys one of the replica guns mentioned, s/he will be just as capable of disguising it, if that is his or her intent. I don't think it's right to tie the hands of the police, expecting them to take the extra time to decide whether or not the 'gun' is the right color, looks like a replica, etc., when most armed citizens, when presented with the same scenario, would shoot.
