Paintball guns for KIDS!!!!!

[rob_evanson]

Have you seen the new paintball guns on sale in places like Argos and Index. They are plastic, built like super soaker water guns, but instead they are pump action 10 round paintball guns for kids, which come with plastic saftey glasses like the ones you used to wear in chemistry at school.

Now this can go two ways in my opinion:

1. Things will be ok, there will be no accidents, kids will have fun and some might take up the more adult version of paintball when they grow up!

OR

2. Things will go very, very bad. The little kids will forget to put on their saftey glasses a go around pummeling each other and roaming the streets looking for other kids to take out, or shooting at poor little fluffy from next door. When they get older they will indulge in the art of drive by shootings with paintball markers.At the end of the day it will be paintball as a whole who will get bad mouthed and all the good work that the various entities have done to promote how safe it really is, will be undone.

I might be getting a little paranoid here, but my point I feel could be a very good one, what does anyone else think? I don't know if they have anything like this in the US, you probably do, you always get things about two years before the UK do..like Honey Nut Loops and Cheereos.

 

[Jones the Paint Magnet]

Not the brightest idea in the world, is it?

I think I've seen these on e-bay and a catalogue somewhere. Basically, it seems to be angling the paintball market towards toys, which is a dangerous attitude to have towards a marker, no matter what velocity it shoots at.

Perhaps someone should do some tests on these things to see what fps they can shoot or spike at (I'm assuming these plastic P.O.S's don't have velocity adjusters), and how "safe" the goggles are. A "Potential Disaster and Expensive Damages Case" presented to the manufacturer may make them buck up their ideas.

 

[Collier]

Originally posted by Jones the Paint Magnet
Not the brightest idea in the world, is it?

I think I've seen these on e-bay and a catalogue somewhere. Basically, it seems to be angling the paintball market towards toys, which is a dangerous attitude to have towards a marker, no matter what velocity it shoots at.

Perhaps someone should do some tests on these things to see what fps they can shoot or spike at (I'm assuming these plastic P.O.S's don't have velocity adjusters), and how "safe" the goggles are. A "Potential Disaster and Expensive Damages Case" presented to the manufacturer may make them buck up their ideas.

Do you guys really think that the manufacturer won't of tested these things exstensivley? especially if Argos is selling them, they have a name to protect and aren't going to stock somthing that has not been suitibly tested.
As for using without googles/protective eyewear surely this is something for the parents to decide, i.e. decide if their son/daughter is mature enough to use the 'toy' responsibly and safely.

Paul

 

[Jones the Paint Magnet]

What, a manufacturer deciding to cash in on a "craze" without a full understanding of the safety margins, or the effect their equipment might have on an established sport (using better designed and produced stuff)?

Call me a cynic, but hell yes, they would. Basically until someone tells them to stop, or they stop making money on it.

The packaging that I've seen for these seems to angle them as a "toy" - fun for your garden, that sort of thing. I'm sure there's a recommendation of age ranges, etc, but I think this sort of product is far more likely to fall into the hands of kids or people who are likely to abuse it or injure themselves, either through malice or not knowing any better.

As for build quality, even respected manufacturers have product recalls from time to time (JT among them, and they've been making masks as long as I've been playing). These things resemble the plastic BE markers, and you can see for yourself on reviews how muchgcare and attention has gone into those!

Argos don't extensively test all their products either, (although it would be a good idea if all retailers did). I was in there two months ago and there were two recall notices for products which had reports of causing injuries, either through design flaws or accidental misuse.

 

[jeevusmaximus]

I am not sure if they are the same thing but Sparklie uses them on her site for the kiddies. They wear the site masks like everyone else and the balls are really small. They hardly ever burst aswell because the velocity is so slow!
In my opinion, maybe some stronger goggles should be sold with them but I think they are ok for now.

 

[Jones the Paint Magnet]

Well there you have no problem:

Young kids
Basic guns
Good goggles
Expert supervision (never been to Sparklies, but everyone sings her praises).

Remove the last two factors, and I think you have what Rob and I are concerned about!

I'm sure most would use them sensibly, and parents would supervise properly (still like to see the gogs tested properly, though).

But I was on a bus a couple of weeks ago that got attacked by three kids throwing eggs at it for no good reason. (I'm sure their parents wouldn't have approved, but something had obviously gone awry in the "lets teach our offspring social values" skills).

The mentality behind that is the same one that that would misuse a marker, and we all saw how the press jumped on a paintball connection when that poor guy died in California.

I don't think there's any way of controlling sales of these (at least not without dire complications for the oddles of kids who want to be paintballers, not hoodlums or eye casualties), but wouldn't it be a good idea to keep the younger players in supervised, safe sites like Sparklies?

 

[SPARKLIE CHICK]

Dam my secrets out!!!

Tee Hee way behind the times lads we have had them for a year now they are BSI tested for 8 year olds but thats for firing at targets.

You think your paint is expencive just check out what they are expected to pay for refills £7.00 some thing for 80 balls that will put them off if nothing else lol

They fire at 5 joules I have only ever noticed getting hit by one once and went into deep shock.

Before any one flames my arse the kids in question are fully supervised and breifed and even know about being nutral players they are also told that if they then buy them only to use targets and not each other. When with me they are fully kitted up full camo battle pack and individually checked and fitted goggles. They are playing to the rules and are experiencing at a safe level enrty into our beloved sport. The mums love it the marshalls hate it. I have a strict agrement with them and take my turn. I really don't mind to be honest lol

At the end they have a completly supervised go with a standard site spyder at 280 and boy you should see their faces they love it but are 100% happy they are shooting at targets not them selfs.

Its a safe way to teach them tactics and about goggle saftey. Last years kids are already moving up the paintball ladder we have another level for them before they go full on standard junior.

I feel happier, the mums love it, the kids love it and its safe they are loads of vidios that have been taken doing the rounds of happy kids playing safe paintball and even more piccys.

Tom tom even found a poached piccy on Yahoo resently I am yet to collar them on that one.

You can only fire one shot with new improved pistol and up to 10 with the supa splat the worst damage possoble could be a brused eye.

Take it from me I still vividly remember fully goggled up bending over and saying do your worst cause next time I'll shoot you back (testing proccess! let the marshalls shot me in arse. Once only offer!) Yes I cringed then fell about laughing.

These things are safe but possibly would be better if they had info relating to real paintball for refrence of the keen that want to get into the sport. I will speack to manufactures and see what they say. It can't hurt.

I understand your worries but they don't hurt and yes the goggles leave some what to be desired but the new saftey directions are far better and like the old days there are these dam plasitc tube not to lose.

on the whole a good thing me thinks

Peace love and cookies

Sparklie

 

[Wookie]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

You're mad!

Wookie

 

[SPARKLIE CHICK]

Wookie

I said I would dance with you dose that qualify?

Its cool any one not sure check out he web site what did you think the really short people were doing. The fort might be big but it's not THAT big lol

 

[rob_evanson]

In this case it is down to correct parent supervision, if anything goes wrong it's their fault. In your case you know exactly what to do and say having a paintball background, which some parent's don't have the luxury of having. But the point has been made these things are harmless.

I just feel that they are making a lot of money off the back of a sport which is stuggling to get recognition with paintball toys which could be used in a negative way.

I remember watching a US police chase type show on TV and remember seeing one clip of some teenage kids who had video'd themselves shooting out of a car. They even stopped on a corner, beckon'd a lad on a bike over and shot him in the face point blank, they thought it was funny until the police caught them and the video with the evidence. I just hope they don't get hold of one of these toy guns, think hey these are great fun let's get a proper one and have some fun with it like on the show. I'm sure this would be a minority but I bet I could happen.