Dallas PD avoids tragedy involving realistic toy pistols

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Recently the Dallas Police Department has avoided tragedy when responding
to "person with a gun" calls.

There have been recent incidents when officers have encountered people
carrying realistic shotguns/AR-15's/handguns which were actually toys and
not real weapons.

Wasn't there a law passed some years ago that said that realistic replicas
had to be all orange? The piece I saw on TV said that the replicas only had
to have a small orange area near the muzzle.

A 15 year old boy avoided getting shot while approached by Dallas PD officers.
He had an all black ported 1911 with no orange on it. He didn't put it down
immediately when lawfully ordered to do so, but the officers did not fire.

A store in the area where this happens sells many realistic looking handguns,
one of which was a Glock 17.

People with toy guns have been shot by police before. It's a very professional
LEO who can see a gun and not immediately engage the suspect with his own
service weapon.

[jmorris]

Just an inch or two at the muzzle is required to be orange. I suppose the idea was that since this is what would be pointing at you, you'd see that it's orange.

Sorry, but no one will get to that point if I can help it.

[dicion]

Actually, I believe the law states that they have to have Orange on them only to be legal to sell.

Once you own them, it is not required to be orange any more. Only if you plan to resell it does it need it again.

Airsofters do this all the time (remove/repaint the orange), because it makes the scenarios more realistic, and a bright orange tip on your weapon can TOTALLY blow your cover if you are trying to stay concealed.
Some manufacturers even sell their airsoft 'guns' with 2 different 'flash supressors'. One bright orange, and one not. The orange one is what comes on it at the time of purchase. I know my Tokyo Marui PS90 Came that way. That way, after you buy it, you just swap the flash hider, and viola, no more bright orange tip.

I can see the arguements on both sides. Yes, the orange sort of lets you know that its not real...

On the other hand, what's to stop a gang from grabbing a can of Orange Krylon and hitting all their REAL weapons with it in an effort to confuse police.

All the large scenario airsoft games I've seen have their airsoft weapons peace tied in 'non combatant' areas, and they are just as fanatical about safety & proper equipment as we are about real guns.

[Commander Cody]

Very good point Mr. dicion.

[dicion]

I just realized that I sort of posted that without a closing point... which is uncharacteristic of me

If someone points a realistic-looking gun at me on the street, orange tipped or not, I'm going to assume it's real and react in kind.

Obviously those 100% Clear guns are not 'realistic' looking, and I think they are the best way to show a gun is a toy and not real. Simply painting the tip of a barrel orange means absolutely nothing to me.

[Fangs]

I saw something like that a while back on youtube that happened in Grapevine I believe... There's some colorful language:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC6fsEyXlJ8