Backyard airsoft

[al3xd4gr34t]

I don't know where this should go so I'll put it in boot camp.


What are your opinions on backyard airsoft?

Safe? Dangerous?
Fun? Stupid?


Let's hear it.:D

[itsahak]

Depends on your back yard. Strategic Airsoft lives in a very rural area where very few cars pass by. However my house is 2nd on a corner so is in full view of about a dozen houses at any given moment or condition. It is never smart to play where you will be seen. I don't care how many of your neighbors "know what it is" it only takes one passerby that doesn't.
Please don't play in public view area, wether its your own backyard or not! It will not only give the rest of us a bad rep/name, it is dangerous! I almost shot a kid back in 1996 that was playing Laser Tag at 3 in the morining. And believe me, it looked real enough to me and those things aren't even close to what an airsoft replica looks like! My advice, find some woods somewhere, a building, whatever, but just get permission and promote safe airsoft play!

[al3xd4gr34t]

In order to save gas, my friends and I walk to a small field about 20 minutes from my house. We found out that the field is part of a park, but nothing is built there and its just a small pond with trees lining the far side of the field. This IS a public place, owned by the city, but we have permission by local authority to play there, and we actually have asked the police that are stationed there (there are lots of fights at the near-by park) to supervise us, incase a local resident sees us.


Exceptable or not?

[TheMajor]

In order to save gas, my friends and I walk to a small field about 20 minutes from my house. We found out that the field is part of a park, but nothing is built there and its just a small pond with trees lining the far side of the field. This IS a public place, owned by the city, but we have permission by local authority to play there, and we actually have asked the police that are stationed there (there are lots of fights at the near-by park) to supervise us, incase a local resident sees us.


Exceptable or not?
Good thinking and very responsible.

[itsahak]

PM me with your email address. I'll send you something that might help.

[Brazzle88]

and we actually have asked the police that are stationed there (there are lots of fights at the near-by park) to supervise us, incase a local resident sees us.

HIGH 5 TO YOU!!!!

[jawinn]

To me it sounds like you are good to go. I'm sure that having local law enforcement in the loop for your games is a bonus. Before taking any of my advice anyone would be wise to check with local law enforcement before playing backyard Airsoft. There are way too many kids getting shot and arrested over Airsoft. If you get careless you will only get yourself in a heap of trouble and further smear our sport's name.

Some of my advice for backyard games would be never play out in the open, in public. This is just inviting trouble. Columbine isn't that far behind us and people will probably get nervous if they see several kids running around with VERY real looking guns.

If you are fortunate to live in a subdivision that has large lots (say over an acre) and heavy woods you're probably ok. If you live in a neighborhood like me, small and full of townhouses; backyard Airsoft is probably a bad idea.

If you know your neighbors well I'd keep them in the know. If you are on good terms with them let them know what you are doing. That should hopefully avoid a frantic 911 call, that gets the police involved. I'm sure things only go downhill from there.

If you aren't on good terms with your neighbors you should probably NOT play in the backyard. Airsoft is a perfect opportunity for “un-cool” neighbors to get the local kids in trouble.

Lastly, if you can't play at all in your backyard and you need to get your Airsoft fix, try talking to the local paintball field. There is usually one paintball field within driving distance from most people. More and more paintball fields are running Airsoft games once a month at least. You might be able to talk to the owner and convince them that their retarded sport is dying and that Airsoft is the future. :)

One more thing; never, ever take the orange tip off of your gun when playing backyard Airsoft. That may save your life if the police get called.

[Rob]

Great set of answers!

I'll add only one thing.
Wear proper eye protection! Make sure it is full seal airsoft approved.

[al3xd4gr34t]

Great set of answers!

I'll add only one thing.
Wear proper eye protection! Make sure it is full seal airsoft approved.

We usually don't let anyone play with us unless they have a paintball mask or full-seal goggles. Common sense. I, in fact, like my eyes.:D

[joker, the frickin ninja]

I think that generally playing in public is pretty stupid in urban areas. Even if you have permission, whos to say someone wont call the cops and ruin an entire Saturday or even weekend.

[steelblueskies]

used to meet with a small group for sca martial practice with plate mail or heavy padded chain and leather, mostly with padded pvc swords etc.. but then there's the fellow or two who decide to play pikemen.. if a cop can be okay with a guy wearing a suit of armor he probably can't penetrate with his sidearm whipping a wooden pole twice his height in length around and actually jabbing or whacking other possibly less armored humans with it in a public park just because he has been given advance notice ... well somehow even a weapon that can blind at range doesn't seem so bad. the big key seems to just be some precautions and group organization and most importantly giving them as much advance notice as possible, hopefully also making sure to call and confirm the day of the event.

by that point even complaint or worry calls usually don't even reach your ears unless their numbers become excessive enough to become a real nuisance to the departments operators.

another idea that seems to work in your favor with regards to any potentially hazardous gaming or sporting anywhere near possibly uninformed observers is to spread a little information in the area you may be seen with them.

if you may play in the neighborhood, tastefully written and well thought out informational notes, letters or flyers to the neighborhood can help, although admittedly sometimes they can cause more difficulties then they are worth.

your biggest worry is usually not the police, especially if they have been given notice and approved - it's the risk of a civilian individual thinking he's being the hero who has no idea the knife gun or club he's wielding at you is a few times more deadly then the weapon he thinks YOU have.
only way to fix that is by letting people know..

sigh .002 take it or leave it.
peace ;)

[berkelsk]

I don't think that those two situations quite equate to each other. People in public in armor with padded PVC pipe look like... well people in armor with padded PVC pipe. People who are playing airsoft have realisitic looking weapons, based on weapons that exist in the world and wouldn't be so far fetched for someone to get. A PVC pipe won't kill a police officer unless something kinda extreme happens, the chances of a gun killing a police officer are much higher.

Letting the police know is always a good idea, and I've had no problem with doing it in the past. And yes its good to let people around where you do it what is going on. BUT do not assume after those precautions are in place that nothing could happen. It only takes one person taking a walk to a place they have never been, or getting lost in a neighbor hood to make your day go down hill real fast, even if the police have been informed. They may know that there are people in that area with replica weapons playing a game, but what if that isn't the same group of people? What if the people this person has just reported actually have weapons?

Just be smart, don't play in public, and don't wave your weapon around where people can see.

[mr7q]

If you want to play combat games in the back yard, get Nerf guns.

[itsahak]

used to meet with a small group for sca martial practice with plate mail or heavy padded chain and leather, mostly with padded pvc swords etc.. but then there's the fellow or two who decide to play pikemen.. if a cop can be okay with a guy wearing a suit of armor he probably can't penetrate with his sidearm whipping a wooden pole twice his height in length around and actually jabbing or whacking other possibly less armored humans with it in a public park just because he has been given advance notice ... well somehow even a weapon that can blind at range doesn't seem so bad. the big key seems to just be some precautions and group organization and most importantly giving them as much advance notice as possible, hopefully also making sure to call and confirm the day of the event.



I appreciate your input, but I find your logic flawed. One of my best friends is part of the SCA, Lord Charles Raven. He and his group practice in a local park, and I have even had them at my MMA school to demo for out Black Belt Extravaganza. I know what the SCA practice looks like. I know what an airsoft skirmish looks like. The general public knows that these "crazy" guys are whackin' each other with big sticks. The general public sees "terrorist actions" when they see airsoft played in public. And that's no slam on the SCA guys, because I've seen and felt the pounding those guys take! You have to have balls to jump in that fray! And for the record, Lord Raven and his group have had the local PD called on them before. But a LEO approaching a group dressed in midevil armor has a much different reaction than one that approaches a group dressed in camo carrying the "dreaded assault rifles". Believe me, its two different things!

[LoneWolf]

I am fortunate enough to be able to play at 4 diffrent places. my 8 acres + 15 acres of woods behind my house that includes field area and a big pond. My friends house wich is all woods and no field and its about 10 acres. and another friend who has at least 40 acres of field and woods and even a jungleish atmosphere during the summer wich I find insane espicaly in oklahoma. And also the place were about 12 to 30 people get togheter and play wich is about 20 to 40 acres of field canyons, woods, and gullys..But playing in public is not a good idea simple fact any one can freak out. And no telling what could happen.

[mrkrinkle]

We used to always play in my backyard. Now all of us are getting higher powered guns and we need a lot more privacy. We usually just head back deep in the woods and play or just head up to my cousins house where his backyard connects with the woods.

[itsahak]

But you still have to have permission to play in "deep woods". Make sure you know where your cousins property line ends and ensure that you have permission to use anything past it. There is no "unowned land" and to play on it without permission is considered trespassing. Caution is paramount.

[VA S.T.A.R]

But you still have to have permission to play in "deep woods". Make sure you know where your cousins property line ends and ensure that you have permission to use anything past it. There is no "unowned land" and to play on it without permission is considered trespassing. Caution is paramount.

Its always safety and where you are playing comes first. I now play in secluded property and its just acres of pure forest and trees. Technically know body owns it, so we just play there. Its not near any types of roads or buildings

I agree with everything Itsahak says

[itsahak]

Technically know body owns it, so we just play there.

You should check with the City/County Registrars Office. Someone owns it because someone has to pay taxes on it. Or its in Recievership or Foreclosure and someone still holds sway over it. Better safe than sorry.

[VA S.T.A.R]

You should check with the City/County Registrars Office. Someone owns it because someone has to pay taxes on it. Or its in Recievership or Foreclosure and someone still holds sway over it. Better safe than sorry.


True but i HIGHLY doubt anyone owns it... its just like a random forest in the middle of no where...

Ill see what i can do, i hope know body pays for it :rolleyes:

[itsahak]

I would highly suggest it. There is no unowned property in our great country. If it's not privately owned, its in the hands of the City/County or State, or it's Federal land. Try building a house on it and see how fast someone pops up.

[vivid]

Backyard airsoft is fun but my backyard is a little small so not fun. It is not dangerous to me but dangerous to people around me. One time i shot with my shotgun, bb went up and hit a girl in her backyard.

[fubsy]

I would highly suggest it. There is no unowned property in our great country. If it's not privately owned, its in the hands of the City/County or State, or it's Federal land. Try building a house on it and see how fast someone pops up.

Itsahak is right! Someone owns the land it's just a matter of finding out who it is. I would suggest calling a Realtor in your area or contacting your local Title company. If you want to do the work yourself, you could go to the city/county recorders office, but they'll probably need very specific information as to the location (lot, block, unit, section, etc.). If it's adjacent to your cousin's backyard, then they should be able to locate it just by using your cousin's address as a starting point. They may even have maps available to help you find it as well. They could then determine which book it's recorded in. From there they could probably tell you the owner information.

Hope this helps. :)

[SNIPER]

I play on about 8 acres of land that is about 15 miles out of town. the other location I play at is 1 mile out of town. Since were in texas when were out of town the Police can not do anything about us or our guns.

[itsahak]

So there are no Sheriff's that patrol the county's in Texas? I doubt that...There is always some part of LE that is responsible for an area.

[Rob]

So there are no Sheriff's that patrol the county's in Texas? I doubt that...There is always some part of LE that is responsible for an area.


and most likely, from the sounds of it, they will find this out the hard way soon enough.

[Kilo11]

I play on about 8 acres of land that is about 15 miles out of town. the other location I play at is 1 mile out of town. Since were in texas when were out of town the Police can not do anything about us or our guns.

In Arizona a police officer is still a police officer even outside of his agencys limits, they are still a sworn police officer, in fact i know a guy that used to write tickets in the phoenix metro area, and he worked 60 miles away. so if they wanted to or if their was a possible threat, they could leave town limits my advice if your going to go that route, call talk to a sgt, or a chief or someone, tell them what your doing, when your doing it, what you and your friends look like and how long you'll be out their, a good 9 times out of 10, they like knowing when someones going to be running around with airsoft replicas.

[SNIPER]

When we play airsoft at the fields we call the neigbers. in fact at on of the fields there is an officer that lives two houses down. one time we were playing and we scared a guy. I was playing at my Granparents house for the first time. The septic guy came out and checked the septic systeme. We ran by him and then the other team came by him he just sat there and watched for a while. but we do take some care. we do not call the police because we to far out side of town and in Texas they can do nothing. if they do we report it to the shariff.

[winwardairsoft]

the best place to play is where your neighboors dont kare and at the end of you r street and were we play the people who come down dont kare wether the airsoft guns we had were airsoft or real ones

[berkelsk]

I don't think that you truely read ANY of what was posted before you.

It DOES NOT matter whether your neighbors care or not. It DOES matter whether some random person comes by and sees you with what appears to be a weapon.

In the second case the Police can and will be called and that is a situation that you DO NOT want to be in. Please play responsibily.

[[VAF]PlasticMag]

This whole thread makes my brain hurt.

[boonie]

PlasticMag;27171']This whole thread makes my brain hurt.

i hear ya, i couldnt even read all of it.
anyways, dont go around shooting people. just bang on their fence with sticks, whatsamatta with you kids.

[Wheaton_Knight]

Great set of answers!

I'll add only one thing.
Wear proper eye protection! Make sure it is full seal airsoft approved.

are eyeshields made of mesh tough and strong too?

and i'd also like to add something :)
bb's might go into the ears, too(even if the probability is low)!

[latinsoldierb]

To me it sounds like you are good to go. I'm sure that having local law enforcement in the loop for your games is a bonus. Before taking any of my advice anyone would be wise to check with local law enforcement before playing backyard Airsoft. There are way too many kids getting shot and arrested over Airsoft. If you get careless you will only get yourself in a heap of trouble and further smear our sport's name.

Some of my advice for backyard games would be never play out in the open, in public. This is just inviting trouble. Columbine isn't that far behind us and people will probably get nervous if they see several kids running around with VERY real looking guns.

If you are fortunate to live in a subdivision that has large lots (say over an acre) and heavy woods you're probably ok. If you live in a neighborhood like me, small and full of townhouses; backyard Airsoft is probably a bad idea.

If you know your neighbors well I'd keep them in the know. If you are on good terms with them let them know what you are doing. That should hopefully avoid a frantic 911 call, that gets the police involved. I'm sure things only go downhill from there.

If you aren't on good terms with your neighbors you should probably NOT play in the backyard. Airsoft is a perfect opportunity for “un-cool” neighbors to get the local kids in trouble.

Lastly, if you can't play at all in your backyard and you need to get your Airsoft fix, try talking to the local paintball field. There is usually one paintball field within driving distance from most people. More and more paintball fields are running Airsoft games once a month at least. You might be able to talk to the owner and convince them that their retarded sport is dying and that Airsoft is the future. :)

One more thing; never, ever take the orange tip off of your gun when playing backyard Airsoft. That may save your life if the police get called.


he's totally, you may wanna do that first cause i got my share of being caught by the cops, and 2 tell u the truth it wasn't fun =(. Also backyard battles are great if you can't go 2 fields. GOOD LUCK

[Twister026]

he's totally, you may wanna do that first cause i got my share of being caught by the cops, and 2 tell u the truth it wasn't fun =(. Also backyard battles are great if you can't go 2 fields. GOOD LUCK Well LatinSoldierB, You were playing in a Public Park when others weren't aware that you were playing airsoft. And I do tell you that the park is wide open and there is a huge road full of cars passing by each second. dont play in places that are wide open and when there are people in the area who are not aware, regardless of who they are. Just 1 phone call and the Police will be there :rolleyes:

[VA S.T.A.R]

Well LatinSoldierB, You were playing in a Public Park when others weren't aware that you were playing airsoft. And I do tell you that the park is wide open and there is a huge road full of cars passing by each second. dont play in places that are wide open and when there are people in the area who are not aware, regardless of who they are. Just 1 phone call and the Police will be there :rolleyes:

Geez...I thought i would leave the past and hope all of you delete what you just said...;)

[Ben]

well i know my backyard is great:) its not a backyard at all its forest! its rox and i have a platform in the trees for snipers though they will need a sheild:( and i have another sniper platform with a zip line on it not high enough to kill you if you fall though!:cool: and i have a cornfield for snipers and a fort made out of tin roofing post pics soon:)

[itsahak]

Than what you're doing doesn't qualify as "backyard airsoft". And this thread is old.

[Ben]

i don't have that problem at my house my backyard is a forest and to get to our house you have to drive across a bridge then but a hill so i don't have the problem of people passing by

[Ben]

hmm yea i guess your right this thread is old sorry

[Maverick]

Im foutunate enough to live in a subdivision that has a heavily wooded area that is more then a few acres that is surounded by relativly steep hills, which helps with the "avoiding hitting homes" issue that frightens me most...