What is the orange tip in airsoft?
The orange tip is a small plastic cap (covering the airsoft gun muzzle) which must be placed on the end of an airsoft replica/replica weapon before it can be purchased. The purpose of the orange tip is to distinguish airsoft guns from real firearms.
Airsoft guns are made to look like real guns, but airsoft guns cannot be mistaken for real firearms because they are marked with an orange tip that is permanently attached to the barrel (it cannot be removed).
All airsoft guns sold in the United States must have orange tips, which can be clearly seen by the person standing on the other side of the road or a room. This helps reduce and prevent airsoft guns from being mistaken for real ones.
Airsofters must ensure that their airsoft guns do not remove or alter this vital safety feature. Some airsoft guns sold in Canada may not have an orange tip. These airsoft replicas are marked with blaze color on the muzzle or blaze orange safety device at the rear.
The orange tip has 2 parts:
- The plastic cap with a metal ring inside which makes it hollow. The airsoft pellets come out through this small opening at the bottom of the orange tip when you shoot an airsoft gun.
- The orange plastic cover that covers the metal ring and helps protect it from damage. You can easily remove this second part of the plastic cap with your fingernail by pulling it gently upwards.
How to remove the orange tip from an airsoft gun?
The orange tip can be removed with a sharp blade or any object with an edge that will cut off the plastic cap, but this should only be done in case of emergency or if you are trying to fix your airsoft gun.
Keep in mind that removing the orange tip from the airsoft gun will remove its safety feature. The replica could be mistaken for a real weapon and can consequently cause harm to other people – even if it was an accident.
The airsoft gun owner may want to remove it if he/she wants to make his/her airsoft replica look more like a real gun, but there are other ways to achieve this. Airsofters can purchase lights and lasers for airsoft guns to make them more realistic. They can also use the same color paint on the outer barrel of an airsoft gun to match with the main body.
It is therefore important not to remove the orange tip for airsoft replicas, especially ones that are designed like the Colt M4 rifle or AK47 pistol, since they can easily be mistaken for a real weapon.
What if there is no orange tip? The airsoft replica looks like a real gun.
If the airsoft gun manufacturer, distributor, or retailer fails to place an orange tip on the muzzle of the airsoft firearm replica/replica weapon, then this will be considered as being sold in violation of the law.
An airsoft gun without an orange tip should not be sold or transferred to the consumer. The airsoft gun owner must return or exchange it back to the manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or person who provided it for a refund.
What if there is no metal ring inside my airsoft gun?
In some cases, due to production error or defect, the airsoft gun might not have the metal ring inside. Due to the absence of this ring, you cannot fire the replica, and you should return it to the store immediately for a refund or exchange.
It is very dangerous to shoot an airsoft gun without its metal muzzle as it can cause severe injury when shot at close range.
Conclusion:
Airsoft gun owners should be careful in handling their airsoft guns to ensure that others don’t mistake them for real ones. In common situations, airsofters must never remove the orange tip from an airsoft gun because it will violate federal law.
If you need to remove an airsoft gun’s orange tip for some reason, do so in emergency situations only, or if you are trying to fix your airsoft gun and planning on attaching the orange tip back on the airsoft gun.
Airsofters can, however, modify their airsoft guns so they look like the real ones. They can install lights and lasers to make their airsoft guns more realistic, and experimenting with different color paint.
