I’ll put my hand up and confess to being one of the dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists, who initially had serious misgivings about the image presented by airguns that are styled to look like machineguns but I’ll also concede that there is another, very relevant, side to the story. Those who don’t want their children to get involved in shooting won’t buy a gun, whatever it looks like.”Ī new model from Crosman, the MTR 77, styled on an M16 machine gunīut there has been sustained criticism from inside and outside the shooting community, prompted by the undeniable fact that these guns look like military weapons, guns designed to be used in combat rather than for target or sporting shooting. “Parents don’t seem to mind what they look like – they don’t discriminate.
“Young people who are into computer games really like them – they think they look cool and futuristic,” he said. Daniel Lavene, owner of Crawley Surplus Store in West Sussex, says the eye-catching Crosman has been clocking up impressive sales over recent weeks. These airguns are certainly good for business.
Indeed, I saw dozens of youngsters queueing to see the Crosman MTR 77, an airgun styled on an M16 machine gun, at this year’s CLA Game Fair. Sat inside a plastic shell that looks more like standard-issue army hardware than a spring powered paper puncher, it’s easy to see how such an airgun could seduce teens whose recreational outlets don’t stretch far beyond playing Call of Duty on the Xbox. ‘Military’ or ‘tactical’ style airguns have won a huge following among young shooters over recent years. The problem is that what appeals to youngsters who’ve been raised on a diet of action films and video games doesn’t sit comfortably with everyone’s perception of what an entry level airgun should look like.
One approach that certainly seems to be working is the styling of guns to appeal specifically to the tastes of the younger generation. The subject of young people and guns is often tricky to broach especially when it comes to tempting new recruits into the sport. They provide the perfect introduction for aspiring shooters. More often than not, that initial foray into the world of shooting comes in the shape of an airgun inexpensive, quiet, relatively low powered and easy to handle. Tactical-style airguns may not be to everyone’s taste, but do they have an important role to play? Mat Manning considers the argument for these controversial gunsĬhristmas is looming large – far larger than most of us would care to acknowledge – and for many youngsters their cherished first gun might just feature among this year’s festive gifts.
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