If you were faced with a real and a replica firearm, would you be able to spot the difference?
That’s what VicPD asked members of the media on Thursday, when they hosted a unique, hands-on event to highlight the similarities in real and replica firearms seized by Victoria Police officers.
As attendees, the event gave Victoria Buzz the opportunity to try and make the distinction between real and replica firearms in a safe, controlled environment—something officers may not have while in the line of duty.
Our reporter was asked to examine and handle series of firearms under the guidance of VicPD firearms expert, Const. Kale Howe. After a 15-minute opportunity with the firearms, we were asked to identify which were real and which were replicas—we ended up being 40% correct in our identification.
“Replica” firearms can include BB and pellet guns, or airsoft guns—some don’t even fire any projectiles at all—but they can certainly look like they do.
According to VicPD, officers seize an average of real and replica firearms at a rate of two per week in Victoria and Esquimalt—often, the guns are paired together, and officers must respond as though each weapon is indeed fully functional.
Between January 1st and December 31st last year, VicPD officers seized a total of 99 real and replica firearms—and 57% were real, functional firearms. That’s an average of four functional firearms each month—more than one per week.
“Our officers regularly discover both realistic replicas and functional firearms alongside each other on the same call. This means they have to make split-second, life or death decisions on how they respond to a person in possession of a potentially deadly weapon. More than half the time, that gun is real and often, they are loaded,” says VicPD Chief Del Manak.
