Prop Guns: Airsoft vs. 3D print?

irishrebel05

Active Member
Hey, all. I'm currently putting together a Joel (The Last of Us) cosplay, and I'm trying to find the most accurate prop guns possible. I was wondering if anyone had advice/opinions/preferences on whether it's better to use airsoft replicas or to try and get 3D printed models? I figure the latter option will A) give me better customization since I can paint/weather them myself and B) be less of a security problem at conventions, but I also know that 3D printing can get expensive. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
 
You may want to check with the rules at conventions. They may have many rules on bringing in airsoft weapons into conventions since they can fire projectiles, whereas a 3D printed prop can only hurt someone if thrown or used to hit someone. Still, the convention may restrict any sort of object that can be used as a weapon of any sort for insurance purposes. The rules here in Canada are pretty strict and even some large foam weapons or props are banned.

TazMan2000
 
You may want to check with the rules at conventions. They may have many rules on bringing in airsoft weapons into conventions since they can fire projectiles, whereas a 3D printed prop can only hurt someone if thrown or used to hit someone. Still, the convention may restrict any sort of object that can be used as a weapon of any sort for insurance purposes. The rules here in Canada are pretty strict and even some large foam weapons or props are banned.

TazMan2000

I've always wondered about that. Makes total sense. I prefer airsofts for display items because there's a wow factor when you can pull the trigger and see it in action.
 
A 3D-printed prop is far lighter than an airsoft weapon, which is an advantage if you're lugging it all day at a con. Personal experience :)

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Appreciate the input so far, guys! Seems like it could go either way, so we'll see what others say.

I've got a question for the airsoft folks. So the 9mm that Joel uses in the game is a Colt Defender. I've actually found an airsoft model, though it'd have to be repainted to be screen accurate. But, the airsoft gun doesn't have an orange tip; in fact, the barrel has a flat front that doesn't protrude past the slide. How would I go about making sure I meet any orange tip requirements? Would painting the barrel be sufficient, even though you can't really see it inside the slide, or are there removable orange tips I could buy that are easy enough to stick on a gun?
 
Are you located in ROI? If so there's a pretty strict limit on airsoft guns.

This from Wikipedia:

The status of airsoft in Ireland was changed after the 2006 Criminal Justice Act, which amended the previous Firearms Acts. Where once authorization or a license was required for all devices which fired a projectile from a barrel, the law now defines a firearm as (amongst other things):

an air gun (including an air rifle and air pistol) with a muzzle energy greater than one joule of kinetic energy or any other firearm incorporating a barrel from which any projectile can be discharged with such a muzzle energy


The aim of this change was to establish a classification of firearms in order to eliminate the legal oddity where toy suction cup dart guns and the like were legally classified as firearms, thus bringing Ireland into line with the rest of the EU. In this case, one joule was used as the limit, as opposed to seven joules in Germany, twelve foot-pounds force (16.2 J) in the UK and so on.

The one-joule limit most likely arose from UK case law[citation needed] where it was found that energies in excess of one joule were required to penetrate an eyeball (thus causing serious injury). As a result, airsoft devices under one joule of power have been declassified and have become legal to possess and use within Ireland.

No airsoft site in Ireland would allow any player to use an airsoft device in excess of one Joule.
 
There are a couple of options as far as the orange tip is concerned.

1) Use orange tape or paint around the end of the slide.
2) Use an orange plug in the end of the barrel.

If you have a specific convention in mind you might try contacting the organizers and find out their policy on replica guns.
 
Legalities and con rules are definitely something to consider. I'm not sure what country you're in, but in a lot of cons here in America, you can get through security with almost anything short of a real weapon. I'd check with the con rules before packing, just in case. If the rules are unclear, paint an orange tip and don't wave it around like an idiot in ways that could misconstrue it as real. I did an idealized U.S. Army style thing a couple years ago, and had previously bought a $12 airsoft 1911 off Evike for an earlier ensemble. I initially bought it to test mods. Glued a fake scope, and a bunch of little greebles on it. Ended up not liking the look (it just looked like a 1911 with crap glued all over it) and by the time I was finished I had moved on from that initial build anyway. So, I repainted it for a kind of vintage 1911 metal look, and was happy with that. You can still kinda see where I had glued the greeblies and junk, but I feel like it gives character to the prop. As for weight, I always enjoyed a little weight to my props. Makes it feel a little more real. Because it's made out of plastic save for the internal components, it's pretty lightweight. Not feather-light as a 3D printed prop would be, but more akin to something made of resin.
UMsTTnD.jpg 7ac1eB3.jpg

Now I'm debating on whether I should get plain wood grips for it, just for that added vintage look and weight.
 
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I faced almost this same delima last week, not for a con, but between airsoft/resin/3D print. I wanted a DL-44 and was faced with many choices. I'm very familiar with airsoft, and like already mention, the coolness of a prop that does something. I chose the airsoft version. I'll likely fire it very little, but just knowing I can is what swayed my decision.
 
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