A future for modelguns?

We had that issue in the past. And I am sure we will have it in the future. Does our modelgun hobby have a future? The AirSoft market is bringing up new models, companies and systems almost on a daily basis. Various systems (electric, gas blow back, blow back shell ejecting and so on) are available for enthusiasts and shooters.

In many countries enthusiasts can also buy real guns or blank guns which are often even cheaper.

Modelguns were developed in Japan for people in Japan that wanted to own something gun like. So we have to keep that historical situation and the strict gun laws in Japan in mind. Now check this forum - here are people from all over the world who love modelguns.

I had AirSoft electric guns and blank pistols and if I could find the time, I could join a gun club and shoot real guns. Anyway I stick to modelguns. They are safe, legal and realistic. I love the detailed internals of my models. I love it when they come with exact markings and I am freaking out when they can accept real accessories like magazines. I will keep on collecting despite the fact people call me crazy because good models from Japan fit my needs perfectly. What do you think?

MadMike,

I think there will be a future :-)

First of all, thanks to internet and international Post, it is now easy to have contacts in Japan and obtain items that were previously unheard of outside of that country. Yahoo Auctions lists over 4000 offers just in modelgun category. This is a lot, the number is higher than whole Airsoft or "Military Weapon-related" categories on similar Polish site. I do not believe that this market will vanish, even if new production is stopped. Heck, we are still buying 20-year old replicas!

Modelguns are much more limited, as they are not very "practical". With airsoft replicas you can play games, interact socially, pimp them up, collect variants... all of that starting from very low prices. That makes airsoft very available and affordable, I don't believe modelguns will ever reach that phase. Market is pretty limited - there is less modelgun retailers in Europe than airsoft retailers in city where I live. We form a small forum, yet we are still active here! :-) I would not say that modelgun collecting is more "elite", it is just different than airsoft, blanks or even real weapons.

Next - modelgun companies have already perished in the past, some of them do not exist anymore, some do not produce modelguns. Those that exist often no longer have molds used for older models and cannot reproduce them. Even with all those problems the industry is still going forward. Marushin is experimenting with new types of hybrids, releasing kits. Shoei reproduces their models turn by turn. Hudson recently released STEN. Scale is maybe not huge and it definitely lacks completely new models, but it is fairly good.

The hot airsoft market will help expand interest in model guns. Airsoft fans will demand more and more realism want something which actually ejects shells.

Real gun prices have sky rocketed since the November election of Obama. Historical collecters will look for an easier and cheaper alternative.

Model guns actual bear more resemblance to the real thing than many "civilan models" of military small arms.

For example the Marushin Uzi is pretty much true to the original, except for the obvious fact that it is plug fire. The American semi auto Uzi is hidious. It's closed bolt, this defeats the whole point of owning the most famous open bolt gun ever made. The barrel is required to be a rediculious 16 inches and there are other problems.

This thread needs updating, sadly - with not so good news.

2010 seems to be a pretty bad year for modelguns, with Hudson, New MGC closing down for good and KSC moving out of modelgun market. To be honest I did not expect that. Lack of new models - yes, but not disappearing of existing ones :-/

Hopefully molds will be transferred and used by other companies, and eventually new manufacturers will appear, or come back - New New MGC? :-)

I used to say yes to this question but there is a big problem now in that Hudson have closed and it seems are not producing rounds and spares, KSC has stopped making modelguns and spare and rounds and next year of end of this KGC finally close leaving only tanaka and marushin. without rounds and other spares its going to make it difficult to use the models and that could be the fianl nail in the coffin for this hobby. Airsoft is ggetting better all the tome AEG blowback are becoming the norm and have some sort of realistic recoil as well so the only thing you dont get is shells ejecting (an important thing for me) but of course there are a few shell ejecting GBB models on the market.
I will always have my models but without the rounds to fire the future looks bleak.

Question for those with workshop experience:

How much would it cost to create a private workshop that would produce cartridges on a small scale?
I am not looking at exact numbers, just "back of an envelope" calculation.

1) cost of tools: at the very least this would be a lathe. No idea what else...

2) cost of raw materials: that will help understand what would be a minimum cost per cartridge, based on a batch from one piece of material

3) (roughly) estimated time to make a single batch of cartridges, assuming a skilled operator: this will tell us if such an idea makes any sense.

Bonus question for UK guys: does a cartridge fall under "RIF" VCRA category?

Hi
Cartridges are fine! not in RIF status