It’s a new year and it’s going to a really new year also for airsoft players in California as yesterday marked a new phase in their airsoft history. The dreaded SB 199, which regulates the look of airsoft guns and other imitation firearms in the state took effect yesterday, the 1st of January 2016.

If you have been following SB199 and reading our coverage of it, you may remember on how we think airsoft guns would look like in California when SB 199 takes effect.

It was a rough interpretation but proved to be accurate as the provisions in SB 199 were clear cut:

4) A BB device that is an airsoft gun that expels a projectile, such as a BB or pellet, that is 6mm or 8mm caliber which meets the following:

(A) If the airsoft gun is configured as a handgun, in addition to the blaze orange ring on the barrel required by federal law, the airsoft gun has a trigger guard that has fluorescent coloration over the entire guard, and there is a two centimeter wide adhesive band around the circumference of the protruding pistol grip that has fluorescent coloration.

(B) If the airsoft gun is configured as a rifle or long gun, in addition to the blaze orange ring on the barrel required by federal law, the airsoft gun has a trigger guard that has fluorescent coloration over the entire guard, and there is a two centimeter wide adhesive band with fluorescent coloring around the circumference of any two of the following:

(i) The protruding pistol grip.
(ii) The buttstock.
(iii) A protruding ammunition magazine or clip.

Now, here’s a more official looking explanation of SB 199 pertaining to airsoft guns:

Do you think it looks bad? Maggiore Soap does not find it such a big deal and it’s easy to comply for airsoft players in California still stuck with airsoft guns that only have the orange muzzle tip:

While airsoft players outside of the state do not need to worry about this, they will have to keep in mind that they should comply with the color requirements when attending airsoft events in California.