Imitation guns modified to fire real bullets a cause for concern
The 14-year-old shooter who killed two people and injured five others at a Bangkok luxury mall on Tuesday used a modified “blank gun” that could fire real bullets, it has been revealed.
Blank guns, or blank firing guns, refer to imitation firearms (mostly pistols) that can be loaded with blank bullets and are often used as starting pistols in sports competitions or on movie sets. But they can be modified to function like a real firearm with the replacement of a new barrel.
This type of imitation gun is developed from BB air gun, which is designed to shoot metallic or plastic pellets, with a more realistic look. Media reports initially identified the weapon used by the teenager as a Glock pistol, perhaps due to its realistic look.
Those imitation guns are not considered firearms under Thai law, so it is legal to possess them without having a permit or registering them. However, blank guns modified to fire real bullets are considered illegal.
Although it is not illegal to have a blank gun, the Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks and Imitation Guns Act of 1947 prohibits openly carrying imitation guns in public places.
Blank guns and BB guns are available for sale on social media and popular online shopping platforms, with prices ranging from a few thousand baht to over 10,000 baht for a modified version. However, searches on a popular online shopping platform on Thursday showed “The product is not found”.
Following Tuesday’s shooting incident, newly appointed police chief Pol General Torsak Sukvimol said the Royal Thai Police was working with the Interior Ministry to declare blank guns illegal.
He said a large number of blank guns had been imported in recent years, adding that modified blank guns were used in many crimes.
Police records show that an average of over 100 blank gun barrels are seized per month, or 1,200-1,500 barrels per year. During a police crackdown in July, about 2,000 blank gun barrels and over 100,000 rounds of ammunition were seized.
Blank guns are mostly modified for illegal purposes and used in criminal activities, according to police.
