Do not buy imitation guns, BB guns, or air rifles online; avoid “toy guns” of unknown origin

No cost involved. If you want to shoot, visit a licensed shooting range.

Unauthorized possession or concealment of firearms without a permit is punishable by up to 3 years in prison; more serious cases may lead to 3 to 7 years. Non-standard guns that cannot fire standard ammunition are still classified as firearms if their muzzle energy meets or exceeds 1.8 joules per square centimeter. This energy value refers to the amount of energy per square centimeter carried by a projectile at the moment it leaves the barrel. Many BB guns and air rifles bought online exceed this threshold. Since 2018, the Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate have required that for air rifles with relatively low muzzle energy, factors such as appearance, material, price, intended use, and the owner’s awareness must be evaluated before determining whether a conviction is warranted. Official case example: The aforementioned couple sold “toy guns” at a market; 18 of the 43 seized guns met firearm standards. Due to insufficient evidence proving they knew these were firearms, they were not prosecuted on grounds of evidentiary uncertainty (nationwide).

全国人大 (2020). 刑法（根据刑法修正案（十一）修正，第一百二十八条）. https://jtgl.beijing.gov.cn/jgj/jgxx/flfg/fl/11033925/index.html；最高人民法院、最高人民检察院 (2018). 关于涉以压缩气体为动力的枪支、气枪铅弹刑事案件定罪量刑问题的批复（法释〔2018〕8 号）. https://www.spp.gov.cn/xwfbh/wsfbt/201803/t20180328_372604.shtml；最高人民法院 (2018). 《批复》的理解与适用. https://www.court.gov.cn/zixun/xiangqing/88472.html

The key factor in deciding not to prosecute this case was the determination that the couple “had no knowledge” of the items being firearms. It is difficult for adults who deliberately purchase BB guns or air rifles online to later claim they had no idea they were firearms. This section does not include any verified information on how crossbows or controlled knives are regulated, so no details are provided here.