Airsoft Vigilante [Battle Ground Spoilers]

[Griffyn612]

Harry's comments at the end of BG suggest we may see civilian vigilantes taking to the streets. That got me thinking about makeshift weapons against supernatural creatures again, and an update to Harry's paintball gun.

Specifically, the Airsoft Vigilante.

• Airsoft weapons are legal in Illinois but illegal in Chicago, so 'don't get caught' would still be a goal.
• Guns themselves are available in many places, including online.
• Custom ammo could theoretically be made to be lethal to monsters but not humans; in some cases, enough to shred them like paper.
• Iron balls - Sidhe/Faeries
• Garlic balls (holy water plus garlic powder/salt plus pressure to make dense) - Black Court
• Inherited silver balls - Loup garou and maybe others?
• Ghost dust balls - Ghosts

What other ammo could be made to target specific threats?  And what other weapons could be made by the general public?

[Bad Alias]

Capt. Murphy used a shotgun loaded with rock salt to save Rawlins.

[Arjan]

Ask Kincaid. He has special amno for everyone.

[Bad Alias]

The special ammo we've seen Kincaid use would harm mortals.

[Arjan]

everything you can effectively shoot with a gun harms mortals. an iron ball will certainly kill you.

[Griffyn612]

I imagine there'll be ruthless vigilantes, and there'll be... ruthful vigilantes?

Basically I'm picturing a group of young people like Fitz banning together and trying to protect people.  Fitz'll have Forthhill making holy water without knowing exactly what he's doing with it, and Fitz will make a new band of warriors with non-lethal arms. 

The ones with lethal arms would probably be hunted by the cops and Marcone alike.

But what other weaknesses are there that they could target?  We know Winter is susceptible to hawthorne, but it and sunlight probably isn't all that packageable.  Anything else?  Inherited silver bullets?

I'm basically picturing them with airsoft rifles with 300 ball magazines with colored tape on them to differentiate the ammo.

everything you can effectively shoot with a gun harms mortals. an iron ball will certainly kill you.

Yeah, but airsoft weapons are infinitely less likely to kill than a .22, much less a 9mm or higher. 

[Bad Alias]

everything you can effectively shoot with a gun harms mortals. an iron ball will certainly kill you.

Airsoft and rocksalt aren't lethal.

Yeah, but airsoft weapons are infinitely less likely to kill than a .22, much less a 9mm or higher.

It's more about velocity than diameter. Airsoft is pretty close in size to .22lr.

Thinking about it, while I definitely wouldn't want to be hit with steel bird or target shot, it's not very likely to be lethal. Shotguns might be a better alternative to airsoft.

[Arjan]

If it does not kill a mortal it shall not be that effective against all but the weakest supernaturals. An air gun won’t even go through most clothing.

[Griffyn612]

Airsoft and rocksalt aren't lethal.
It's more about velocity than diameter. Airsoft is pretty close in size to .22lr.

Thinking about it, while I definitely wouldn't want to be hit with steel bird or target shot, it's not very likely to be lethal. Shotguns might be a better alternative to airsoft.

I would imagine there's a big difference being found on the streets with airsoft and being found with a shotgun. Not that a team of vigilantes wouldn't use conventional weapons as needed, but I'm assuming they're trying to toe the line between legal and illegal.

If it does not kill a mortal it shall not be that effective against all but the weakest supernaturals. An air gun won’t even go through most clothing.

Mavra is one of the most powerful black Court sorceresses there is, with power enough to require Eb to shut her down, and she was hurt and ran from garlic from an Italian restaurant.

Aurora was one of the six most powerful Sidhe, and she died from razor blades.

I think having the right weapon would give even vanilla mortals a chance against street-level bad guys. Especially when simple iron will cut through Sidhe flesh like butter, regardless of how tough they are to conventional weapons.

[Bad Alias]

I would imagine there's a big difference being found on the streets with airsoft and being found with a shotgun.

They could legally carry handguns. It's a real pain to get a license in a Chicago that wasn't just invaded by a Titan and supernatural army, but it's legal. They have handguns that take shotshells. Now, the politics of our world and Dresden's are going to be different after the largest mass casualty event in America sense the Civil War. I'd see either all gun control being completely out the window or doubled down on, so what would be legal to walk the streets of Chicago with would be complete speculation. I don't think it's accurate to base it on what the law was in our Chicago at the same point on the calendar.

Assuming the same laws as in the real world, how illegal are airsoft guns in Chicago? There's a certain point where if you're in for a felony, you might as well turn your AR into a full auto. It's really easy. Select fire may or may not be easy.

[Griffyn612]

They could legally carry handguns. It's a real pain to get a license in a Chicago that wasn't just invaded by a Titan and supernatural army, but it's legal. They have handguns that take shotshells. Now, the politics of our world and Dresden's are going to be different after the largest mass casualty event in America sense the Civil War. I'd see either all gun control being completely out the window or doubled down on, so what would be legal to walk the streets of Chicago with would be complete speculation. I don't think it's accurate to base it on what the law was in our Chicago at the same point on the calendar.

Assuming the same laws as in the real world, how illegal are airsoft guns in Chicago? There's a certain point where if you're in for a felony, you might as well turn your AR into a full auto. It's really easy. Select fire may or may not be easy.

With the official excuse being "terrorist attack", I can't see the official response being anything other than overreaction to secure the city.  Loosening gun control laws or not enforcing them, officially, wouldn't happen.

Cops might not do much enforcement or license checking for handguns, but shotguns and rifles are going to get their attention. People with those weapons feel safe, but everyone else seeing them feel stress. And the city will be very concerned about mass panic.

So if Fitz or someone gets seen with an AR shaped weapon, and they're stopped and found to be carrying a real weapon without permit, they're going to jail. If it's an airsoft, they'll probably get a warning. Sure, it's still illegal, but the cops aren't going to freak out over that unless they mistake them for real.

[Telynn]

With the official excuse being "terrorist attack", I can't see the official response being anything other than overreaction to secure the city.  Loosening gun control laws or not enforcing them, officially, wouldn't happen.

Cops might not do much enforcement or license checking for handguns, but shotguns and rifles are going to get their attention. People with those weapons feel safe, but everyone else seeing them feel stress. And the city will be very concerned about mass panic.

So if Fitz or someone gets seen with an AR shaped weapon, and they're stopped and found to be carrying a real weapon without permit, they're going to jail. If it's an airsoft, they'll probably get a warning. Sure, it's still illegal, but the cops aren't going to freak out over that unless they mistake them for real.

You have to keep in mind, it won't be business as usual for the local police.  They know.  The nation as a whole might manage to accept the explanation, but things will be way different in Chicago.  It's really going to be interesting to see how Jim plays this out.  It could go either way, with the local authorities playing along with the explanation (maybe with some national presence like Nat Guard and they have to) or not and letting a lot go that they wouldn't have before.

[Bad Alias]

So if Fitz or someone gets seen with an AR shaped weapon...

What if the minor talents do some minor enchantment that makes them go unnoticed?

You have to keep in mind, it won't be business as usual for the local police.  They know.  The nation as a whole might manage to accept the explanation, but things will be way different in Chicago.  It's really going to be interesting to see how Jim plays this out.  It could go either way, with the local authorities playing along with the explanation (maybe with some national presence like Nat Guard and they have to) or not and letting a lot go that they wouldn't have before.

Honestly, that's all a local response. National Guard answers to the Governor. It's usually an urban vs rural thing. If urban swings pro-gun, then Illinois does to.

[Griffyn612]

What if the minor talents do some minor enchantment that makes them go unnoticed?

Depends on whether or not such things will draw the ire of the White Council.  One way or another, they'll be keeping tabs on Harry. But they've still got to keep an iron grip on other talents; otherwise they'll lose credibility.  And enchantments that manipulate people's perceptions by a non-Council approved/trained wizard might cross a line.

[XDoctor]

I would assume that concern for being caught with an illegal weapon goes out the window when we're off to commit some murder.  Taking a toy to go fight some monsters feel to me like a good way to get your face eaten.  On the other hand, if you took a good sized hollow point round, 45acp maybe, and added a penetrator like an AP round, something bimetal like the M995 with tungsten and steel, and then filled the cavity of the bullet with holy water and sealed it up...  Now we're getting somewhere.  Shotgun is still probably superior, but you could lay down a lot of pain with a modern subgun and a round like that.