Gold Coast businessman expands gel blaster empire
A GOLD Coast businessman is expanding his toy gun empire selling controversial gel blasters as State Government moves to tighten laws around possession of replicas.
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A GOLD Coast businessman is expanding his toy gun empire selling controversial gel blasters as State Government moves to tighten laws around possession of replicas.
Chris Young has opened a second store on the Gold Coast selling gel blasters as he looks to a strong market post-COVID-19.
Mr Young said the new Ozblasters Mermaid Beach store, on the Gold Coast Highway, added to other outlets including a shop in the Paradise Centre in Surfers Paradise and two in Cairns and Maryborough.
He also has a share in a store in Townsville.
Mr Young said he sold 150,000 of the gel blasters in the past year alone.
“It has been steady during COVID-19 … which has inspired us to soldier through looking at what is going to happen on the other side of COVID-19,” he said.
Mr Young said the popularity of gel blasters came down to accessibility.
“They are not heavy, they are lightweight. If a family comes to me and want to get a gel blaster, the first thing I say is who is it for?
“If it is for little Jonny who is 10, I direct them straight to the light ones. I am not going to sell them one of the heavy $950 ones.
“We find once they buy one gel blaster they will be back for more. They are a very loyal clientele.”
Gel blasters, some of which resemble firearms, come in the form of different weapons, including semi or fully-automatic machine guns such as AK47s and handguns, including Glocks.
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They fire a water-based pellet that breaks when it hits the skin, leaving a mark. Prices range from $100 for plastic replicas all the way through to $950 for premium metal versions.
Police Minister Mark Ryan in February flagged new measures to control them following what he called “a worrying sequence of events involving the misuse of gel blasters that look like real firearms”.
Offences for misusing a gel blaster include discharging, pointing or threatening the use of a gel blaster on another person without permission and causing them injury.
In a submission for proposed legislation covering replica weapons and gel blasters, Queensland Police recommended owners should have a reasonable excuse for owning a gel blaster resembling a firearm such as belonging to a club. This followed 352 incidents involving gel blasters resulting in 85 offences from mid-December 2017 to mid-March. Police recommended replicas resembling semi-automatic or fully automatic firearms be classified as restricted.
Police Minister Mark Ryan in February flagged new measures to control the use of gel blasters following what he called “a worrying sequence of events involving the misuse of gel blasters that look like real firearms”.
Offences for misusing a gel blaster include discharging, pointing or threatening the use of a gel blaster on another person without permission and causing them injury.
In a submission for proposed legislation covering replica weapons and gel blasters, Queensland Police recommended owners should have a reasonable excuse for owning a gel blaster resembling a firearm such as belonging to a club. This followed 352 incidents involving gel blasters resulting in 85 offences between mid-December 2017 and mid-March this year.
The Corrective Services and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2020, which includes amendments to the Weapons Act 1990, has passed its first reading.
Instead of banning replica firearms and gel blasters that look like firearms, it proposes a person wanting to own a replica has a reasonable excuse if they belong to an association that provides recreational activities involving the replicas, or if they have a collector’s licence and the replica is for a collection.
Mr Young said they were a family-friendly activity.
“We don’t target the enthusiasts, which sometimes can be a little crazy,’’ he said.
“This product anybody can use. It does say a minimum age of 14-plus but it is great for families to get out and have a play around with.
“I was talking to a guy in Cairns and he came back from (serving in the military in) Afghanistan. He got his son into gel blasters and they would go out on a Sunday and would go out for a skirmish. He said it was the only way (his) son would understand “or realise what I went through in Afghanisation’’.
“So it is good father and son bonding time.”
However, they have attracted controversy.
Mr Young said people should be careful when transporting the toy guns to have them hidden from public view so as not to cause alarm.
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