Bullet magnets.

Several years ago, I posted at The Firing Line about a kid with a fake gun that looked very real.

At the time, it was a mildly amusing story about how I tried to make a point to a 20 year old showing questionable judgement regarding the above-pictured faux CZ.

But we just keep seeing this.

Folks, I'm a huge fan of the private citizen going armed. I don't draw my pistol at the mere thought of a citizen being armed, even if he's not strictly officially legal, by the letter of the law. There may be consequences, or maybe not. But overreacting is just silly, and I refuse to do it.

But I'm at a loss to think of what good these kids are going to do with a super-realistic inoperative toy. I've even been told "it's for protection." So now their thought is to threaten with it? Not good.

Last night, I stopped a car with a couple of convicted felons in it, and found that, under the passenger's legs, there was a rather realistic silver airsoft pistol. The slide was aluminum with metallic paint on it, making it look like bead-blasted chrome. The overall effect was of a Sigma. Now, § 46.04,Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm, (by a felon) is a 3rd degree felony in its own right, here in Texas, and a foolish 19 year old who already has several assaultive offenses to his record makes the cautious officer question whether such a kid might get overly anxious, wishing to avoid his new felony and the revocation of his probation for his last felony.

I did something I don't do a lot of-- I put hands on the lad, and put him in restraints curtly.

We established that the gun wasn't real, and that he wasn't going to jail that night, and he went home. He actually thanked me, saying that "the last time cops saw that gun, they bounced me on the car so hard, I'm surprised there's not a dent."

The LAST time?

Good. Gawd.