How to get MP Megatron shipped to Oz?

[griffin]

Replica weapons is usually a category in criminal codes as well, to refer to props or toys that could fool people into thinking it is a real gun... as it is the intention behind the use of it that is just as important as the firing of a real gun.
(intention to commit a crime, as well as the commission of a crime)

[Dinkydarth]

do repainted Nerf Guns fit in the same category? How about ones painted to look futuristic/sci fi?

[BigTransformerTrev]

Replica weapons is usually a category in criminal codes as well, to refer to props or toys that could fool people into thinking it is a real gun... as it is the intention behind the use of it that is just as important as the firing of a real gun.
(intention to commit a crime, as well as the commission of a crime)

'Mens Rea' - guilty mind, as well as 'Actus Reaus' - guilty act.


Whaddya know, I remembered something from my old law days

[Bidoofdude]

Replica weapons is usually a category in criminal codes as well, to refer to props or toys that could fool people into thinking it is a real gun... as it is the intention behind the use of it that is just as important as the firing of a real gun.
(intention to commit a crime, as well as the commission of a crime)

I imagined a middle-aged man walking into a bank with comically oversized MP Megatrons and holding it up.

[griffin]

MP Megatron isn't as oversized to a real gun as some people are thinking.
A comparison photo was posted up when the toy came out, and it was as close in size to a real handgun as Gen1 Megatron.

I can't seem to find the photo now, but these were some photos I could find with a google search...
Gen1 Megatron next to a real Walther P-38, which looks about 30% bigger than the Gen1 toy.
Gen1 Megatron with Masterpiece Megatron, which only looks to be about 60% bigger than the Gen1 toy.
As such, the real gun would be close to midway between the two Transformers guns.
The wiki page for the real gun says it is 216mm long.
The Gen1 Megatron is 172mm long, and MP Megatron is 280mm long.
That makes it 4cm between Gen1 and the real gun, and 6cm between MP and the real gun.
Not that much difference... and close enough for both Transformers toys to be classed as "replica" to fool someone behind a counter in not questioning if it is real.
(a replica gun is just as dangerous as an unloaded gun - are you going to challenge the offender to prove it is a loaded or lethal weapon?)


BTW, in the second link, four of those Transformers toys are considered replica weapons, as they only have to be close enough to fool people at a glance to count as "replica".

[griffin]

For anyone wondering if hold-ups use replica weapons (because it is cheaper and easier to buy than a real gun), a google search comes up with quite a few... and there are probably a lot more that are never known, if they don't get caught.

[jazzcomp]

How many of those are transformers toys?

[nexusnixx]

Sooooo who needs a mp5?

[Sinnertwin]

Replica or not, when you've been involved with two armed hold up's, the last thing you want to do is push your luck & see if they fire or not.

[GoktimusPrime]

True story (and some people here know who I'm talking about): many years ago a Transformers collector in the ACT carried a G1 Megatron - in gun mode - at a train station. He was tackled by guards, questioned, and then released. This same person later did the same thing at an airport, and was again tackled by security, detained, questioned, then released. So there are people out there who are stupid enough to take gun Transformers out in public and use them in a perceived threatening manner. Note that this all happened before the 11/9/2001 terror attacks. Since then you cannot even wear a tee shirt showing an image of a Transformer holding a gun at an airport. A few years ago I know of a teenager of who was arrested for carrying a replica toy gun in public. And just last year a lunatic in my very neighbourhood was arrested for threatening another neighbour with a replica gun - turned out it was a cigarette lighter shaped like a pistol, but the police confiscated it, arrested him, charged him and the judge placed him on a good behaviour bond (which he later broke and was imprisoned).

As Zommael and others have rightfully pointed out, it doesn't matter that gunformers are not operable firearms and can never be modified to be operable firearms; the fact is that they visually resemble actual firearms, and you only need to present a credible threat to someone else to be legally committing assault.

do repainted Nerf Guns fit in the same category? How about ones painted to look futuristic/sci fi?

Nerf Guns are exempt, that's why they're readily available in stores in Australia, and also Classics Megatron (who transforms into a Nerf Maverick) was able to be released by Hasbro and sold here. Henkei and United Megatron are also fine, since they share the same mould, irrespective of cosmetic differences. However realistic looking scifi and fantasy guns may classify as replica firearms, because remember that the average Joe or Jane may not know the difference between a real model gun or a fictitious model gun that may look realistic in a crisis situation. Keep in mind that when a person is under threat, they're likely to freak out. The average person, in abject fear, shock and terror, is unlikely to take the time to carefully inspect what looks like a gun pointing at them for authenticity!

And while MP Megatron may be oversized for a Walther P38, there are some pretty huge hand guns out there, and it's not unreasonable for a member of the public to mistake MP Megatron for one of these guns. They include:
.500 S&W Magnum
.50 BMG Revolver
RP98 .50 BMG pistol
Taurus 20 gauge revolver
Pfeifer Zeliska 28mm Revolver
So to a person who's unfamiliar with firearms and replica toy guns, and to be in an extremely heightened state of fear, it's not implausible for someone to credibly mistaken MP Megatron for just being a really big handgun. As for G1 Gunformers being "too small," remember that there are small pistols IRL as well, such as the Derringer, or any of these pocket guns.

But don't forget that the same replica toy gun permit which covers Megatron also covers scifi guns such as Blade Runner and Star Wars. For example, if I wanted to get a replica of Deckard's gun from Blade Runner, I don't need to acquire another permit. My existing Megatron Transformer permit also covers it.

Replica or not, when you've been involved with two armed hold up's, the last thing you want to do is push your luck & see if they fire or not.

^Exactly this!

The issue isn't people going out and buying MP or G1 Megatron to use as a replica in a hold-up. It's that all it would take is a criminal with half a brain to do a burglary one night, steal your MP Megatron, and use it in a hold up the next day. Or for a mail theft or fraud to take place resulting in the loss of an imported toy to a criminal. Or for it to be left in a vehicle which is later stolen. There are any number of scenarios that could lead to the toy being used in this fashion. That's why there are serious questions any collector should ask themselves before importing the toys: primarily, are you prepared to do everything you ought to in order to keep it safe and do everything possible to prevent those scenarios coming to pass.

+1 QFT
"Prevention" is the key word here. Nothing is 100% fool proof, but we can take measures to prevent thefts by making it harder for criminals by presenting deterrents. It's the same reason why we lock our houses and cars. The majority of gun crimes aren't committed by legal gun owners, but guns which are stolen from legal owners are later used in crimes. The laws don't exist necessarily to "punish" or even deter people who want to legally own firearms or replica firearms, but really to ensure that preventative deterrents are put in place to make it harder for the bad guys to steal them and use them in crimes. It's a regrettable result that legally compliant and law abiding citizens are greatly inconvenienced because of this.