Fake guns, real robberies: RNC say punishment is the same

It's not illegal to buy a fake gun, but if you use one to commit a crime it could land you in as much trouble as the real thing, say police.

"I can confirm that the RNC has investigated incidents in the past, of this nature," said Sgt. Colin McNeil. 

"If someone commits an armed robbery, or a robbery using an imitation firearm such as a pellet gun or replica ... the charge would still be the same, it would still be armed robbery," he said.

Here and Now reporter Meghan McCabe bought a very realistic replica handgun at Princess Auto in St. John's, for $59.99. The store is just one of many that sell the guns, for use primarily in target shooting.

'I thought it was real'

A St. John's pizza shop, Old Town Pizzeria, agreed to a re-enactment of a robbery to show how hard it can be for stores to know that a weapon is fake, or loaded with pellets instead of bullets.

It was "terrifying," said owner Fabian Power. "To be honest with you, even though this was staged, for the first few seconds, I thought it was real. It was a real looking gun." 

Power said he tells his employees to err on the side of caution.

"I would tell my staff, somebody brought a weapon in like that, pass 'em over the money no problem."

Store supports 'safe use'

The CEO of Princess Auto, Geoff Frodsham, said in a statement to CBC that the guns are legal, and the store is careful not to sell them to minors.

"We sell air and spring-powered firearms for recreational and sporting activity use. We follow our policy to sell these items to customers 18 years of age or older only, and we work with local law enforcement on how to support the safe use of these products," said Frodsham.

However Power said that's not enough.

"Let's regulate those suckers," he said.     

Police agree the fake guns can look very real.

"We're not concerned so much about why they're sold or how they're sold. It's how they're used after they are sold," said Sgt. McNeil.    

"Mostly it's for recreational purposes, and that's the intent."    

McNeil said if a store employee is threatened with any type of weapon in a robbery, assume it is real, just as the law does.

Under the Criminal Code of Canada, the mandatory minimum sentence for using any gun, even a fake one, to commit a crime is one year in prison.