HIGHLY realistic imitation Glock guns are freely available for purchase in the capital.

The items which look almost identical to the real thing can be bought by any member of the public without any fuss for a mere €100.

In a week when hundreds of lethal weapons, believed to have been destined for this country, were confiscated in a huge joint police operation, the replicas were on sale in Dublin.

This reporter was able to buy a high class imitation gun for €100 in a shop in Cabra.

The weapon, an airsoft BB gun, is used by hobbyists in mock war games, and shoots plastic pellets. The items are legal even though they could pass for the type of weapons favoured by gangland criminals.

The assistant in the shop, Eirsoft, said it was difficult to tell this gun, which has the word Glock stamped on the barrell, was not real.

“The only way you could tell if it was fake would be if you got up really close to it,” he explained. “The metal shaft is exactly like the real thing.”

“These guns are specifically designed to look like the real thing,” said Richie Mangan from Eirsoft.

“What we would say is that the item gets blamed for the crime,” he explained. “We sell to a select clientele. It is a harmless gun – it just looks like the real thing.”

High-force pellet guns are illegal in Ireland and are deemed an offensive weapon under the Firearms Act. However, guns of the type bought by this reporter are legal because the weight of the gun falls beneath one jule.

WEAPON

Those selling the merchandise insisted it would not be possible to fire a metal pellet out of this particular weapon.

“The guns are below the one jule level. If you added a metal pellet, it would just fall out,” explained Mr Mangan.

“You would have to upgrade the power to a ridiculous level to fire metal BBs. Some air rifles could give you that power. You would need garda authorisation for this.”

When asked what vetting system is in place, the representative stated; “We don't have a system for doing that. The only thing we have is that, God forbid anything should happen, we would have the name and address of the purchaser and could pass it on to the gardai.”

These guns are also available to buy online.

When brought to the attention of Gardai, a spokesperson said the legality of such items related to how they were used. “Imitation firearms may be deemed illegal, regardless of their jule, depending on their usage.

“For instance a kid's toy gun used in a bank robbery would be illegal and the toy gun could be seen as a firearm in this instance,” a Garda officer said.

The shop in which this reporter bought the replica item does provide the buyer with a warning; “Never take your airsoft devices out in public.

Remember, a replica will be treated as if it were the real thing should you be prosecuted.”