Although the information comes to us from the other end of the world, it is worth taking a closer look at it. On October 8, the South Australian authorities issued a statement that classifies replicas of weapons firing 6-8 mm gel BBs as imitation firearms that are subject to registration.

The principle of operation of gel blasters is similar to airsoft replicas, as they use compressed air to fire projectiles and are usually powered by electric motors like AEG replicas. The main difference of gel blasters vs airsoft replicas is, naturally, the ammunition used as well as the muzzle velocity the projectile, their range and accuracy. In some countries where airsoft replicas are banned, fans of milsim or speed-soft games use gel blasters.

Arguments for the introduction of restrictions provided by the Australian Police Department responsible for firearms include the fact that the gel blasters' firing mechanism meets the criteria of a firearm mechanism and the high probability of replicas being considered a firearm by the intervening police units. According to police records, approximately 62,000 gel blasters replicas are in use. People who want to have those replicas after the introduction of regulations must register them and obtain an appropriate license. It will be illegal to own and sell replicas without registration and owning a license.
The regulations were introduced despite strong opposition from the Australian Shooters Union organization.

Sources: popularairsoft.com, wikipedia.org,abc.net.au