RadCon Weapons Policy

Adopted in 2011, RadCon introduced a weapons policy to comply with the Revised Code of Washington and make it possible for attendees to carry firearm props. Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 9.41.270 states “It shall be unlawful for any person to carry, exhibit, display, or draw any firearm, dagger, sword, knife or other cutting or stabbing instrument, club, or any other weapon apparently capable of producing bodily harm, in a manner, under circumstances, and at a time and place that either manifests an intent to intimidate another or that warrants alarm for the safety of other persons.”

With this law as our guiding principal, RadCon attendees must follow these rules:

1. A weapon, as defined by RadCon, is an item that is specifically designed for offensive or defensive combat, either realistic or of a fantastical variety. For the purposes of the RadCon Event, this also includes prop weapons that cannot be used for their supposed function. In some cases it may also apply to props and costume elements that could be used as a weapon.
2. Weapons that have a blade or chain must be sheathed in Convention space. A sheath can be a scabbard, a safety guard, a bag, leather-wrappings or any other device the prevents the blade or chain from coming in contact with anyone that may brush the weapon.
3. Pole arms may be carried in Convention space as long as, when stood up parallel to a door frame, they fit through a conventional door. If they have spikes or blades, these spikes and blades must be sheathed.
4. Arrows with no heads may also be carried in con space. A bow must be carried unstrung.
5. Spiked balls cannot be disabled from creating potential accidental harm. Maces, spiked flails and similar weapons may not be carried in convention space.
6. Kludge and fantasy weapons that may not be easily classified by type should be visibly disabled by use of holsters, sheaths, scabbards and/or removing parts to render them unusable. E.g. A gunblade would need a combined holster-scabbard to be allowed in con space. A weaponized dremel should not have its battery-pack or a bit.
7. Grenade-type weapons and props may not be brought into con space.
8. Every weapon must be declared to the RadCon Safety Team and peace-bonded. Failure to peace bond weapons will result in expulsion from the convention.
9. The RadCon Safety Team and Convention Committee all reserve the right to ask that a weapon be removed and stay removed from Convention space. (Weapons that particularly frightening or gruesome may be asked to stay out of Convention space during ‘family friendly’ hours [6 am to 8 pm], and invited out afterward.) Failure to comply with requests from Convention Committee or The Safety Team may result in removal from the Convention for both the current and subsequent year.

Firearms

1. Modern weapons that (when in proper working condition) shoot bullets, webs, darts electricity or metal beebees may not be carried in Convention space by any member of the public.
2. Extremely realistic firearm props such as reproduction metal airsoft guns are not permitted in convention space.
3. Prop firearms are permitted when:
   1. The prop carries no ammunition of any kind.
   2. The prop is not, when loaded, an automatic (that is, shoots multiples.)
   3. The prop, if it requires a propellent when loaded, is not loaded with the propellent (E.g. CO2).
   4. The trigger is locked into the “pulled” position
   5. The weapon is carried in a holster that covers the muzzle.
   6. Security staff have authorized the prop in convention space. It adheres to all other applicable weapon policies.
4. Complexities of Law from RCW 9.41.040 and 9.41.042 induces RadCon to ask that our attendees younger than eighteen not carry a realistic prop fire-arm type weapon. A valid I.D., verifying age must be presented to security personnel when peace-bonding a firearm prop. Each firearm prop must be individually authorized and recorded by security personnel at the security desk for safety reasons.