Australian gun laws - should they be reviewed?

For those who think the gun laws in Australia are fine how they currently stand. The following is illegal in Australia due to our gun laws:

ILLEGAL



LEGAL


Just one of the many flawed ways the current gun laws stand.

• Currently it's illegal to use a paintball pistol in paintball, it is instead legal to use as a registered firearm at a firing range.
• Airsoft (more popular than paintball in every country outside of Aust) is illegal in every State except South Australia, even though it as a more environmentally friendly and less physically harmful sport. In most countries its a recreational sport played by those aged 10+ and can be bought at your local kids toy store - in Australia it's a weapon which can get the police knocking down your door and jail time. Even though legal in SA, Customs will seize the items as illegal, effectively making it impossible to bring in items which are allowed into the State.
• Ammunition catchers (a mesh bag on side of gun to catch expelled casings) being restricted - because politicians watching too much CSI think criminals will use it to hide evidence.. When it's used to stop you going around picking up all your rounds whilst hunting
• The recent Adler media debacle - with many media outlets calling it a new revolutionary firearm design to get around Australian firearms laws. When in reality it's a designed used since the 1800's in the Wild West

This is what you'll find most law abiding firearms owners get sick of - inconsistency in gun laws and fear mongering about a perfectly legal and legitimate recreational activity.

 

I understand the argument that if citizens were allowed to carry guns to defend themselves then a "Paris" would not happen because the shooters would be stopped by a gun carrying citizen defending themselves. That is the theory but does it work like this in real life?
I think we can all agree that the rate of gun ownership in the USA is high. Since 2006, there have been more than 200 mass killings in the United States. Approximately 2/3 of killers leave the scene alive. Mostly those who die at the scene commit suicide or are shot by police. I can't find an example of where a citizen with a gun stopped a mass killer.
BEHIND THE BLOODSHED: THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICA’S MASS KILLINGS

Considering Texax has been the site of some of the deadlist mass shootings of the last 50 years, I don't have to imagine it happening. It has happened.

The List: The deadliest mass shootings in Texas history - Texas on the Potomac

Do citizens (not police officers) with guns ever stop mass shootings?
A researcher found 8 examples of where citizens had stopped mass killers, sometimes after the rampage was over.

Do citizens (not police officers) with guns ever stop mass shootings?

My problem is this: America does not have a high level of gun control and has had more than 200 mass killings since 2006. Perhaps 8 of these have been stopped by citizens carrying guns. Simple question, with stricter gun control, would there have been more than 200 mass killings since 2006?

 

Corey, that pic of the rifle you posted....do you know what kind of gun that is?

 

This is one of my favourite takes on guns..

NSFW!!

 

SR-22 Ruger, semi automatic, most States running it through a Cat C and D licence.

 

You mentioned it as being legal. Which technically it is. But, do you have any idea how hard it is to get a Cat C and D licence?
I don't believe there are any stats on how many have been issued but I would say on a per capita basis this would be very very low.

 

I know exactly how difficult it is to "get" and maintain a Cat C licence. I personally wouldn't bother with Cat D obviously, that's for very specific people.

The main pain of running under collectors classification is limitation in number of times you can shoot per year and renewal periods. Otherwise POU 1 + club membership, the one I've linked in particular is readily available in Aust (usually see around 10-15 different stockists available at any one time), no AG approval or b709 required.

The Nerf gun pictured on the other hand, cannot be purchase under any licence class.

 

Ok, so in the context of this thread, we can see that Cat C firearms are required for specific purposes and are used by very few people. I would say the are of very little threat to society. Therefore, their legality is justified.
I understand your positon on the Nerf gun. But I just don't know why you brought up the semi auto. The reason it is legal is because there is a specific use for it in special circumstances by certain professionals. Where is the legal problem here?

 

It's actually able to be acquired by anyone with a collectors licence - not specific professions.

But the point is simple - the current regulatory regime is incredibly inconsistent to the point that it allows legal classification and posession of firearms *upwards* of semi automatics, .50 rifles etc. But makes children's toys illegal to own or import. (the whole point of the entire post - that the licencing and regulation with firearms in it's current state is very inconsistent, arbitrary and based on emotion, than common sense and logic).

 

What crock of crap

For every 1 in a million cases where some nutcase decides to go on a massacre where by everyone having a gun is going to reduce the casualtu rate down from 20 down to 3

Youre going to have hundreds of deaths ranging from kids playing with them and shootinf them selves. To petty criminals killing people over 50 bucks and all the other minor accidents resulting in pointless deaths

Legalising guns is absolutely ludicrous
And i would be surprised if there is one piece of supportint unbiased evidence would provide any net benefit

 

what would happen with legalising guns and... also legalising drugs?? something to ponder

 

I dont know how fair the current gun laws are eg categories , toys etc

But years ago a friend of mine took me to a shooting range. He was into guns and wasnt a nut case. He said to me when you have gun you feel powerful. My answer was why do I need to feel powerful.

Anyway, after firing a few rounds, I waited for the power to overcome me.
My first thought was sheer boredom!
I mean shooting at a piece of paper
I felt no power whatsoever

Then I became actually scared

I thought.... imagine my hand slipped.
Imagine I became so very angry one day that i used it
Imagine I got drunk and did something stupid
Imagine walking down the street knowing that most people had loaded gun in their pocket or bag

Making guns legal and accesible to everyone is a big no no no no for me

In fact if they were totally legalised, I would leave this country

 

scared of that power in the wrong hands! there's enough idiots behind the wheel on the roads everyday and high on ice etc let alone throwing a gun in the mix!

 

For the average untrained person a hand gun is more of a threat if thrown at you than being discharged at you. Accuracy isnt as the movies make out.

 

I could pretty much guarantee I couldn't hit you throwing or shooting it. I throw like a girl and have next to no hand eye coordination.
But neither matters to me as I have no intention of trying to
I'd be better off with a can of deoderant and a lighter.

 

I would; I've watched every episode of The Walking Dead, and have learned how to be RICK!

But on a serious note; you can give folks guns, but to then be able to have the courage to actually shoot another human - especially when surprised by them with no time to prepare....totally different matter and not so simple.

How many here can honestly say they would pull the trigger on another human without serious amounts of training first?

Even Cops often can't, and then if they do; often need lots of councelling after.

The other thing about a "home invasion" is the bad guys aren't going to call you first to say; "we're on our way!" so you can get your gun ready.

 

I haven't read the whole thread but I believe that our gun laws right now are perfect. Most people don't have a gun. So that makes society a much safer place, unlike say the US where gun deaths are on a massive scale. I suppose the real hardened criminals have guns, but they would anyway, no matter how much tougher rules and regulation you'd bring in. It's still quite easy for farmers and hunters to own guns. I have a few, but then I need guns. Most people don't.

See ya's.

 

Having lived in the US for several years and having family still there - the scariest part isn't who's got a gun but which of the kids friends parents have a loaded gun somewhere accessible to the kids? One of my step brothers now asks every time before his kids go to a friends house as they've had a close call through no fault of their own.

Leave the gun laws alone.

The Adler issue was also partially that it's a politicians son the laws are bring loosened for.

 

There have actually been several since gun laws were changed.

List of massacres in Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Disagree. See above. Also, look at the facts in the original post - the tighter the gun laws, the higher the rates of gun violence.

That's fair enough, those are your views and that's fine.

Self defense is a very legitimate reason for gun ownership. Not to mention that we are entering a new era of guerilla warfare. The overwhelming majority of gun owners (worldwide) are responsible people. Considering that there are many countries with a gun culture worldwide, pointing at the U.S., which is a mostly isolated example, does not make for a valid argument to maintain a totalitarian stranglehold of gun ownership.

 

Leave the damn guns laws alone - they are great as they are. I was in the US not long ago and it was not a good feeling knowing anyone might be carrying a gun. What if I make a mistake on the road and the other guy looses it? He might just pull out a gun in a road rage moment. No one need to be carrying a gun, expect the police/army.
The trigger happy should move to the US and will find many other rednecks shooters to befriend!
But the positive thing to come out of this thread is to know who I won't be dealing with.
I am surprised the topic is allowed on this forum - many forums do not allow discussion around firearms.