Gun laws in Australia , England

I, and possibly others, would like to hear from some gun owners in Australia or Great Britain concerning the "gun roundups" in the past.

What exactly were you required to turn in ? What can you still own, with or without special permits etc ?

I realize this subject and all of it's implications may be too involved to answer on this forum. If you could direct me to some accurate reading material concerning the effects of your gun laws, that would be appreciated also.

Thank you

excello

Dunno about Brits,but in Oz the 1996 buyback was of all longarm semiautos, and pump shotguns.The payments for centrefires were generous,IMHO,payments for rimfires pitiful.The buy back ,of course was a kneejerk reaction to the Bryant outrage.The antigun forces in the govt and opposition struck before any reasonable opposition could be mounted by gunowners.IMHO[again] the root cause was the bikie gangs arming themselves with dirtcheap Chinese SKSs.Another pressure came from the French govt ,because Oz was the main source of arms to the Kanak Libration Front in Noumea.The PNG govt also had a major problem with Oz sourced pumps being the weapon of choice for tribal fighting,and uprisings occurring throughout the Pacific.You need a licence and individual gun registration for any operable firearm.Of course ,crims have no problems.Latest figures I saw were a $12 million bribe will get a container thru customs uninspected.Later on another buyback of handguns,and a tightening of ownership rules.Generous payments for guns and gear included.Many Oz gundealers have grown very rich manipulating the compensation to businesses included.The silly thing is that someone can now buy a semiauto on a special permit,also a pump shotgun.Simplified ,regards John.

In my personal situation,I have the same guns I have allways had.I turned in some Swede AG42s and got $400 compo per gun for a $80 rifle.Others did much better,turning in rubbish parts for compo,for instance Browning belt links for 50c each.Licensing is a bit of a pain,but no rifraf can get a licence,and you wont get plugged in the back by a bored black teen while you are walking your dog.Another good outcome is that the Sporting Shooters Assn has gone from a few thousand members in 96 to 200,000 today.Much the same as the NRA blesses Senator Dodd for improving their fortunes.The Greens are the sworn enemies of gunowners in Oz,and Green power the greatest threat to gun ownership.There are far more guns in Oz today than in 96.Murdoch may be a big wheel in the Republicans,but he is also rabidly antigun,and more in the US should realise this.He was one of the main forces behind the hysterical antigun media in 96,and is so today.Watch your backs.Regards John

Hi excello ... I'll send you some references by PM ... but holding a gun in the UK is very hard now. Google "Hungerford Massacre 1987" and "Dunblane Massacre 1996", they were our ONLY real incidents, however since Dunblane life for gun owners has just had all the fun taken out of it.

I was lucky in some respects as most of my life I've been in the military and my S&W 38S, Beretta 92F and Shotgun have happily been accommodated in military armouries with no questions asked ... but as soon as I left the military I had to give up the "full bores" because the "Grief" of police visits and ownership was just TFD!

... and here's a bit more Dunblane: How UK school massacre led to tighter gun control - CNN.com

Regards

John

I've never had any involvement with guns, unless you count designing an experimental 30 mm cannon for research purposes, but from a UK perspective it was interesting to see on yesterday evening's BBC news that there were 24 gun-related deaths, including suicides, in the whole of the UK last year. In the USA, with five times the population, there were 27 gun-related deaths on Christmas day alone.

George

If you want to see what's happening now just follow "Firearm Owners United" on facebook

I try share as much as I can to get word around and have gotten into heated debates with those strongly opposed to gun ownership. The main eastern coast cities are out of touch with gun ownership. Out west farmers have huge problems with pigs, foxes, rabbits, kangaroos, emus, scrub bulls and camels but hell deer are also a pest!

I should add I got my license 5 years ago never had anything to do with the buy back but these observations

The process to obtain a gun licence was long and it took me 6 months from starting the application to picking up my first rifle but it was fair with a background check being done and now gun permits can be processed fairly quickly (just the first one takes ages).

A year ago we had an amnesty to clear out the crap found in attics sheds or under the floor boards usually found when grandpa dies. No money was offered for these firearms but the safety of knowing you wont be prosecuted for handing in a single shot .22 was encouragement enough a lot was handed in!

Australia had large business in gun smithing before 1996 people did it in machine shops or back yard shops its rather rare the old timers are still around but not as must as used to be done. I looked at a very old lathe not long ago the guys grandfather did gun smithing on it the dials were so worn you couldn't even see the engraving (he used pen and white-out) but yet in the boxes of bits were scraps of parted barrel no longer than 20mm with the rifling clearly new.

The cops Inspecting your gun safe and safe storage location is a joke. I have been inspected once its random the guy showed up didn't know what he was looking at his records didn't show a rifle I purchased months before and had the paperwork to prove it was legit. Worse still is cops only shoot once a year to be handgun qualified our local range has holes in the floor from these dick heads!

Most Greenies ignore New Zealand because the don't have any trouble but in NZ they don't register the rifles they couldn't care how many you have so long as you have a licence which is very involved to obtain and renew every ten years. In NZ they interview everyone in your house hold its very strict but after that again renewal is only every ten years and you don't need a licence for a shot gun or air rifle but you cant buy shells without a licence so a bit weird on that one. NZ also doesn't have restrictions such as silencers as we do in Aust as my uncle put it "how do you shoot rabbits without a silencer?"

Firstly I am Australian farmer who is a licensed firearm owner of registered firearms.

Gun laws in Australia prior to 1996 were pretty lax and varied a lot between different states. There were a number of mass shooting in Australia prior to 1996 and then in 1996 there was an unprecedented mass shooting of 35 people at the Port Arthur tourist site by a mentally ill man using 2 semi automatic rifles. Following this the government with the agreement of the majority of the population brought in much tighter gun laws. That is not to say it was not without discontent among various groups within the population (of which farmer groups were very vocal). The Prime minister wore a bullet proof vest to at least one meeting. But they stuck at it and laws were passed that
1. Banned all semi automatic rifles, semi automatic and pump action shotguns and handguns (there are some minor exceptions)
2. All gun owners are required to be licensed. You require a 'genuine reason' to obtain a licence. Self defense is not a genuine reason. If you have a history of mental illness or violence you will find it very difficult to get a licence. If you are involved in domestic violence or any other violent crime your guns are likely to be removed.
3. All guns are required to be registered
4. All weapons must be stored in a locked gun cabinet. These are periodically inspected (randomly and without notice). I have been inspected twice in the last 10 years
5. Penalties for having a gun that is not registered or being unlicensed are severe (max 5 years jail). Penalties for having a prohibited weapon or using a gun in a crime are very severe (max 10-15 years jail)
6. People who surrendered weapons in the buyback schemes were in general pretty well compensated (some over compensated)

Have these laws made a difference?
Well there has not be a random mass shooting since 1996. The use of firearms in homicides and robberies has been markedly reduced ( less than 15% of homicides now involve a firearm and less than 10% of robberies).
To compare this with the USA the firearm related death rate in homicides in Australia is 1.6 per million (in USA it is 35 per million) and the firearm related death rate in suicide in Australia is 7.4 per million (in USA it is 67 per million).

There is still a small minority of Australians who would like to see gun laws loosened but the majority would be horrified at that prospect. It would be political suicide for a main stream political party to even suggest weakening our current gun laws.
Compare that to US were the current thinking seems to be the only way to control your gun problem is to have more guns.
I know which system I would rather be living in.

mark123 said:

Well there has not be a random mass shooting since 1996.

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What about the sydney terror shooting (pump action sawed-off shotgun)? 2 dead, 4 injuries (in the US, the left calls that a "mass shooting"). And with a BANNED firearm?

[sawed-off shotgun? 2 dead, 4 injuries]

Think the cop down the street might get there in time to clean up a mess.

or these protectors could could be on the ready.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/AhH25xLkvz8?feature=player


Spend a lot of Australian tax money to buy back guns.. and where did the collector guns really go?
Applicants for a gun owner’s licence in Australia are required to establish a genuine reason to possess a firearm, for example hunting, target shooting, collection, pest control, and narrow occupational uses.
In law, personal protection is not a genuine reason.

Fatalities from Sydney terror incident.Cops shot TWO dead[including a hostage.]Terrorist shot ONE dead.The cops turned the cafe into a warzone with thousands of rounds of fulljacket 223 fired at one man.The cops were wetting themselves to "make a name" and went crazy.Why do the cops need 1000yd rifles to fire at 10yds.Ask the commisioner.You wont get an answer.By the way ,you can still own auto pistols,my relations shoot several in comp.Basically cals over 10mm are out ,except for cowboy action,where 45 Colt is ok.By the way ,Im in another state,or I wouldnt dare criticize the NSW cops.Regards John.

john.k said:

The cops turned the cafe into a warzone with thousands of rounds of fulljacket 223 fired at one man.The cops were wetting themselves to "make a name" and went crazy.Why do the cops need 1000yd rifles to fire at 10yds.

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Who honestly believes that .223 is a capabable 1000 yard caliber, especially from a 14.5" barrel?

Royldean said:

Who honestly believes that .223 is a capabable 1000 yard caliber, especially from a 14.5" barrel?

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The same people that bought into the media's "assault rifle" definition. The same people that believe Obama when he said anyone can get online, buy a firearm and have it shipped directly to them. The same people that make or agree with laws that are based purely on emotion and devoid of any facts. The same people that believe a background check would have stopped recent publicized shootings in the United States. The same people that have zero comprehension of what liberty means.

mark123 said:

Compare that to US were the current thinking seems to be the only way to control your gun problem is to have more guns.
I know which system I would rather be living in.

Click to expand...

So do I.

But then again, I am not under the delusion that there is a gun problem here. I have yet to see a gun hop up and go on a rampage.

By the way, in Canada (over the last 30-40 years) it is becoming more and more difficult to own a firearm, with more form, permits and long waiting periods.
Some time ago the federal (liberal) government came with a plan to register all firearms in a "Canadian Firearms Registry" with the owners sending the firearm's serial number. Some of my 19th century rifles did not have number or mark, and I was told to make my own number and to stick it to the gun on a piece of paper. Many owners were suspicious that the registry is the first step to confiscation.
The cost of the registry went in to billions and the whole program was eventually scraped.

The cost of the registry went in to billions and the whole program was eventually scrapped.

But only because the socialists lost power.

The so-called Milperra Massacre is well known in Australia Bikie history,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milperra_massacre

Don't know how long this thread will run. I would like thank all who have posted so far - especially from England and Australia. Also thanks to those who sent PM's.

Personally , I hope we in the United States NEVER have to deal with such regulations. I will vote accordingly. I am not feeling real positive about our "odds" however.

As I see it: If "Hildabeast and Slick Willie" return to the White House and Congress shifts a little to the left - law abiding firearms owners will pay - and will have to live with it. That's just the way it works.

The 2nd amendment is just words on paper, to be reinterpreted by new power brokers.

excello

excello said:

Don't know how long this thread will run. I would like thank all who have posted so far - especially from England and Australia. Also thanks to those who sent PM's.

Personally , I hope we in the United States NEVER have to deal with such regulations. I will vote accordingly. I am not feeling real positive about our "odds" however.

As I see it: If "Hildabeast and Slick Willie" return to the White House and Congress shifts a little to the left - law abiding firearms owners will pay - and will have to live with it. That's just the way it works.

The 2nd amendment is just words on paper, to be reinterpreted by new power brokers.

excello

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Whenever guns are banned in the US, only machinists and gunsmiths will have them. LOL.

GGaskill said:

The cost of the registry went in to billions and the whole program was eventually scrapped.

But only because the socialists lost power.

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Not quite. Big part of the registry got lost by the RCMP (Canadian Police) and the cost overruns were 10 times over the budget. As well there was a strong opposition from legitimate gun owners - strong enough to be noticed by the politicians.

300sniper said:

The same people that bought into the media's "assault rifle" definition. The same people that believe Obama when he said anyone can get online, buy a firearm and have it shipped directly to them. The same people that make or agree with laws that are based purely on emotion and devoid of any facts. The same people that believe a background check would have stopped recent publicized shootings in the United States. The same people that have zero comprehension of what liberty means.

Click to expand...

And the same people who said you can keep your healthcare plan, and you can keep your doctor. And the morons who believe the emperors decree will stop the gun murders. The real issue is there are over 100 million long arms (rifles, shotguns) that the federal has no knowledge who owns them. Now with his decree a paper trail which is the 4473 form will give them what their looking for. In my state of Pennsylvania a long gun can be sold or traded with no background check providing the person who is selling the firearm to another person is able to own a weapon and is a resident of Pa. All handguns must be registered to the new owner by a background check, why because the majority of firearm crimes are committed with handguns.