I have been recently going to http://shootingaustralia.net/forum/index, reading up on the restrictions that they have imposed upon them, a real eye opener as to what could happen here. I am an old man, raised with firearms since my earliest memories. I can not imagine what it would be like to have the restrictions imposed upon us as those in Australia live with. I used to live in Illinois, things may have changed, but then every firearm owner had to be registered. You could not even purchase ammunition with out showing the registration card. If you are interested in knowing how good we have it, go to the site above, and check out the laws they live under. Even with the crap we have going on, we still have relatively few restrictions.
Firearm Restrictions in Australia
- Thread starter jimcasey01
- Start date
It's sad but many of our youth are being brain washed to believe guns are bad while at the same time they are being taught that anything goes. I've read about politicians that just want "common sense" gun laws but looking at Australia and England we can see what their idea of common sense is. Gun laws are a feel good fix to a problem that doesn't exist. We cannot stop bad people bent on hurting others by passing more gun laws. Look at our neighbor down south. Tough gun laws and only the bad guys have guns. Boy that would make me feel warm and fuzzy. We need to educate anyone that talks about common sense gun laws and show them what has happened in other countries that have started down that slippery slope.
As an Australian, I don't find our laws as bad as the majority of countries out there (In the states I have lived in anyway).
I know people who live near me and own over a hundred rifles, shot guns and pistols. We do have to apply for a permit to acquire which can take a few weeks, but some have a few permits in at once if they are after a few guns. Our gun shops are usually fully stocked with all types of primers and powders, so we have not felt the shortage many countries have.
The restrictions we have are that we cannot own machine guns at all. To own a semi auto, we need a pretty good reason such as pest control on a large property. We cant own large calibre pistols (in most states anyway I think). We don't have the open laws which USA have but the restrictions we do have don't affect most of us in practice.
In the mean time, I have a friend coming over from USA in a month, I hope to take some time off mid week to get him out to a few of the 10 or so F class ranges within 3 hrs drive.
I know people who live near me and own over a hundred rifles, shot guns and pistols. We do have to apply for a permit to acquire which can take a few weeks, but some have a few permits in at once if they are after a few guns. Our gun shops are usually fully stocked with all types of primers and powders, so we have not felt the shortage many countries have.
The restrictions we have are that we cannot own machine guns at all. To own a semi auto, we need a pretty good reason such as pest control on a large property. We cant own large calibre pistols (in most states anyway I think). We don't have the open laws which USA have but the restrictions we do have don't affect most of us in practice.
In the mean time, I have a friend coming over from USA in a month, I hope to take some time off mid week to get him out to a few of the 10 or so F class ranges within 3 hrs drive.
joshb
Gold $$ Contributor
Politicians sit around and think about what they can do to stay in office. They have to do "something". Writing and introducing new laws is their only claim to fame for the sound bites that will get them re-elected. Writing laws to address the "real problems" are too hard or as the loneranger mentioned, impossible. Nothing can stop an isolated nut job from hurting people, be it with an AR or a steak knife. The easy route, though ineffective, is to legislate new gun laws. After all, we ARE a bunch of law abiding citizens. We listen to and OBEY the law. The new laws have an effect and the politician has it's sound bite.
I'm glad to hear that you all have good supplies of firearms and ammo and I mean no offense in my statements but I'd surely miss my ARs and center fire handguns. I carry a pistol daily and while I've never had need to use it I've sure felt comforted by having it. Here in the States the worst crime happens in the cities with the strictest gun laws. I don't know how politicians can look at their voters and explain how more gun laws will help.RDavies said:
being from western Australia we have the most stupid laws in Australia..as a young fella I has semi auto .22 and pump action 12g after the port arthur shooting I could own them unless I had a bloody good reason and ended up selling them in the buy back
now I have had my gun licence since I was 17 when you just went and brought a gun and got it put on your licence..... not anymore
even though I am licenced if I want to buy a new gun (which you buy but cant take it yet, all you get are the numbers off it) or get a second barrel made in a different calibre I must get a letter off a farmer saying I can shoot vermin on his land as this gives me a reason to own a gun
then after getting the letter off a farmer (also needs to be enough land to shoot certain calibres and have animals on it to justify that calibre) I then have to fill out about 6 pages of paper work then forward those with a fee of $175 to get it licenced (can licence up to 10 firearms on one form and only costs $175 but if you licence 1 at a time its $175 each time)
but I must wait at least approx 30 days for the firearms section to approve my firearm I want to buy or get a second barrel made in a different calibre
once approved they send a letter out to you which you can then go pick up your gun, if they knock you back you cant own it and have to get your money back off the gun shop
now that is to get that gun on an open licence eg take anywhere at anytime
now if you can get a letter off a farmer you need to get it through a gun club but you can only take it to the gun club and back again,, not allowed to use outside of a gun club/range
and then if you want to buy a rifle that LOOKS like a military rifle
see link for this crap for what we have to put up with
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD33rt5bUT0
I have a 243 which I got a 2nd barrel made in 6BR and had to go through all the crap and $175 to get that barrel licenced to me to use it
its a load of crap
as for hand guns you can only use them at a club and must do 6 shoots a year at that club to prove that you need/can keep that handgun
if you don't do those 6 shoots in a year your handgun licence can be cancelled
yes its crap here and a pain in the butt.... also can only buy ammo, projectiles in the calibres you own and that's it.. no buying stuff for your mates if they don't have the same calibre as you
semi autos. 12g pump actions are the hardest to get own as you need to be a farmer with a good excuse to own one.... why you ask all because uneducated people made the decisions years ago and seeing these gun on movies makes them bad .......eg the government brought my semi auto .22 in the gun buy back so I went out and brought a lever action .22 that held 15 rounds under it wtf ... still shot it nearly as quick..
oh must add in WA you can only hunt on private property, hence you need a farmer to say you can shoot on his property other than that the range is the only other place
now I have had my gun licence since I was 17 when you just went and brought a gun and got it put on your licence..... not anymore
even though I am licenced if I want to buy a new gun (which you buy but cant take it yet, all you get are the numbers off it) or get a second barrel made in a different calibre I must get a letter off a farmer saying I can shoot vermin on his land as this gives me a reason to own a gun
then after getting the letter off a farmer (also needs to be enough land to shoot certain calibres and have animals on it to justify that calibre) I then have to fill out about 6 pages of paper work then forward those with a fee of $175 to get it licenced (can licence up to 10 firearms on one form and only costs $175 but if you licence 1 at a time its $175 each time)
but I must wait at least approx 30 days for the firearms section to approve my firearm I want to buy or get a second barrel made in a different calibre
once approved they send a letter out to you which you can then go pick up your gun, if they knock you back you cant own it and have to get your money back off the gun shop
now that is to get that gun on an open licence eg take anywhere at anytime
now if you can get a letter off a farmer you need to get it through a gun club but you can only take it to the gun club and back again,, not allowed to use outside of a gun club/range
and then if you want to buy a rifle that LOOKS like a military rifle
see link for this crap for what we have to put up with
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD33rt5bUT0
I have a 243 which I got a 2nd barrel made in 6BR and had to go through all the crap and $175 to get that barrel licenced to me to use it
its a load of crap
as for hand guns you can only use them at a club and must do 6 shoots a year at that club to prove that you need/can keep that handgun
if you don't do those 6 shoots in a year your handgun licence can be cancelled
yes its crap here and a pain in the butt.... also can only buy ammo, projectiles in the calibres you own and that's it.. no buying stuff for your mates if they don't have the same calibre as you
semi autos. 12g pump actions are the hardest to get own as you need to be a farmer with a good excuse to own one.... why you ask all because uneducated people made the decisions years ago and seeing these gun on movies makes them bad .......eg the government brought my semi auto .22 in the gun buy back so I went out and brought a lever action .22 that held 15 rounds under it wtf ... still shot it nearly as quick..
oh must add in WA you can only hunt on private property, hence you need a farmer to say you can shoot on his property other than that the range is the only other place
I know you guys are talking about AUS but let me give you a taste of how it goes down in South Africa.
When you turn 18 you are allowed by law to own a FA if you comply with all the rules.
When you decide you want a hunting rifle you will first need to go for competency training which includes some shooting and a test. Once your deemed fit to own a rifle you will get your competency certificate from the official training center and now the fun can start. You go to a gun shop and purchase a rifle, the shop will supply you with all the relevant paperwork you need with serial number and what not.
Now you go down to your local police station and get the license application form and if its your first rifle you will also need to apply for competency form the Central firearm officer for a rifle so some more papers.
Fill in all 100 pages, write a long fat motivation why you need this rifle, take along 4 ID photos and go get you finger prints stamped on your application at your local Police station.
The person in charge will go through all the paperwork with you and once its done you can submit you COMPETANCY application. The app will than go to the district firearms office where it will go through all sorts off checks, they will phone 3 people close to you for interviews to make sure you need the rifle/FA and then if you pass all that the application goes to Central firearms office where they do another load off checks.3weeks to 25years later you get a call saying you competency has been approved you can now come and submit you license application and the process starts over with app going the district FA office and to central. 3weeks to 25years later you get a sms on your phone saying your license for THAT particular FA has been approved and in another 3weeks to 25years your license card (looks like a credit card) will be delivered to you police station. You go collect your license card and now you can go and pick up your rifle
IF you want another rifle you go through the entire licenses/motivation process again from filling in the application, motivating, submitting it and waiting for all the checks and what not.IF you decide you want a semi auto pistol you go for your competency training for the semi auto pistol and do the competency app at police station than when you get the competency app you apply for license and so on. Shotgun, AR everything needs its own competency before you can apply for FA.
A normal shooter/citizen can own 1 semi auto handgun for recreational shooting or as a backup hunting pistol, one shotgun one revolver, rifle but never any more than 4 FA’s at once. So you can have a 30.06, 270WSM, 9mm and 12g.
Your license for each FA expires in anything from 3 years for Self Defense (you need a big motivation for a SD weapon in this save country of ours but luckily we are all sport shooters 8)) to 10 years for hunter, than you start at the beginning again with all the applications, luckily some one slipped up and the competency only expires when your last FA license expires so we just buy more FA’s . If you want/need to replace a barrel you apply for new barrel and need to motivate why you need the new barrel. Basically it’s a new FA that you need to apply for a new License with the gunsmith motivating why you need it.
If you “need†more than 4 FA’s you need to become a dedicated hunter, dedicated sport shooter or collector where you than need to comply with allot off "checks" every year (think this one comes from our anti FA brothers down in Aus). Luckily all these different shooting body’s that we had to belong to created a massive Fire Arm “Group†if you want, like the NRA in the US and now we have a bigger collective voice than before all this crap started. If you want a Semi auto AR you need to be one of these as well and you need one hell of a motivation why you need a AR in a country as safe as SA.
If you don’t have a dedicated status you can only have 200 rounds per caliber in you possession and your only allowed 2.4kg or just over 5 pounds of gun powder.You can also only purchase loaded ammo for the caliber you have on you license and you cant have anything on your property that you don't have a license for, ammo or FA.
Yet with all these rule in place our armed criminals still outnumbering legal gun owners by a long way and there are more changes/rules planned but luckily this time around we as gun owners were prepared for the battle so it turned out a little different to what the anti’s expected.
Luckily most gun lovers around here have some sort off dedicated statutes and we own everything we can afford with the gun industry booming over here like never before. It would be fantastic if they would license the person and then register the FA so we don’t have to wait months for our license after buying a FA.
When you turn 18 you are allowed by law to own a FA if you comply with all the rules.
When you decide you want a hunting rifle you will first need to go for competency training which includes some shooting and a test. Once your deemed fit to own a rifle you will get your competency certificate from the official training center and now the fun can start. You go to a gun shop and purchase a rifle, the shop will supply you with all the relevant paperwork you need with serial number and what not.
Now you go down to your local police station and get the license application form and if its your first rifle you will also need to apply for competency form the Central firearm officer for a rifle so some more papers.
Fill in all 100 pages, write a long fat motivation why you need this rifle, take along 4 ID photos and go get you finger prints stamped on your application at your local Police station.
The person in charge will go through all the paperwork with you and once its done you can submit you COMPETANCY application. The app will than go to the district firearms office where it will go through all sorts off checks, they will phone 3 people close to you for interviews to make sure you need the rifle/FA and then if you pass all that the application goes to Central firearms office where they do another load off checks.3weeks to 25years later you get a call saying you competency has been approved you can now come and submit you license application and the process starts over with app going the district FA office and to central. 3weeks to 25years later you get a sms on your phone saying your license for THAT particular FA has been approved and in another 3weeks to 25years your license card (looks like a credit card) will be delivered to you police station. You go collect your license card and now you can go and pick up your rifle
IF you want another rifle you go through the entire licenses/motivation process again from filling in the application, motivating, submitting it and waiting for all the checks and what not.IF you decide you want a semi auto pistol you go for your competency training for the semi auto pistol and do the competency app at police station than when you get the competency app you apply for license and so on. Shotgun, AR everything needs its own competency before you can apply for FA.
A normal shooter/citizen can own 1 semi auto handgun for recreational shooting or as a backup hunting pistol, one shotgun one revolver, rifle but never any more than 4 FA’s at once. So you can have a 30.06, 270WSM, 9mm and 12g.
Your license for each FA expires in anything from 3 years for Self Defense (you need a big motivation for a SD weapon in this save country of ours but luckily we are all sport shooters 8)) to 10 years for hunter, than you start at the beginning again with all the applications, luckily some one slipped up and the competency only expires when your last FA license expires so we just buy more FA’s . If you want/need to replace a barrel you apply for new barrel and need to motivate why you need the new barrel. Basically it’s a new FA that you need to apply for a new License with the gunsmith motivating why you need it.
If you “need†more than 4 FA’s you need to become a dedicated hunter, dedicated sport shooter or collector where you than need to comply with allot off "checks" every year (think this one comes from our anti FA brothers down in Aus). Luckily all these different shooting body’s that we had to belong to created a massive Fire Arm “Group†if you want, like the NRA in the US and now we have a bigger collective voice than before all this crap started. If you want a Semi auto AR you need to be one of these as well and you need one hell of a motivation why you need a AR in a country as safe as SA.
If you don’t have a dedicated status you can only have 200 rounds per caliber in you possession and your only allowed 2.4kg or just over 5 pounds of gun powder.You can also only purchase loaded ammo for the caliber you have on you license and you cant have anything on your property that you don't have a license for, ammo or FA.
Yet with all these rule in place our armed criminals still outnumbering legal gun owners by a long way and there are more changes/rules planned but luckily this time around we as gun owners were prepared for the battle so it turned out a little different to what the anti’s expected.
Luckily most gun lovers around here have some sort off dedicated statutes and we own everything we can afford with the gun industry booming over here like never before. It would be fantastic if they would license the person and then register the FA so we don’t have to wait months for our license after buying a FA.
I think this is a good time to put in a plug for the NRA. I doubt that there are any other countries in the world that have the firearm freedoms that we have and I'm quite sure without the NRA we would be in the same boat as these other countries.
If you're a shooter then you should be a member, period.
If you're a shooter then you should be a member, period.
loneranger, I always think of Australia and Canada as being the closest in terms of lifestyle, language, and thinking among the population, as the USA. For that reason, I was shocked when I started to read about their laws. Many of the locals in Australia seem to say that it is not too big of a hardship, but I believe that is because it is normal to them now. They have already forgotten what true freedom is. I already know that I will catch flack for that last statement, but I in no way meant it as a derogatory statement, only an observation from afar. I started to include a blurb for the NRA, but shied away from it in my original post. After much thinking with the benefit of hindsight, I should have included a blurb. I actually thought that it would be obvious to anyone reading the post, my mistake. I know it is not reasonable, due to the extra work needed by the already over worked forum administrators, but I would not object to a requirement to be able to post to a thread or respond, that would include at minimum, verified NRA membership. I know that most are members here, but if the truth be know, I am certain that a few of the posting members do not hold a NRA membership. It will not catch on, as we have too many members that for whatever reason, falsely perceived or real, do not have the "backbone" to even include minimal information about themselves, so that they can remain "anonymous". They are showing their ignorance of the electronic age. As most know, computers have IP addresses, and cell phone usage is pretty visible, witness the NSA operations. I wish more people would become "visible" rather than trying to hide behind a pseudonym to build on their alter ego, as a Walter Mitty.
I personally would see nothing wrong with a minimal annual fee to cover the cost of the site and verifying NRA membership.
Kind of a "put your money where your mouth is".
I personally would see nothing wrong with a minimal annual fee to cover the cost of the site and verifying NRA membership.
Kind of a "put your money where your mouth is".
Some countries have such ridiculous firearms laws it's almost criminal.
In New Zealand, at the age of 16 or over, to get a firearms licence you pay a fee and fill out a form listing two referee's and other details and then submit the form to the police with proof of id, proof of paying the fee etc, sit a firearms safety course and once you pass the test, your referee's are interviewed. One of the referee's has to be a non relative and the other has to be a relative or spouse.
After this if you are deemed to be a fit and proper person you are issued with a firearms licence which is valid for 10 years. Before the 10 years is up you have to re submit a renewal form with referee's and the interview process happens again.
This allows you to own "A" category firearms, ie any firearm except a handgun or Military Style Semi Auto (MSSA).
To own a MSSA there are a few extra hoops to jump through and the firearm is also registered.
To own a handgun you have to be a member of a pistol/handgun club, do so many competitions each year and can only use the handgun for target shooting, no hunting with a handgun. There are also stricter security requirements etc.
Collectors and dealers have an additional category added to their licence with additional requirements.
Being an A category licence holder I can buy a firearm and ammo without any additional checks, provided they are "A" category firearms.
So here in NZ the firearms owner is licenced, and handguns and MSSA's are the only firearms that are registered.
In New Zealand, at the age of 16 or over, to get a firearms licence you pay a fee and fill out a form listing two referee's and other details and then submit the form to the police with proof of id, proof of paying the fee etc, sit a firearms safety course and once you pass the test, your referee's are interviewed. One of the referee's has to be a non relative and the other has to be a relative or spouse.
After this if you are deemed to be a fit and proper person you are issued with a firearms licence which is valid for 10 years. Before the 10 years is up you have to re submit a renewal form with referee's and the interview process happens again.
This allows you to own "A" category firearms, ie any firearm except a handgun or Military Style Semi Auto (MSSA).
To own a MSSA there are a few extra hoops to jump through and the firearm is also registered.
To own a handgun you have to be a member of a pistol/handgun club, do so many competitions each year and can only use the handgun for target shooting, no hunting with a handgun. There are also stricter security requirements etc.
Collectors and dealers have an additional category added to their licence with additional requirements.
Being an A category licence holder I can buy a firearm and ammo without any additional checks, provided they are "A" category firearms.
So here in NZ the firearms owner is licenced, and handguns and MSSA's are the only firearms that are registered.
Jim Casey said:
Jim so all International members of this forum would also need to become NRA members to post or respond??
Is that what you are suggesting?
CatShooter
JRS said:
What ever happened then was over 35 years ago. We need to deal with what is going on now, and the NRA is the only meaningful force that is working for us on a national level now.
hpshooter
Gold $$ Contributor
I am in total agreement with Catshooter on this. In 1968 the anti's were on the verge of getting national registration. In good faith the NRA pressured legislators to formulate the 1968 gun control bill which averted registration and was hailed by the antis as the last form of gun control they would ever need or ask for.
Unfortunately it takes a "big money" political organization to have any sway with our government. The NRA isn't perfect but it is the closet thing we have to a united front for gun rights.
MHO
T W Hudson
Unfortunately it takes a "big money" political organization to have any sway with our government. The NRA isn't perfect but it is the closet thing we have to a united front for gun rights.
MHO
T W Hudson
Kiwishooter said:
Kiwishooter, no it is not my intent to keep international members silent. But, for those who reside in this country, I say "put up or shut up".
A few years ago, while still gainfully employed, I went to a convenience store about 300 yards from where I worked for lunch. A panhandler hit on me because he "needed money to feed his family as he was out of work". I pointed to the door of the company I worked for, gave him the address and a contact person, and told him they were begging people to work. They would even train him and supply basic tools, so previous skill and tools were not necessary. As I exited the store, I offered to have him accompany me to the shop. He stated that he would be there shortly. A no show (what a surprise!). Later, I saw him numerous times in the same circumstances, and never gave a penny to him. If he is not willing to help himself, why should anyone else be willing to help him. The same holds true for our "firearms owner's rights", do something that will further your cause or quit complaining. An old saying I learned in my youth, "sh!t or get off of the pot"!
Raythemanroe
Bullet Whisperer
Is this true? Obama's executive order?
http://drrichswier.com/2015/06/20/president-obama-bans-the-use-of-guns-in-all-films-television-shows-and-video-games/
Ray
http://drrichswier.com/2015/06/20/president-obama-bans-the-use-of-guns-in-all-films-television-shows-and-video-games/
Ray
By the numbers Jim:
Roughly 4.5 million NRA members.
60 million households in the U.S. owning guns.
That certainly doesn't reflect a very good percentage of NRA members. If Paul were to enact a mandatory NRA membership on this site, we would probably realize a couple of thousand site members remaining.
Roughly 4.5 million NRA members.
60 million households in the U.S. owning guns.
That certainly doesn't reflect a very good percentage of NRA members. If Paul were to enact a mandatory NRA membership on this site, we would probably realize a couple of thousand site members remaining.
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