# firearms ownership



## remington (Feb 4, 2011)

Hi guys and girls As a licensed firearms owner\and ssaa member I would like to here peoples views on gun ownership in Australia Please do not turn this in to a fight.


----------



## AnimalCollector6 (Feb 4, 2011)

I think it's perfectly fine, just so long as the guns are used appropriately.
Unfortunatly a lot of people like to shoot native wildlife


----------



## shea_and_ruby (Feb 4, 2011)

My husband has guns (and is of coursed licensed) and I hate them. We don't keep them in our house as we have young children, so they are kept at my inlaws place in their safes. I personally hate them. I can see the need for them for those who live on properties - getting rid of pests, putting animals out of their misery, etc- but even then there are other ways of doing things. 

Recently though, the thing which really annoyed me, what that Abott had the balls to turn around to Gilard and have a go at her about the levy, where as he supported five - one of which was for a gun amnesty. Now while it was a good thing that people turned in their illegals, if they didn't have them in the first place there wouldn't be an issue. 

Guns are weapons, deadly weapons. My cousin also shot himself, and if it wasn't for the family having a pistol at home, who knows, he could still be here today. Not necessary in my opinion, and would make the world a better place without them that's for sure.


----------



## remington (Feb 4, 2011)

shea_and_ruby said:


> . Guns are weapons, deadly weapons. My cousin also shot himself, and if it wasn't for the family having a pistol at home, who knows, he could still be here today. Not necessary in my opinion, and would make the world a better place without them that's for sure.




Firearms do not kill people... people kill people if they didn't have guns they would use knives there are lots more murders in Australia with knives then firearms.. All so first of the pistol in your cousins house SHOULD have been in a locket safe and if he didn't use a firearm he could have hung him self ect


----------



## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 4, 2011)

"Guns don't kill people, I kill people!" 

Seriously, I miss my ****nal. Kept a lot of rifles and shotguns back in the motherland but bringing them here with me was in the too hard basket! It's on my list though, to get my license here and start sport shooting again.


----------



## AnimalCollector6 (Feb 4, 2011)

Knives are weapons, yet we need them, they are useful tools. As with knives, guns pose no problem so long as they are in the possession of someone who knows how to correctly use them. Children I believe can be allowed guns (When they are a suitable age) as long as they are taught the correct procedures when using firearms. My point being, most murders are committed with knives, knives are about as deadly as guns if in the hands of anyone not suitable for their use. Guns are useful tools which can be very important so long as the user is correctly educated, this I believe also applies to knives..

REMINGTON; ..."people kill people if they didn't have guns they would use knives there are lots more murders in Australia with knives then firearms." - Beat me to it.


----------



## beeman (Feb 4, 2011)

Dont have a problem with lawful firearm ownership.
We as kids grew up around firearms and were taught to use and respect them from a very early age.
This is something that as parents we have passed onto our kids, We started teaching them at 5 years old onward. By doing this we have negated the whole gun taboo issue that rears its ugly head and takes away the mystery about firearms that usually causes problems


----------



## shea_and_ruby (Feb 4, 2011)

Oh yes I understand that, but you asked for honest opinions, so I gave mine. It was locked in a safe, he was an adult and was able to access it. It was after a fight with someone and was an instant reaction. However, we are not here to discuss that. Please don't ask for opinions if you're not going to like what you hear. Guns are a sensitive issue to a lot of people. 

Like you mentioned, more people are killed with knives than with guns here in Australia. I don't contest that. The government have been trying to put in place stricter laws regarding the selling of knives and their concealment. However, unlike guns, knives are needed in society for a number of reasons and are therefore much harder to control than firearms.


----------



## moosenoose (Feb 4, 2011)

I took two of my kids for their first shoot last weekend (using a club-built .223 cal), and they had a blast! (literally :lol. A gun is a tool, like anything else, and if used correctly shouldn't be protrayed as a thing of evil. Perhaps owning or using a rifle is totally unnecessary.... But then I think that about golf! :lol: Absolutely nothing wrong with guns if used for honest reasons. Currently applying for my license.


----------



## Mr.James (Feb 4, 2011)

I think the firearms laws are ok. The only thing I think could be improved is the safety training courses prior to city slickers getting there licences, they should be longer and more intense. I feel that alot of people who are not brought up around them & aren't in a rural environment, turn into gun club nuts who just wanna shot 'stuff' and participate in the game council hunting scam's.

I only shoot 3 months of the year on various properties and wetland conservation area's culling foxes. Occasionally I may go out and bring home some venison.


----------



## remington (Feb 4, 2011)

beeman said:


> we have passed onto our kids, We started teaching them at 5 years old onward. By doing this we have negated the whole gun taboo issue that rears its ugly head and takes away the mystery about firearms that usually causes problems


 Top job mate teaching kids how to safely use and respect firearms is one of the smartest thing a firearms owner can do!



Mr.Boyd said:


> I think the firearms laws are ok. The only thing I think could be improved is the safety training courses prior to city slickers getting there licences, they should be longer and more intense. I feel that alot of people who are not brought up around them & aren't in a rural environment, turn into gun club nuts who just wanna shot 'stuff' and participate in the game council hunting scam's.
> 
> I only shoot 3 months of the year on various properties and wetland conservation area's culling foxes. Occasionally I may go out and bring home some venison.


 In saying that a lot of rural firearms owners I have meet and I have meet well over 100 are way more unsafe then people who go to a gun club such as ssaa a lot of rural firearms owners leave guns loaded and not locket in the safe when not being used...


----------



## Bombie (Feb 4, 2011)

i think in the right hands, with the right teaching there shouldn't be a problem with guns in society!
look how many people are killed in cars every year, and they aren't trying to ban cars off the road - just making the learning process longer and harder before licencing someone!


----------



## FusionMorelia (Feb 4, 2011)

i think their fine the current laws i disagree with personally, 
after the buy back it seems only honest people gave back guns.... so whos got guns left....?


----------



## snakeluvver (Feb 4, 2011)

People say they're not evil things... They were built for killing. :?


----------



## remington (Feb 4, 2011)

Kid we are not talking about what firearms may not have been made for.


----------



## Banjo (Feb 4, 2011)

I think gun onwership is great, I own firearms, haven't been shooting much since my children have come along, but that will change as they get older and we can go out as father and sons and enjoy the sport in a safe way.
Nothing like getting rid of a few ferral animals.
As for things being weapons for killing, you could use just about anything, I would hate to hit by a large wood from a golf bag (Poor toads). My mate who is a doctor/surgeon says people are more likely to die from a knife wound as it does more damage that a gun shot wound, at least that is what he found out in ER.


----------



## snakeluvver (Feb 4, 2011)

remington said:


> *Kid* we are not talking about what firearms and what or what they may not have been made for.


 Grr I knew I shouldn't have put my age up


----------



## scottyo998 (Feb 4, 2011)

snakeluvver said:


> People say they're not evil things... They were built for killing. :?


 I find that an interesting attitude, purely because a vast majority of the technologies that are used today were being developed for the purpose of implementing them in weapons, or were then later used in weapons. 
As for my view though, i think guns are good, and have there place in society when used correctly. They a great for hunting, and as a hobby (i do clay target and also small bore target shooting). The laws are rather effective, but there are always people who break laws and abuse the system.What frustrates me is when people judge entire groups based on the actions of the small percentage.


----------



## guzzo (Feb 4, 2011)

Guns....They are out there...here to stay....legal and illegal....if the price is right they can be found....like exotic herps. 

The trouble is the person that holds the gun. 

 A good person no problem...a bad person and bad things will happen. 

 In reality the problem lies with Human Nature....and you can’t fix that with a law.


----------



## pinkmus (Feb 4, 2011)

I'm interested in getting my licence in the near future. I certainly agree that there should be licensing and safety courses etc. but perhaps some of the restrictions on certain types of firearms which can be owned are not entirely necessary. Then again I don't have much experience in these things. I will have to get my shooting licence in the future anyway because of Veterinary Science. 

As long as there is a licensing procedure and of course mandatory safety course/s I don't see why certain types of firearms are so restricted, after all in my opinion someone with a legal firearm can still cause as much damage as someone with a heavily restricted one ( assuming they even bother to get a licence in the first place).

Just my opinion....

-Will


----------



## i8ak9 (Feb 4, 2011)

there should be a ban on idiots.. not guns


----------



## voodoo (Feb 5, 2011)

I own 5 firearms. 3 are soley for targets on the range the other 2 are for feral animals.Guns are just like venomous snakes if handled properly and by someone who is trained there harmless. 
I reckon the laws are OK...but could be better.

Ps - Got a .308 remmington 700 tactical for sale or swap. Pm for details.


----------



## remington (Feb 5, 2011)

voodoo said:


> .Guns are just like venomous snakes if handled properly and by someone who is trained there harmless.


 
Mate firearms and Harmless don't mix the word complacent comes to mind when people have the attitude that there Harmless that's when people get hurt!!! grrr makes my blood boil


----------



## scottyo998 (Feb 5, 2011)

remington said:


> Mate firearms and Harmless don't mix the word complacent comes to mind when people have the attitude that there Harmless that's when people get hurt!!! grrr makes my blood boil


 But it is like previous mentioned, a firearm on its own is completely harmless.. its when you give that harmless gun to someone who has no idea what they are doing that it becomes a lethal weapon


----------



## remington (Feb 5, 2011)

Yes but when you get complacent in the field or at the range thats when people get shoot.


----------



## scottyo998 (Feb 5, 2011)

admitting that a firearm in itself can be harmless in the right hands does not necessarily equate to complacency though (thats what idiocy does) , i personally feel it to be the opposite. It puts all the ownership onto you as the possessor and user of the gun to handle it in a responsible manner. Knowing how to safely handle any firearm you're holding is the key to safe gun ownership. Anyone who has a gun that is scared it will go off at a moment that it shouldn't or in an unsafe manner, is handling there firearm wrong. simple as that


----------



## guzzo (Feb 5, 2011)

guns,knives,cross bows,cars alcahol,drugs, responsibility, trust, power etc etc etc when it is abused by people things go bad...............does banning guns or any of the others solve the problem???. As i said before the problem is human nature....and how do you place restrictions on that??? A gun is a tool....a screw driver is a tool both in the hand of a human can and have killed.


----------



## voodoo (Feb 5, 2011)

Hang on Mr Remington...settle down...Thats your opinion, and thats cool...The people i hunt with also share the same analogy..."Guns used correctly in the hands of trained people are harmless/safe",and after many many trips we have never once had a close call. This is soley due to the fact that all of us have been trained with safety being our number 1 concern. 

Our Cardinal rule is that a fiream must always be 'in control'. When its not in use - its unloaded and locked away, Before we use it (clean it) - Ammo and bolts are tucked/locked away, when on the feild, its used by a trained person...And this ensures the safety while enjoying our hobby. For us there is no in-between, this is how its done. We know any deviation from this is when people could get hurt.


----------



## voodoo (Feb 5, 2011)




----------



## moosenoose (Feb 5, 2011)

I was using a .308 cal the other day at a range and could never imagine pointing it at someone. The very thought of it was horrrific. I'd imagine most people would be of equal mindset. The others are probably too busy beating people and robbing houses to worry about filling out firearms paperwork :lol: 

From what I'm currently experiencing now, the hurdles in obtaining one legally are pretty damn high; and I think thats a good thing. I'm sure it'd be far easier getting one on the black market, and this is the area that needs cracking down on! How often do you hear of police raids where various guns (a lot of them large calibre semi-autos) are found with large quantities of narcotics? It's almost weekly. 

I also think in recent years we've become a little smarter as a society and have clamped down wisely in regards to ownership and accountabilty of firearms sales. Still, there is an awful lot out there that are unaswered for.


----------



## bump73 (Feb 5, 2011)

remington said:


> Kid we are not talking about what firearms may not have been made for.


 

Mate you ask peoples views on guns and then rip into anyone whos view differs to yours. Everyone's entitled to an opinion. 

Personally unless you live on a farm I don't think you should be able to keep them at home they should be locked up at the club or local cop shop when not being used. 

Ben


----------



## voodoo (Feb 5, 2011)

scottyo998 said:


> But it is like previous mentioned, a firearm on its own is completely harmless.. its when you give that harmless gun to someone who has no idea what they are doing that it becomes a lethal weapon



Well Said...I agree.


----------



## Banjo (Feb 5, 2011)

i8ak9 said:


> there should be a ban on idiots.. not guns


Should ban idiots from cars, bikes, trucks.........


----------



## beeman (Feb 5, 2011)

bump73 said:


> Mate you ask peoples views on guns and then rip into anyone whos view differs to yours. Everyone's entitled to an opinion.
> 
> Personally unless you live on a farm I don't think you should be able to keep them at home they should be locked up at the club or local cop shop when not being used.
> 
> Ben


 
This is the sort of reply i would expect from an uninformed person, Mate there is no way in hell i would allow the storage of my firearms by another person no matter who it may be.
To put it into context a competition gun valued at $20000 + or - $5000 or so depending on model etc is not some thing you let out of your control for a second!


----------



## Waterrat (Feb 5, 2011)

Who needs firearms?
Then again, this Nu Gini pela would have been better off with a bullet through his head.


----------



## remington (Feb 5, 2011)

Ouch!!!! waterat do you know if he made it threw that?


----------



## Waterrat (Feb 5, 2011)

I don't know, here is another "shot". Looks like he didn't run fast enough.


----------



## Mr.James (Feb 5, 2011)

Waterrat said:


> I don't know, here is another "shot". Looks like he didn't run fast enough.



That's some serious acupuncture!


----------



## Radar (Feb 5, 2011)

If anyone needs a firearm Im pretty sure it's that poor bloke...


----------



## baxtor (Feb 5, 2011)

bump73 said:


> Mate you ask peoples views on guns and then rip into anyone whos view differs to yours. Everyone's entitled to an opinion.
> 
> Personally unless you live on a farm I don't think you should be able to keep them at home they should be locked up at the club or local cop shop when not being used.
> 
> Ben



that's a brilliant idea. One big firearms supermarket for the crims.


----------



## remington (Feb 5, 2011)

bump73 said:


> Personally unless you live on a farm I don't think you should be able to keep them at home they should be locked up at the club or local cop shop when not being used.
> 
> Ben



That must be a joke do you know how many police stations have been broken in to and there guns stolen?


----------



## AnimalCollector6 (Feb 5, 2011)

remington said:


> That must be a joke do you know how many police stations have been broken in to and there guns stolen?


 

How many? Seriously i don't know.


----------



## remington (Feb 5, 2011)

Bowen (QLD)

The Police Station was broken into and the safe containing the pistols was broken into, every service pistol stolen.
West end Brisbane.
Twenty Firearms stolen including five m4 assault rifles 

There have been many more then these two all so..


----------



## AnimalCollector6 (Feb 5, 2011)

Geez! thats ****! People will be carrying pistols and M4's on the streets!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Hooglabah (Feb 5, 2011)

Mr.Boyd said:


> I think the firearms laws are ok. The only thing I think could be improved is the safety training courses prior to city slickers getting there licences, they should be longer and more intense. I feel that alot of people who are not brought up around them & aren't in a rural environment, turn into gun club nuts who just wanna shot 'stuff' and participate in the game council hunting scam's.
> 
> I only shoot 3 months of the year on various properties and wetland conservation area's culling foxes. Occasionally I may go out and bring home some venison.


 
I am a "city slicker" and I'm a better shot and more firearm safety savvy then 90% of farmers who's properties I shoot on.


----------



## Jungles (Feb 5, 2011)

I couldnt live without my rifles, Ive been shooting since i was a kid - Its a sport that many dont get but alot appreciate. People on this site keep more lethal weapons in cages then in safes. hahaha


----------



## Radar (Feb 6, 2011)

I was contemplating the issue of vens vs guns....Im a firearm owner, and I find my guns do their own thing a lot less often then my snakes do, they are a machine afterall, you make them work how you want them to work. 

Being one of the 'city slicker' mob, I find I'm constantly pulling up 'bushies' on firearm safety (mostly land owners kids who come out shooting with us). Nothing like having a 16yo pointing a loaded shotgun around with total disregard for safety, or leaving rounds in the chamber when in storage ('Is that loaded' 'Nah' *checks breech* - Loaded), or balancing a loaded gun, barrel down, on the tip of their boots.....

I grew up around guns, but it wasn't in the way that alot of bush kids did. I didn't just get given the safe keys and let run loose with them. 

As much as I'd like a 10/22 or somesuch for rabbits, Im pretty happy with the current laws. I've used plenty of auto's and semi's, pump shotguns etc, and I can live the thought that they can't legally be bought.


----------



## PhilK (Feb 6, 2011)

Have my PTA but have come up against a brick wall... My rental landlords will not let me have a firearm in the house, and my mum won't let me keep it at my parents house.... sucks big time. Am itching to buy my first gun.


----------



## Radar (Feb 6, 2011)

You told your landlords? :lol: 
You wouldn't be able to keep it at your parents house unless one of them also held the same category of firearm license as yourself. 

Storage at a gunshop or club maybe? Costs money, but so does a safe...


----------



## PhilK (Feb 6, 2011)

Yes I told them... what an idiot. Should have just said "a safe for valuables".

My dad also holds a Cat A&B licence, but mum says no no no


----------



## Radar (Feb 6, 2011)

Call me a bad person, but I've always just (unobtrusively) bolted the safe to a bare section of slab, done a neat job of it, and filled in the holes upon leaving. Don't do it if you can't do a nice job of it, or if it will wreck something. Deep carpet in cupboards often hides the holes you drill if you drill through it when you take the bolts out, just put it in a back corner or something so its not so noticeable. Had 6 houses over the past few years, and even my housemates rarely knew I kept firearms. Just be sure you can do it well if you're going to do it. 

Had the same issue with my mum.....funnily enough dad has the license's as well....


----------



## moosenoose (Feb 21, 2011)

I hate this stupid bump feature!!!!!! Grrrrrrrr


Can anyone on here help me with this topic?: http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/chit-chat-39/gun-safety-course-victoria-155340/


----------



## Grogshla (Feb 21, 2011)

i think firearms are necessary in rural areas. 
However with ALL things there are people who are not suitable to operate machinery. There is no right and wrong answer folks!! As long as the person uses the guns for sport targets, to cull pests or in emergency situations which require putting down livestock i feel this is fine. Its when some1 with mental issues or depression (which i have) then there may be a danger to the owner or innocent animals


----------



## ozziepythons (Feb 21, 2011)

A good mate has a rifle but his too happy to bring it out and show it off readily. I'm worried that his going to do something stupid with it one day. Hopefully it doesn't involve me!


----------



## ashisnothereman (Feb 21, 2011)

i looked into firearms licencing and it looks like a major effort so i lost interest. plus if you get into pretty much any trouble with the law (esp. violent incidents, etc) you cant apply for a weapons licence for 10 years give or take. in my opinion i think the majority of licence holders are legit and use them sensibly.


----------



## Jackrabbit (Feb 21, 2011)

moosenoose said:


> Perhaps owning or using a rifle is totally unnecessary.... But then I think that about golf! :lol: Absolutely nothing wrong with guns if used for honest reasons.



Ever heard of any one being murdered by a game of golf? What honest reason can someone have for needing a gun, in the city? No one in the city needs a gun at home in the city.

As a city dweller I can't see the requirement for my fellow city dwellers to need a gun. No one NEEDS a gun. If you want to go to a gun range to get the thrill of firing a gun, fine but the gun should only be used there and hired. It doesn't need to be taken home and locked in a safe so you can take it back to the firing range again for use.

Ever hear of 'Paint Ball'?

As to rural folk, I understand a small need for pest control or as a means of humane destruction of livestock. what else could they need a gun for?

Self defence is not a reason to have a gun either. If guns were outlawed altogether then no one would have them. ( a little naive I know) I know you can say criminals will just use some other weapon such as a knife or whatever, but it is easier to defend against a knife than a gun. Ever tried to outrun a bullet?


----------



## Grogshla (Feb 21, 2011)

well said jackrabbit


----------



## Radar (Feb 22, 2011)

That is all a bit academic.... No-one needs a snake either, and Im pretty sure if we look back a few hundred years we'll find that cars also aren't necessary for survival. 

The point you may be missing is that many people that live in the city don't spend their whole lives there. 

You're right though, outlawing guns doesn't work. It's easier for me to get a black gun than it is to get a legal one, just costs a little bit more. Just because they are illegal doesn't mean you can't get them, look at corns and boas.


----------



## guzzo (Feb 22, 2011)

Here is one for you guys, It is a Gamo 440 airgun .177, I rebuilt it and put a decent spring and new trigger in (original spring did not last very long and original trigger is crud). Shoots at about 850fps which punches a pellet through a tin at 50 meters.

Great for cane toads and feral rats. I put out a LED light with a bit of peanut butter under it and sit back and snipe the good old brown rat.

Group is from 15 meters.


View attachment 187641
View attachment 187640


----------



## moosenoose (Feb 22, 2011)

Jackrabbit said:


> Ever heard of any one being murdered by a game of golf? What honest reason can someone have for needing a gun, in the city? No one in the city needs a gun at home in the city.



Ever heard of anyone at a rifle range being murdered??? My god there must be tens of thousands of guns there over the years...and not one murder! Do you find that odd also??

Oh...and I got a link for you 

BBC News - Man convicted of golf club murder in Buckinghamshire


----------



## pinkmus (Feb 22, 2011)

Jackrabbit said:


> Self defence is not a reason to have a gun either. If guns were outlawed altogether then no one would have them. ( a little naive I know) I know you can say criminals will just use some other weapon such as a knife or whatever, but it is easier to defend against a knife than a gun. Ever tried to outrun a bullet?



The problem is that 'people would still have them. Thinking that outlawing guns will result in no guns in the hands of criminals is similar to saying that because exotic reptiles are banned from private ownership people do not have them. Same goes for illegal drugs. I seriously doubt criminals would buy weapons from legal sources anyway. I do get your point though, unfortunately people with not so-good intentions will always have access to 'guns'.

(Just my opinion) 

-Will


----------



## elapid66 (Feb 22, 2011)

there is no gun problem there is a people problem


----------



## AllThingsReptile (Feb 22, 2011)

snakeluvver said:


> People say they're not evil things... They were built for killing. :?


 so were snakes......sooo......yeh, you still are a "snakeluvver" ........but guns are made for killing, and its a :s ?????




anyways back on topic
i think, that used correctly, guns are fine, and gun related murders in australia are amost none, knives are probably the deadliest thing on the planet, they are concealable, fast, effective and silent.....hence why they have been used in warfare for so long.....
i plan on getting a gun license in the future, i love hunting, and at my age, and having no gun supportive family, i wil hunt with bows 

another point i will put out there, since gun laws where tightened in 1996, firearm suicides have dropped dramaticly.....
same with murders, the gun laws we have now are fine, its just, even with a gun license, someone could still go and kill someone.....

also whats to say someone who keeps vens couldnt slip an inland taipan into someones bed?......just another thing to add


----------



## Radar (Feb 22, 2011)

Hmmmm...not that I was going to put this out there earlier, but I did recently stop a robbery in my own home using a deactivated shotgun (which is as inert as a baseball bat, but you don't actually have to club anyone with it, they just look at it and pay attention). They hit 6 houses before they got to us. Food for thought I guess. 

It's like everything, there are always going to be for and against. I choose to be for, but I don't push my views on other people, Im not a Mormon. I appreciate not getting told I'm a bad person for being a responsible and generally law abiding citizen. And trust me, the amount of stuff-around you have to go through to get a license these days, compared to 20 years ago in qld when you didn't need one, means people who want one for the wrong reasons are just going to buy a black market one from the yobbo down the street. Most streets have one, they just don't know it. You'd be surprised. 

On another note, I am trying to buy an old pump .22 in good nick if anyone has one they'd like to part with, I keep getting in too late to the ones online.


----------

