Sharkfin - "The fact that there have been no massacres since gun laws were introduced would seem to indicate that the gun laws have been successful to some degree."

How many massacres have we had? My impression was that they were very rare in Australia anyway.

To me the telling point (and I've seen conflicting claims about this) are in the following questions - is the rate of gun related crime and the overall homicide rate up or down?

R0bert

According to those who know- The jokes on us.

For almost three years we were accomadated by a indoor pistol club.

Strange combination some will say however we were grateful for the office space and support.

At times there would be jolly faces and much excitment.

When we enquired one day after the police had been destroying old arms we got an answer.

It seems you could get a real good price for handing in some old unusable thing and pick up your cheque.

On that day alone it was three hundred and forty thousand.

The guys of course spent the money buying new and quicker weapons.

It didnt stop there.

There was already provishion in the currect act at the time to take back fire arms.

Mmm What some will do for a few votes.

On a personal note I think we are fools not to arm ourselves to protect our familys.

Especially here.

I must say the quality of these threads seems to have picked up.

Even if one doesnt agree with all the comments people seem to be making a real effort.

Good topics too.

Addendum: There is no record that any criminals reduced the calibre (bore diametre) or the magazine capacity of their illegal pistols due to the Governments inititive.

It is still possible to have a pistol above 38 cal. If you shoot Metallic Silhouette or Cowboy Single Action, revolvers in 44 Magnum and 45 Long Colt can legally be owned and used.

As for strict gun laws, the UK's restrictions are more draconian than here, yet have a look at this news item:-

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=427

The laws only restrict the legal sporting shooters.

By the way, Is Mise, the 20 thou difference between 40 and 38 cal equates to five hairs of .004 inch. I, too, was brought up with imperial measurements. The RAAF still uses that system.

This gets better by the day:

2GB (Sydney)
Sydney Drivetime - 12/02/2007 - 05:21 PM Program Preview.
Clark says we thought the gun buy-back had collected over 600,000 weapons,
all of which were destroyed. He says however it turns out that is not so and
hundreds of weapons have found their ways back into the hands of criminals.

Clark says he found a story by Les Kennedy in the Herald on the weekend
pretty alarming. He says it seems hundreds of guns in the gun buyback system
were not destroyed, but instead redistributed by crooked gun dealers. Clark
interviews Roy Smith, Executive Director, Sporting Shooters Association of
Australia, about the story. Smith says Clark will have to ask the government
why the guns were not crushed immediately. He says they are not surprised.
Clark says the bureaucracy is stupid and asks what can you trust them with.
Smith says this is not the first time it happened and one of the firearms
used at Port Arthur had actually been handed in in a Victorian buyback a few
years earlier. Smith admits the scope of the operation would put pressure on
police but says you would think they could get it right. He says he is sure
there are other examples. He says over-legislating forces firearms into the
black market. He says all of these guns were registered and legally held and
they have now been forced underground.

Interviewees: Roy Smith, Executive Director, Sporting Shooters Association of Australia.

By a hair's breadth!!.
Sorry about that JSP1498, have put the arithmetical disc back into the brain slot.

I'm often quite amused by the flimsy arguments used by the gun lobby.

I dunno about you JSP, but I tend to think things a little more nuanced than having armed or disarmed peasants.

Of course, the risk of the government making an invasion with the army is so great, we should just allow everyone to have guns.

Have you not seen the rate of homicide in the US? Have you not read the statistics, how you're more likely to shoot a family member than a burglar.

How kids in gangs are shooting one another because they can.

Sure - some guns still get out there... so what's the gun lobby solution? Make em easier to get.

Honestly.