Toni,

Do away with all ammunition and you have a solution that exists only in your own mind.
Out in the real world of the well informed there are air guns, linear accelerators (Gauss rifles) and electronic ignition firearms using propellants easily obtained from the supermarket.

Just Google Gauss rifle for a mind widening slice of information.

How many rounds do you reckon there are in sheds across Australia ?

That horse has bolted, well and truly.

So what then ? Tighten up on any new purchases and registrations, written records of purchases of both guns and ammunition, only with ID. Waiting period while psychiatric checks.

Joe

That would be one way, Joe, but the same criteria would need to be applied to politicians.,or anyone seeking public office.

But how to stop the modern guns, especially the ray guns that are being developed, both by professionals and amateurs.

It wouldn't matter how much of that antique ammunition is in 'sheds'. Farmers and cullers for example, are obliged by the tyranny of distance and expensive freight charges (Howard's bureaucratic regime had a nasty effect there too) to have more stock.

Nothing to do with the bikies and other gangs, often Middle Eastern, whose business model requires illegal weapons, scary 'gangsta' models, they bring in through Australia's porous borders and that hit and miss Customs inspection, where Canberra will not adequate staff and skill customs officers.

While on the subject, it appears that many of what police publicity and meeja hacks call discoveries of 'weapons caches' (along with other ludicrous descriptors such as 'high powered' -Daisy air rifles in one photo supplied to tabloid hacks by police spin doctors), arise from far less exciting, mundane circumstances, a legitimate firearms dealer has not been coping so well with the bureaucratic paper chase that is 'gun control'.

The gunsmith could in turn remark that if the police firearms registries were to be charged an convicted for all of their errors there wouldn't be a staffed weapons branch in the country. They'd be wearing their own cuffs.

Tony Abbott was hugely embarrassed through making ass of himself by stating emphatically that the Martin Place terrorist used a registered gun. No it wasn't and as a sawn down piece it was illegal anyhow. However the main point there is that Howard's 'gun control' was once again revealed as wrongly targeted (against law-abiding, licensed citizens) and laughingly ineffective against offenders.

John Howard the wedge-politician, with an obviously ill-fitting, over-large bullet proof vest (for the media photos), standing in front of thousands of respectable licensed Aussies and blame-shifting Port Arthur to them, epitomises the lie of 'gun control'. Trampling over the rights of good men and women who do obey laws and confiscating their lawfully procured and used property is NOT going to deter or 'control' criminal offenders.

What is needed is evidence-based regulations and a proper, independent examination of the roots of violence in Australia. That and charges and severe PUNISHMENT for the gangs who quite obviously are adept at influencing and managing politicians behind closed doors.

Honestly, how does it work that one of the first priorities of the arrogant Labor and Greens in Queensland is disrupting and 'deep sixing' the success VLAD anti-criminal gangs laws? That is in direct conflict with what police, business and the population of Qld want.

Toni,

Some info from Wikipedia: The most common air gun calibers are

.177 (4.5 mm): the most common caliber. Mandated by the ISSF for use in international target shooting competition at 10m, up to Olympic level in both rifle and pistol events. It has also been adopted by most National Governing Bodies for domestic use in similar target shooting events. It has the flattest trajectory of all the calibers for a given energy level, making accuracy simpler. At suitable energy levels it can be used effectively for hunting.
.22 (5.5 mm & 5.6 mm): for hunting and general use. In recent years air rifles and pistols in .22" (and some other calibers) have been allowed for use in both domestic and international target shooting in events not controlled by the ISSF. Most notably in FT/HFT and Smallbore Benchrest competitions. These events often allow the use of any caliber air gun, up to a maximum which is often .22", rather than a fixed caliber.
Other less common traditional calibers include:

.20 (5 mm): initially proprietary to the Sheridan multi-pump pneumatic air rifle, later more widely used.
.25 (6.35 mm): the largest commonly available caliber for most of the 20th century.
Larger caliber air rifles suitable for hunting large animals are offered by major manufacturers. These are usually PCP guns. The major calibers available are:

.357
.45 (11.43 mm)
.50 (12.7 mm)
.58 (14.5 mm)
Custom air guns are available in even larger calibers such as 20 mm (0.79") or .87 (22.1 mm)."

Best of luck trying to 'gun control' the air that we breathe.