Paul,

" What you propose is a undisciplined, uncontrolled system which will be unworkable and extremely dangerous!"

Where did I propose that?
Don't let your Green imagination run away with you.

Self defence is a natural right and we naturally have that right.

Is Mise,
The reality is that heavily armed societies are societies with high rates of death by firearm and that most of those who die are innocent victims of the users of said firearms. Your right to carry a weapon to make you feel more powerful in your old age doesn't trump everyone else's right to feel safe from some nutjob with a portable cannon and a grievance.

By all means go to the range and have fun, I quite like a bit of a whoopee shoot at the range myself. The moment you try to bring the range home is the moment you move from sporting shooter to public menace. That's why the gun laws exist.

Craig,

Switzerland 45.7 per 100 population
Australia 21.7/100

Both rather law abiding, wouln't you say?

http://i/Estimated_number_of_guns_per_capita_by_country

Craig,

You talk about reality.

Reality is nobody here is talking about Australian society wanting to be heavily armed.

Anyway as for the high rates of death in a heavily armed society as you mention, would you say citizens of Mosul are heavily armed? Look at the high rates of death there from government opposition rebels including absolute criminal gangs and bloodthirsty killers with smuggled guns.

I think present restrictive gun laws exist as they do in Australia because the public were never given a chance by media to be heard.
The restrictive gun law legislation was a snow job quietly put in place and allowed by media without due debate, just like trams are being put back onto roads and streets where they take parking space and put thousands out of business, all without honest news and informed debate.

Shooting rabbits used to be an enjoyable pastime for many and also helped to provide affordable food for whole nations.

Yes, Is Mise, Switzerland is a remarkable exception to the rule. One significant reason for that is that the Swiss are very prosperous. There is very little crime of any kind in the country.

Property crime is only ever driven by either greed or need. The Swiss have managed to work out a way to reduce both. Got any ideas for how we might do the same here?

Crime against the person almost always involves people who are in some way associated. Making guns freely available only exacerbates its consequences.

A little more on this ridiculous 'self-defence' by shooting. According to police sources, if you are attacked from within 20 metres, you have no time to draw a gun, let alone use it. You have more chance of having the gun taken off you in a tussle and getting yourself shot. These people crapping on about defending themselves are either paranoid or have been watching too much crap TV. Most people (relatively few of the population) are attacked in places and situations where it is not sensible to be. I was once told by an experienced guide, 'crocodiles do not eat intelligent people'. The same applies to thugs.