Issy. anything to report from US HQ on the latest school shooting in Texas. Seems its business as usual, more guns, more horrific murders. Sad really that a few selfish individuals from the likes of the NRA prevent the introduction of laws that could go a long way to stopping this often repeated carnage. All to satisfy their own perverted pleasure! Why?

Dear Is Mise,

It was Victor Chang not Cheng who was the victim of a shooting by someone armed with a pistol. That pistol was not illegal due to the lax protocols in place in 1991, 5 years before Port Arthur. Due to Howard's gun laws the once easy access to obtaining a pistol has now been sensibly curtailed.

You claimed;

“Yes, the man in question was a law-abiding farmer and was cleared by the police in WA to have a firearm licence.
Why would they refuse him one?”

He was on 12 hectares, little more than a hobby farm yet he had three weapons at his disposal.

You wrote;

“As far as the gun jamming, I had two malfunctions during the 10- second shoots and both times I managed to clear them and fire the required 6 shots in 10 seconds. Not hard.”

Who cares. Why bring this up at all? What was the point if any you were trying to make? Or were you just shooting your mouth off because you want to justify and normalise your fetish.

Steele,

"It was Victor Chang not Cheng who was the victim of a shooting by someone armed with a pistol. That pistol was not illegal due to the lax protocols in place in 1991, 5 years before Port Arthur. Due to Howard's gun laws the once easy access to obtaining a pistol has now been sensibly curtailed."

Comprehension low?

I corrected my mistake about Curtis Cheng, and Victor Chang was shot with an illegal pistol smuggled in from Singapore by his murderers.
That pistol was also illegal because of the Pistol Act of 1932 which required the registration and licencing of all pistols in NSW.
Howard's gun laws have made it easier to lawfully obtain a pistol licence and there are now more people legally holding pistols than before 1996.

I mentioned the pistol stoppages to illustrate that a pistol jamming does not stop the continued firing of the said pistol, you brought up the criminal's pistol jamming not me.

Got any more examples of your ignorance for us to enjoy?

Paul,

It is well established that gun crime in the USA is falling as the number of civilian owned weapons increases, therefore shewing that the mantra "more guns, more crime" is a fallacy.

No laws can stop a nutter from carrying out an atrocity, reference the accelerant assisted mass murders by fire that have occurred in Australia.

"Well-publicised incidents of homicide involving fire, such as the Childers Backpacker Hostel fire in 2000 in which 15 victims died, have drawn widespread attention to the phenomenon of fire-associated homicide in Australia. The use of fire in..."
http://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi340

Howard's Gun Laws had absolutely no effect in this case. except perhaps to steer the perpetrator to a cheaper and personally less risky alternative.

//It is well established that gun crime in the USA is falling as the number of civilian owned weapons increases//
Issy, tell that one to the grieving families of the latest atrocity. cold comfort indeed!

Do you still stand by your previous rediculous claim that ALL licensed gun owners in Australia are law abiding decent folk.

You wont answer that one, because you know there are more Peter Miles types, holding a gun license, owning a gun, out there ready to snap at any tick of the clock. There could even be a couple down at your favorite gunnie club, you just don't know.

//Well-publicised incidents of homicide involving fire// Another attempt at deflection. Look folks there is no problem with guns, because people get murdered by fire. What a fascinating line of argument.

Paul,

"Do you still stand by your previous rediculous [ridiculous] claim that ALL licensed gun owners in Australia are law abiding decent folk."

Where did I say that?

Steele,

I support the Howard Gun Laws in general although I do have some objections to the more stupid aspects of them.
I do support safe storage and minimum age provisions and training along with compulsory membership of a club [brilliant that one] etc.

What I really like is the effect that the laws have had in increasing the interest in shooting as a sport and the consequent rise in the number of clubs and the number of licence holders.

The generous financial encouragement that has resulted in an increase in the number and type of firearm ranges.
Many defunct ranges have been brought back into use as well as entirely new ranges.

The range where I shoot is a perfect example, it went out of use just post WWII.
It was a service rifle range but has now been expanded to cater for small bore as well as centrefire rifles and has a new pistol range with electronic targets.
At the moment electricity is supplied by a generator but we are in for a grant to be connected to the grid.
The next addition (which is under construction) is a 'Western Action' range.

So far grants total over $100,000 and that's just one country range.

Thank you, John!!

Then there is the political aspect, before the Howard Laws shooters were rather disunited but now have representatives in Parliament in three States and in the Senate.

Again a big 'Thank You' to the Father of the Australian Gun Lobby, John Winston Howard.

Onya John.