I Lived Through the Australian Gun Control Scheme of 1997

8962 Views 28 Replies 12 Participants Last post by badman400, Oct 18, 2007

Aussie Arms

Discussion Starter · Sep 27, 2007

WE are all gun lovers here, or we wouldn't be here?

We exercise our right every day to own, and carry arms, in this great country of ours. I thought I would bring up this topic as a information type of post, and to remind me as a new American, just how lucky we are to live here.

All I have been reading recently, is the possibility that upon a possible change of government in this great country that we might be facing more stringent gun laws. I can tell you from first hand experience, we don't want that.

Back in 1996, as a knee jerk reaction to a lone shooter in the tourist township of Port Arthur, the government of the day decided in it's combined wisdom to control guns and this lead to the: "mandatory gun licenses and registration of all firearms, and a near-complete ban on all semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, and all pump-action shotguns". It was so bad that an Olympic Skeet Shooter was not allowed to own or possess a semi or pump action shot gun to use to compete for his/her country in the Olympic Games.

Ho the things I have seen! I was a State Trooper in Australia for 22 years, and the carnage I witness in the "Mandatory Gun Buy Back Scheme" was to say the least sickening.

One report outlined that the "Australian Fedral Government introduced a 1% levy on income tax for a period of one year to finance the billion dollar "buy back" purchase and [glow=red,2,300]destruction [/glow] of all previously legally-held semi-automatic rifles including .22 rimfires, semi-automatic shotguns and pump-action shotguns. Although only one state published statistics, it appears that 5% of the destroyed guns were of the military style, the remainder being sporting and farmers' working firearms".

Let us all prey that this doen't happen here, as if it does.......................... Well it's not worth thinking about, or is it!

Be Safe!

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tinman

· #2 · Sep 27, 2007

i think we agree that an almost total ban would be nearly impossible in this country, but what we have to guard against are the nickel & dime restrictions which can add up over time.

ny32182

· #3 · Sep 28, 2007

I'm going to have to disagree... I believe we were only a few votes away from a far more restrictive ban in '94. Granted, the Dems had a much stronger majority at that time, but we are moving in that direction again. Obama, Guliani, or Hillary will be our next President. Take the same political climate that existed in '94, add one more VT-like incident, and I think we'll be in very dangerous territory.

If the Republicans don't get their act together sometime very soon (right now I don't think it can be done in time for '08) they are going to get bulldozed by the building wave of liberal momentum. It ain't going to be pretty. We need to stay forever vigilant.

Its why I don't mind paying full price for new firearms and other gear. I'm not much of a letter writing campaigner, so I figure it is my job to support the companies that lobby on our behalf.

Just one more note, I don't think national new-manufacture bans, or even confiscation bans would be complied with at a very high percentage. I think they are eventually going to go after ammo sales. Just look at all the microstamping and other type BS that is starting to get minor traction in lib utopias already. That is really what has the potential to make the vast majority of the firearms in this country be useless.

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TerraShrewsbury

· #4 · Sep 28, 2007

I think that most politicians believe the cheapest way to eliminate crime is the ban guns. What they just don't seem to get is that once they ban guns, there will be a giant surge in the black market. Every criminal from A to Z will own one. Then more money will have to be put into law enforcement, prisons, etc. Taxes would be raised to support all the extra prisoners. Banning guns is such a stupid strategy. A good leader would come up with a way to protect people without taking away their protection.

SigsRule

· #5 · Sep 28, 2007

A good leader wouldn't be afraid of the people they are leading as the Libs/Dems seem to be of us. I don't trust the government that doesn't trust me, and I've got a retired military ID card showing I spent a significant portion of my life supporting the US Constitution. What I'm afraid of is a Klinton presidency presiding out the dismantling of the Bill of Rights, starting with the second amendment! There's a reason the oath of office says we'll protect the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic! They can't beat us in a war but they are working hard to beat us internally.

Aussie Arms

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 28, 2007

You all should have seen what I saw! MP5's, M14's (collector Quality), beautiful $4000 shot guns ect... taken from the owners who were given a check, and then to see them "THROWN" into a pile and then placed into a giant metal shredder. It was awful!

magikbullet

· #7 · Sep 29, 2007

ugh...the thought of that happening here makes me sick. I can't see myself turning in my stuff, so I guess I'd be a criminal overnight... :-\

Aussie Arms

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 29, 2007

They say in some states they estimated that they only got around 5% of the expected turn in rate. What they tried to do first, and is still in place, is have each owner licensed, and then have each licensed owner register each gun against his license. After that's in place it's simply a matter of: "Don't turn in your guns you have on your license, you go to jail."

It sucked big time, and now I live here, the land of the free, I don't want to see it happen again.

Phalanx

· #9 · Oct 3, 2007

Well its like they say ,only the crimminals will own guns . And some of them have nice looking uniforms ,if you get my drift. Look at what happened reacently when a bunch of un-armed monks protested in that country . They were shot down. I have realitives who still live in Australia ,dont belive everyone turned in all of their guns because they didnt.

admin

· #10 · Oct 3, 2007

I like to think that we won't have an all out ban in the states but there are a lot of ignorant voters in this country (and very evil politicians). And the fact that the NRA doesn't care much for semi-automatic weapons doesn't help things. I wouldn't be surprised when Hillary becomes president the NRA will make a "deal" where they won't fight a semi-auto pistol and rifle ban as long as they get to keep their bolt action hunting rifles... :

Aussie Arms

Discussion Starter · #11 · Oct 4, 2007

The thing is, the final excuse they used to ban firearms in Australia was after some nut job, who didn't own a gun, broke into a house and stole someone elses's gun and went on a shooting spree. It was a knee jerk over reaction by the gov because that's what they thought would be popular.

Stats indicate that after the ban, violent crimes in Australia didn't decline, they rose!

Go figure :

How did that turn out?

SigsRule

· #12 · Oct 4, 2007

admin said:
I like to think that we won't have an all out ban in the states but there are a lot of ignorant voters in this country (and very evil politicians). And the fact that the NRA doesn't care much for semi-automatic weapons doesn't help things. I wouldn't be surprised when Hillary becomes president the NRA will make a "deal" where they won't fight a semi-auto pistol and rifle ban as long as they get to keep their bolt action hunting rifles... :

There seems to be a lot of anti-NRA sentiment being implied here. As a life member of the NRA, I can assure you I don't feel that way and to quote the bumper sticker "I'm the NRA, and I vote!" I not only vote, I put my money where my mouth is and contribute to several gun rights groups besides the NRA-ILA and Golden Eagles. As long as the anti's can count on us being divided among ourselves they have a really good chance of taking away our guns. If you're not a member of the NRA - you should be, and let your voices be heard - Or the CCRKBA, or the 2nd amendment foundation, or the CSSA or any other group fighting in the political arena.

BTW, I'm packing to go hunting and I'm taking my .300 Weatherby AND my .308 FAL with ACOG.

admin

· #13 · Oct 4, 2007

SigsRule said:
There seems to be a lot of anti-NRA sentiment being implied here.

Not so much anti-NRA as just sad that they are so eager to compromise. I realize that there are A LOT of NRA members who own and enjoy shooting semi-auto rifles and pistols but there are even more members who in the face of Hitlery (or some other gun banner) would be more than willing to give up the right to own semi-auto weapons if they could be promised the right to keep their hunting rifles.

That's just my impression though, I obviously can't predict the future.

Phalanx

· #14 · Oct 6, 2007

Guys! you know we can never negotiate with them .That is all the NRA has ever done with them and they still are not stopping. People are wrong about Hitlery ,she is NOT a Marxist ,as our old friends the Soviet Union were .She is a Maoest ,,China,, bee hive mentallity. She will ban guns period ,and like her husband will make some of us examples if you do not conform. People will look back and wonder why they were so stupid to belive ,and vote for her ,as familys begin to vanish on their blocks in the middle of the night. Ammo is getting harder to get , Aussi ,if this woman is elected ,it will make what happened in your country look like a party.If you want to keep your rights you will need to fight for them ,and trust me ,she is readdy for that. I would rather be dead than watch her dissmantal this country in the name of ,,, CLINTON....

Aussie Arms

Discussion Starter · #15 · Oct 6, 2007

I think alot of people think back to the Hi-Cap ban ect. and thinkthat won't be so bad???

Well I have seen a complete ban of semi-auto everything, and pump action everything and no, we couldn't keep the guns we already owned, we had to had them in and watch them get executed in a metal shredder. We as LE were on standby as gun owners didn't react too well to seeing their prize and joy being executed in that manner. It was hard enough for all gun owners to watch them just throw the guns on the floor in a pile before execution.

I've seen it, I hope it doesn't happen here because there won't be any more XCR's, H&K's, Sigs, ect........

admin

· #16 · Oct 6, 2007

Aussie Arms said:
It was hard enough for all gun owners to watch them just throw the guns on the floor in a pile before execution.

If such a gun ban happens here I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more stuff like this or worse:

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/oct/05/barber-shop-owner-commits-suicide-front-city-counc/

People don't take lightly to having the things they work hard for destroyed by petty bureaucrats. Imagine all the gunshop owners having to close their shops. Millions of Americans having to give up their gun collections with guns passed down from generation to generation. Hunters no longer being able to hunt. Just thinking about the extent this would have on the American way of life makes you wonder if they can really pull it off. And then you realize that we are a minority after all, most people have never even held a gun in their hands.

Aussie Arms

Discussion Starter · #17 · Oct 6, 2007

Well, after the ban in Australia I think 9 out of 10 gun shops closed their doors. We are the minority and most of the community don't give a hoot about guns. When the Aust. Gov. imposed a 1% tax on EVERYONE to pay for the buy back scheme that made it worse as the general public blamed the gun owners for the tax, not the government.

I don't know what the answer is, I really don't.

Kainam

· #18 · Oct 6, 2007

Depending on where you get your statistics from, ~40% of American homes have atleast 1 gun in them. In rural homes, that percentage is generally higher, in metropolitan homes, the percentage is generally less. http://www.reporters.net/cjj/guns.html
Not sure what the statistics were for Australian gun ownership was prior to 1997, or post 1997 for that matter....

I can't help but wonder about the person who would volunteer to do a mass confiscatation of weapons in America knowing that if the house they are searching does not have any weapons, there is an extremely high likelyhood that their neighbor does.

"When the government fears the people there is liberty;
when the people fear the government there is tyranny."
-Thomas Jefferson

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
-Thomas Jefferson

And how many people have taken the Military Oath of Enlistment?
"I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice."

Kind of presents a Catch 22 if the President signs off on a law contradicting the 2nd Amendment, doesn't it?

"How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual... as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of."
-Representative Suzanna Gratia Hupp

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TEXAS SOLFTAIL

· #19 · Oct 6, 2007

I think it was Karel Marks that said the communist would take over without firing a shot. If the armed citizen is disarmed he would be right.

Aussie Arms

Discussion Starter · #20 · Oct 6, 2007

Correct me if I'm wrong but was it not documented somewhere that: during the second world war, the main reason the Japanese didn't attempt to land on the mainland of the USA was the high rate of gun ownership of the people?

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