Guns in AUS.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have a question.

After seeing a link to a sporting arm supply house in Austrailia, in the "limitations of the Lee Loader" thread, it brought up a question.

I was under the impression that Austrailia had passed a law requiring everyone to turn in their guns?

Obviously this is not true as FFOD and others frequently talk about shooting and thier guns, gun projects, reloading and casting of boolits here.

What exactly is the strait poop on this matter?

Randy

[sthwestvictoria]

Lots of shooters (and casters) here in Australia. Less restricted than the UK but much more than US or some European countries. More restrictive than NZ.

All states require the person to have a firearms licence and have attended some form or safety course or assessment ranging from paper only (VIC, NT) to practical (South Australia).

There are different firearms classes and you get licensed for each class as per your interest/needs

A - rimfires, singe or two barrel shotguns, air-rifles, paintball, muzzle loading shotguns

B - centrefires be it bolt, lever, pump but not self-loading. Blackpowder cannon

C - Semi automatic rimfire rifles (magazine capacity no more than 10 rounds);semi-automatic shotguns(magazine capacity not more than 5 rounds);pump action shotguns (magazine capacity not morethan 5 rounds);tranquilliser guns.

D - Semi-automatic rimfire rifles (magazine capacity ofmore than 10 rounds);semi-automatic shotguns(magazine capacity ofmore than 5 rounds);pump action shotguns (magazine capacity of more than5rounds);semi-automatic centre fire rifles.

E -Machine guns,tear gas guns or projectors;shotguns or rifles with a length of less than 75 cm measured parallel to the barrel;cannons (which are not black powder ball firing);mortars;bazookas;rocket propelled grenades,large calibre military firearms designed to fire an explosive or projectile.

H- Handgun. With pistol licenses there are restrictions on mandated club shoots you must attend. You can only shoot on a club range.

So a good deal of firearms varieties can be owned, if you have the correct license. C and D are either for farmers or professional pest controllers. Some dealers and collectors can have pistols and semi-automatic or even automatic weapons. There is even an Australian made AR15 manufacturer.

Without any statistics however I would estimate 90% of Australian firearms owners currently have A and B only with some pistol shooters as well.

[MtGun44]

LOL!!

So a tear gas gun is the same level of license as machine guns, bazookas and RPGs????

That is hilarious. Much of the world is only permitted to have tear gas guns.

Bill

[dromia]

On looking at your post I wouldn't say UK laws are more restrictive, they are different and in some areas less restrictive.

We have to be licensed show you are a fit person no medical or criminal issues, have good cause, target shooting, huntin.g vermin control, collecting and such like. Have security for your firearms commensurate with the risk. No need for exams. There are restrictions on pistols, other than muzzle loaders. Historic pistols can be kept and shot on dedicated ranges. Semi and full auto fullbore rifles are banned unless you have a section 5 license, mainly dealers

I currently have around 100 licensed firearms in my collection along with 40 odd obsolete calibre guns like Sniders, Tabatieres, Martini Henry's etc. I must have them put onto my ticket to shoot them.

Whatever the semanitics shooting and gun ownership is still alive and well in the UK, however in our global environment the threat to individual firearms ownership is increasing.

[Wal']

The biggest problem here in Australia is the time & expense plus the hoops needed to be jumped through to acquire a licence.

In some States it takes six months or more for an application to be just processed to acquire a licence, even before acquiring a gun.

Many potential gun owners just give up in frustration with the time delays.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Lots of shooters (and casters) here in Australia. Less restricted than the UK but much more than US or some European countries. More restrictive than NZ.

All states require the person to have a firearms licence and have attended some form or safety course or assessment ranging from paper only (VIC, NT) to practical (South Australia).

There are different firearms classes and you get licensed for each class as per your interest/needs

A - rimfires, singe or two barrel shotguns, air-rifles, paintball, muzzle loading shotguns

B - centrefires be it bolt, lever, pump but not self-loading. Blackpowder cannon


Without any statistics however I would estimate 90% of Australian firearms owners currently have A and B only with some pistol shooters as well.

would you call these A and B licenses Shall Issue


we use the term Shall Issue here in the states to mean = because i live and breath, am a citizen , have committed no crimes , over the required age , have obtained appropriate training , my paperwork must be processed in a timely manner and my license must be issued.

as opposed to May Issue = the final decision about if you get a license is up to a person or board to decide and they may take into consideration need or use.


we however don't often use these terms with regard to firearms ownership in most states , but rather concealed carry licensing

[williamwaco]

Lots of shooters (and casters) here in Australia. Less restricted than the UK but much more than US or some European countries. More restrictive than NZ.

All states require the person to have a firearms licence and have attended some form or safety course or assessment ranging from paper only (VIC, NT) to practical (South Australia).

There are different firearms classes and you get licensed for each class as per your interest/needs

A - rimfires, singe or two barrel shotguns, air-rifles, paintball, muzzle loading shotguns

B - centrefires be it bolt, lever, pump but not self-loading. Blackpowder cannon

C - Semi automatic rimfire rifles (magazine capacity no more than 10 rounds);semi-automatic shotguns(magazine capacity not more than 5 rounds);pump action shotguns (magazine capacity not morethan 5 rounds);tranquilliser guns.

D - Semi-automatic rimfire rifles (magazine capacity ofmore than 10 rounds);semi-automatic shotguns(magazine capacity ofmore than 5 rounds);pump action shotguns (magazine capacity of more than5rounds);semi-automatic centre fire rifles.

E -Machine guns,tear gas guns or projectors;shotguns or rifles with a length of less than 75 cm measured parallel to the barrel;cannons (which are not black powder ball firing);mortars;bazookas;rocket propelled grenades,large calibre military firearms designed to fire an explosive or projectile.

H- Handgun. With pistol licenses there are restrictions on mandated club shoots you must attend. You can only shoot on a club range.

So a good deal of firearms varieties can be owned, if you have the correct license. C and D are either for farmers or professional pest controllers. Some dealers and collectors can have pistols and semi-automatic or even automatic weapons. There is even an Australian made AR15 manufacturer.

Without any statistics however I would estimate 90% of Australian firearms owners currently have A and B only with some pistol shooters as well.

Which European countries?

[sthwestvictoria]

Which European countries?

Germany allows semi-automatic rifles on the basic licence and I believe suppressors?
Of course recently the idiot who went was a spree killer in Norway had a semi-auto M4 of some type.
Netherlands also seems to allow semi-automatic rifles up to .50 according to wikipedia.

Of course Europe is a broach church - any castboolit members out there from Europe?

[sh00ter787]

the whole tear gas gun thing is laughable, but then again so are the suppressor rules etc in the states - in the UK (dependant on Police force) suppressors are actively encouraged! almost everyone i know has a suppressor of some sort

[Texinoz]

Greencountypete, it is almost shall issue - must pass a knowledge and practical test in most states and they do check rigorously for no criminal history. Satisfy the above and you get your license. It is difficult to get a "C" license as ordinary Joe Citizen, near impossible to get a "D" class and "E" is about as easy toget as finding shark scat in the desert. H is ok as long as you jump through lots more hoops but most states have a complete ban on hunting with handguns and of course you cannot own a gun for the purpose of self defence. Only for hunting, target shooting or collecting - and collectors have to permanently deactivate firearms by welding or similar ie totally destroying the firearm and its value! Most collectors keep their guns on an active hunt/target license because of for this (at least in my state). Politicians and bureaucrats don't seem to understand that a piece of deactivated junk that used to be a firearm has not value... Well, that's my rant for today. Best wishes to you all.

[dromia]

Greencountypete, it is almost shall issue - must pass a knowledge and practical test in most states and they do check rigorously for no criminal history. Satisfy the above and you get your license. It is difficult to get a "C" license as ordinary Joe Citizen, near impossible to get a "D" class and "E" is about as easy toget as finding shark scat in the desert. H is ok as long as you jump through lots more hoops but most states have a complete ban on hunting with handguns and of course you cannot own a gun for the purpose of self defence. Only for hunting, target shooting or collecting - and collectors have to permanently deactivate firearms by welding or similar ie totally destroying the firearm and its value! Most collectors keep their guns on an active hunt/target license because of for this (at least in my state). Politicians and bureaucrats don't seem to understand that a piece of deactivated junk that used to be a firearm has not value... Well, that's my rant for today. Best wishes to you all.

Definitely sounds more restrictive than current UK legislation. What a bugger!

[Wal']

Definitely sounds more restrictive than current UK legislation. What a bugger!

Thats a polite way to describe conditions down here, we have a more descriptive term.

[Char-Gar]

Listening to you boys chat, sure make me glad I am here in Texas.

[pdawg_shooter]

Listening to you boys chat, sure make me glad I am here in Texas.

Kansas is just fine with me.

[1Shirt]

Aussies are good folks! Never met one I didn't like, but then I don't know hundred of them. Like here, they are burdened by politicians and liberal whale saving tree huggers. As someone mentioned, they are not as ristricted as much as folks in the UK, but they are close in many ways. Australia is a big country, actually a continent, unlike the UK which is by comparison a small island. There is much game in Australia, there is little game in the UK, and what there is, is controled by and for the wealthy. God bless the Auzzies!
1Shirt!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Hell California is a breath of fresh air compared to all you guys have to put up with.

However I can't buy Kangaroo skinned hunting boots here in CA because some idiot thought that roos were some how endangered in AUS. I'm serious,,, if you look in the Cabelas catalog at the light weight hunting boots they specifically state not for sale in CA.

I thought Arnold had shot that law down, but I guess not.

I now have a pair of Bates Zero Gravity boots that weigh 17 OZ ea! Like walking on a cloud!

Nope,,, what we do have most in common is idiots. Your people need to rise up against idiots while you still can. Also pressuring local police to only enforce sane laws and ignore the idiotic ones is another way to go. And you do that by electing sane local law enforcement officals and kicking the nut cases out.

[curator]

So basically Australia and the UK are slightly better places to own firearms than New York City, Chicago, the State of Illinois, New Jersey, or Massachusetts. My grandfather packed up his guns (and his family too) and moved to the US after the UK passed firearms registration laws in 1920. He worked diligently on the American committee to arm an English home in 1939 and 1940, hoping his county had finally learned their lesson. They had not. I have provided a place of refuge for my Canadian relatives who never thought their government would follow the same road.

[Gliden07]

Many potential gun owners just give up in frustration with the time delays.[/QUOTE]

Not unlike MA that is what the powers that be that be want!! " We did'nt say you can't have a license, you decided you did'nt want one"!!

[Wal']

Many potential gun owners just give up in frustration with the time delays.

Not unlike MA that is what the powers that be that be want!! " We did'nt say you can't have a license, you decided you did'nt want one"!![/QUOTE]


Exactly

[HDS]

Which European countries?

Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Chzech Republic of the top of my head.

Adding some more detail:

I know that in all of these countries you can own center fire semi auto rifles and pistols to varying degrees. Suppressors are freely available in Finland and Norway and not very strictly regulated in others, banned in some.

I am in Finland and I have 'two' AR-15s (in reality one AR with a .22lr upper) without any limitations on them. I have a bunch of pistols, revolvers and rifles, several with suppressors for them.