I remember Kombi a few years back when Howard
was trying to gain public favour by holding a government reception for the 2 Tasmanian miners that survived that tragic cave in - one of them had the cheek to ask him what chance of getting our semi auto's back to which Howard
replied "Buckleys mate"!
.22 semi auto's where banned because they where / still are a favourite for crims to cut down as hold up guns and one was used by a phsyco in the killings in Melbourne { Hoddel ? St } . Semi Auto and Pump action shotties - blame Hollywood for their ban - we have all seen the power they posses in the movies
. Pump and Lever action centrefires , got me confused aswell why we still got them - better shut up about it - don't want to be giving them any idea's ? I to am intrigued with how many SKS's and variations where sold and how many where handed back , have not thought about that for years . It is still possible to posses a semi auto longarm but the hoops the legislation has folks jumping through ensure very very few are out there legally .
A month or 6 weeks back when I was down at the Police station applying for my permit to aquire a gent which appeared to be in his early 30's was there who 5 years previous had applied for a pistol licence and was knocked back due to him having been convicted of a driving causing death charge when he was a teenager . He had not realised it was necessary for him to disclose this on his first application , his application was rejected on the grounds he had tried to conceal this conviction - penalty 5 years before he can take up his chosen sport . The poor bugger made a terrible mistake which claimed a life , I cant and nobody should judge him . The assumption / judgement from the Authories is that he is a criminal not a character that has reformed / payed the price for a crime when all he did was make a clerical error - besides the officer assisting him at the time should have double checked the paperwork before he left the first time or instructed him in how to do it .
I have proven I am a better citizen than those that don't own firearms simply by passing the governments firearms legislation . I had to go through the licencing process again when the Queensland government introduced licences for crossbows . I make , sorry made crossbows for hunting and occasional target use . I have to apply for an armourers permit to continue my hobby and if I choose to make more crossbows I must convert my garage into an armoury and have it approved before I can do so . DOES THIS APPLY TO THE HOME GUNSMITH - I SUSPECT IT DOES under the Queensland weapons act . Now I have no target facilities to practice with my crossbows as the practice ranges have the same requirments as a centrefire rifle range does . Archery clubs can not meet the requiements . I can only shoot them on rural zoned land of over 40 acres assuming the neighboors don't have a whinge .
The ridiculous thing with crossbows is that the only part of the crossbow which requires licencing is the stock - in there wisdom they decided that you cant restict them as a unit but a part as until such times as conventional bows and arrows are restricted the legislation would prove too cumbersome . I also note that the crossbow licence is a Catorgory M - for Miscelaneous ?? This alarms me as the mongrels have a foot in the door to class slingshots , knives anything as a Catorgory M weapon now . Where will it end
regards Jacko