Settle in, thiis is gunna be a long post.
rjgimp wrote:MickinOz wrote:I sometimes think a gun would be a handy addition to camp security.
Are you still allowed such things down there?
Yes. It's a bit of a myth that we were all disarmed. They banned self loading and full auto stuff. Well sort of, the category still exists if you want to jump through all the hoops.
I'm a licensed gun owner.
One day about 45 years ago, the local cop called my old man up and said, "You'd better send the boys down, they have to have licences to use your gats now." So we went down the cop shop, sat the fire arms safety test and walked out with licences for long arms. I was 15.
Its got harder since then, but my eldest son did a two day course at the local TAFE college about three years ago, and came out with a licence.
About 1 person in 10 to 1 person in 20 has a gun licence in my home state of South Australia, depending whose statistics you believe.
That includes handgun licences, which are a bit harder to get.
You must join a club and participate in a minimum of 4 organised shoots per year for each pistol you own.
We have two gun shops and three clubs in my home town population 17,600.
The rifle club has a 900 yard range, the shotgun club has a clay target range, and of course the pistol club, which I'm thinking of joining because they also have a 50 yard range for 0.22 rifle practice.
But, unless you have a criminal record, you can have a gun. I have a number I am not willing to divulge on the internet.
The most expensive bit is the gun safe. No one is allowed to have a gun without a compliant safe to keep it in. That simple.
The tricky bit, where we differ a great deal from the US, is what you can use that gun for.
The "genuine reason" for owning a gun that is enshrined on your licence.
Hunting, targets, club membership, collecting, all are genuine reasons for owning a gun.
"Home defence" and "self defence" are not permitted reasons.
South Australian law says you can use lethal force to defend yourself, your family and your home, if you are in genuine fear for your life.
However, even if the evidence supports your claim, if you do it with a gun you will be in trouble for using a gun for a purpose for which you are not licensed.
You will almost never see "open carry" or even "concealed carry" for civilian handgun owners in Australia.
Sadly you will also never see one of my shotguns doing duty as "camp security" either. Just not legal.
We do have one interesting thing that I bet a lot of people were unaware of.
There is a cattle station in Western Australia that staved off financial ruin from a bushfire by bulldozing a big long 2700 metre range and starting a club for 0.50 calibre shooting and hunting.
The WA cops were mortified and tried to shut it down. What could you possibly want a 0.50 cal Barrett for? Coz it's fun you idiots.
Ella Valla station took the cops to court, and won the case.
Along the way they made statements about corruption in the WA Firearms Branch. Despite letters from the cops about the legality of making those claims and demanding they be removed, last time I looked the claims remain on the net. They just published the cops letters to go along with the claims.
Ella Valla remains in operation to this day.
So yeah, fear not. We be beaten down, we constantly have to defend our liberties, but we are not totally disarmed yet.
by edgeau » Thu Jan 27, 2022 12:04 am 
Seriously though, It' looks like it's on a fancy outside door but it's probably on the inside of a closet and not where it shows, right? Mine (all sizes except the LIFEPO4 AA's) are in a laundry cupboard, in a shoebox, so I really can't say much except to joke. 
