OzOne wrote:

You live in a land with guns in too many hands already..It would be
near impossible to get them all under control.

We don't....we have largly succeeded in getting control of guns.

Oz, I generally don't buy into gun threads these days but - that is
either an outright lie or such an example of wishful thinking that it
might as well be one.

There are huge numbers of guns in circulation. Legal registered ones
and illegal unregistered ones. Legally, I think that sufficient
firearms have been purchased since 1996 to completely replace all those
surrendered. Different action types to be sure, but that's an arguable
benefit really. Feel free to challenge that statement if you like, but
unlike you (?) I've been an active hunter for over 30 years so I do
know firearms. Illegal weapons- there were in excess of 200K SKK
pattern 7.62 x 39 semiauto carbines imported by one dealer alone prior
ot 1996. Nothing like that number got handed in. Feel free to prove me
wrong by posting a link to the list of firearms surrendered collated by
calibre, action type etc. I state that you can't do it. That's just
*one* firearm type. Ruger 10/22 rifles sold for $80 when they were
first released into Oz back in the early 80's. Nobody knows how many
were sold. Ruger Mini-14's ditto except they were $200 more or less.
5.56 NATO, 5 to 30 round detachable magazines. I could go on quoting
examples but what's the point. The vast majority of those firearms are
still out there in private hands. Them's facts, Oz.

In addition the Glock pistols so beloved by our immigrant community in
Sydney have either been smuggled into Oz or stolen from coppers &
security guards, because there are a lot of them about & NSW has had
pistol registration since 1922. Much good it has done.

In addition check out www.homegunsmith.com and a number of the yahoo
newsgroups devoted to firearms. You have no hope of controlling the
supply of firearms to anyone who really wants one.

These are facts, Oz. Not political positions. If you disagree, post
something with substance to the contrary. Or just bury your head and
chant the mantra, but it isn't going to be convincing, any more than
Bobsprit trying to talk about tools.

I'll take my freedom to walk the streets of my largest city at night
without feeling that I need a gun to protect myself over the
recommendations when visiting the US that I don't venture into some
areas even in daylight because of the risks.

I walk pretty much where I please in Oz but it's not due to carrying a
gun or fear of other people carrying a gun. We have a different
culture. That's the real difference between us & the USA. It isn't gun
ownership, it's attitude & culture.

What you should be considering is the *total* failure of the NSW police
to enforce security. Want to get private people to seriously consider
carrying? Let gangs run riot like the coppers did last year in Cronulla
& surrounds. I'd be getting my shotgun out of storage at that point.

Thank Bart....off you go and oil that pistol..you never know when
you'll need it.

Heh. Couple of my neighbours were potting rabbits with a shotgun then
target practice with a couple 22LR's on Sunday afternoon. Lucky you
don't live here or you'd have been suffering from an attack of the
vapours & called out the local SWAT squad.

PDW