A TTAG reader living in the Land Down Under writes:
Long time reader writing in from Australia, the land where everything is upside down and paintball markers are considered to be deadly weapons requiring a safe and a background check (and no, we have no idea who drinks Fosters). Thought you guys would be interested to hear about the latest Australian gun grab. Well it’s not exactly a grab like the ’96 “buyback.” More along the lines of “new sensible regulation to better protect the community from deadly baby eating guns” . . .
The problems started with the forthcoming introduction of the Turkish-made Adler seven-shot lever-action shotgun into the Australia market [as above]. They’re pretty cool. [The promotional video’s been deleted. Click here for the pdf of Adler’s ad. Click here for a full product description.] After the media caught wind of this “new technology,” the anti-gunners have started referring to the shotgun as a “legal semi-auto.” Here’s theage.com.au’s take:
The Adler is being imported by Queensland-based NIOA. Fairfax Media understands the company has been unable to keep up with demand for the firearm, with almost 7000 ordered.
Several gun shops planning to sell the weapon have been taking pre-orders for the gun, which costs less than $800. NIOA expects to take its first shipment in August.
“What it is is a semi auto weapon,” says Laurie Levy, campaign director for the Coalition against Duck Shooting.
“It shouldn’t be able to come to Australia. It’s a rapid fire weapon very much like a pump-action shotgun – in fact it looks like one.”
Rumours then started popping-up about changes to Australia’s firearms laws. Again, not a gun grab per se. A reclassification scheme that would make it harder for Australians to purchase certain firearms.
Shotguns in Australia are classified as a category A firearm, unless pump-action (don’t ask me why) or semi-auto, which is classified as category C. However, a new regulation might be in the works to classify shotguns that can hold more than five shots as category D, the same restricted class as an AR-15 in its semi-automatic form, while other low-capacity shotguns are moved to category B, commonly for centre-fire bolt-action, lever-action and pump-action rifles.
Of course even if such ridiculous laws are put into place, it would not be the first time it has happened. Western Australia for example, has something similar to the American AWB. Where if in the opinion of the commissioner that a firearm looks too much like an AR (in practise, that means any tacticool bolt-action with pistol grips and rails, especially if it has Barrett in the name), it can be banned. This video below explains it nicely:
We’re fighting the good fight on this one. And the others. Best Regards, Anonymous (can’t let the local criminals know that I like guns, too much risk here in Australia since gun owners are made to be targets).