Creeping firearm ownership regulations remain problematic for farmers

For most of Australia’s 800,000 licensed firearm owners, Category D firearms are simply unavailable.

Category D is restricted to professional shooters, of which there are only a few hundred in the entire country.

Moreover, those holding a Category D licence have access to semi-automatic firearms and no interest in lever actions.

This means there will be no demand for lever action shotguns of more than five rounds.

For the rest of us, shotguns are currently in Category A and available to most licensed shooters, while Category B covers centrefire rifles.

Once the COAG decision is enacted into state law, lever-action shotguns will join them in Category B.

If you think this is a bit weird, that’s because it is.

It all began when the Adler seven shot shotgun was portrayed as a ‘rapid fire’ firearm.

When then Prime Minister Tony Abbott was looking for a terrorist announcement each week, Justice Minister Michael Keenan came up with the Adler.

Just imagine if a terrorist got hold of one, he said.

To ignorant politicians, media and commentators, not even that amount of justification was required.

While most wouldn’t know a lever action shotgun from a pump action water pistol, any action short of a complete ban (unless belonging to a government official) equates to taking Australia down the American path.

And of course everyone is an expert on America because what happens on television and in the movies is real, right?

If evidence or reason were relevant, it would be immediately apparent that a five round restriction on the magazines of shotguns, which are only dangerous to about 70 metres, is absurd when 303 rifles from the First World War are available with a 10 round magazine and lethal to more than 500 metres.

Or that other shotguns, including straight pull actions with up to five round magazines, are to remain in Category A.

Or that pistols, for those licensed to own them, are allowed with 10 round magazines.

Moreover, lever action firearms are never used in crime.

They are old technology, clunky to use and virtually useless if sawn off.

A shotgun of the type used in the Olympic Games, when sawn off, is far more attractive to criminals.

In truth, not many sporting shooters are all that interested in lever action shotguns.

There is far more interest in lever action rifles – the trusty 30-30 being a favourite for shooting pigs

Some farmers would find them useful though; eliminating a mob of pigs in a paddock of lambing ewes would be far easier with a seven shot Adler, for example.

Pinpoint accuracy, necessary with a rifle, is not as crucial with a shotgun and a mob of pigs can be big enough to require multiple shots.

It will still be possible to convert a five shot Adler into seven or more, simply by fitting a longer magazine tube under the barrel, but whether that remains legal is unclear.

It is also unclear what will happen to the lever action shotguns already in use which have magazines that hold more than five rounds.

Unless there is a buyback, all those political terrorists planning to cause mayhem with a lever action shot gun (which is presumably what we are supposed to fear) may still be able to get their hands on them.

What the COAG decision signifies is that creeping regulation of firearm ownership remains a problem, for farmers as well as hunters and sporting shooters.

The Firearms Section in the Attorney Generals Department has had an agenda of incremental restrictions on firearms for over a decade, with semi-automatic pistols, pump action rifles, lever action shotguns and lever action rifles on its list.

Their objective is the ultimate disarming of law-abiding Australians, of preventing them from enjoying their sporting, hunting and collecting activities, towards the end envisaged by John Howard in 1996 in which only the police, military and security guards have guns.

That’s not an outcome we should welcome and fear, imaginary threats and ignorance are not a basis for sound government.