GUNS

[2DREZQ]

...my Mark IV Webley in .38 S&W which was made for Webley by S & W during WWII for use by the RAF. (I know: .38S&W is a wimpy load. Tell me about it.)

A good friend of mine (since passed away) gave me one of those. Yeah, that cartridge was not a lot better than a pointy-stick. My $100 Jennings .380 had more authority.

I don't have the revolver anymore. Although I really wanted to keep it, I gave it to another close friend of his, as he did not have anything tangible as a keepsake. Had it been a big-bore pre-war Webley, I might not have been able to part with it, though.

[Gospodine]

This is one of the few reasons I truly envy America.

Australians have a better chance of winning a sweepstakes lottery than actually getting their hands on anything that you guys would consider remotely suitable for home defence.

'Tis sad indeed. A well-armed and well-informed citizenry are the bare minimum ingredients necessary to ensure an influential voting public and sadly Australia has long been under the thumb of a Nanny State on steroids.

Here you need a permit, just to be able to acquire a permit, to own a handgun.
Re-read that sentence.

I won't even get into the dozen other bureaucratic hoops you have to jump through; shit like mandatory 28-day wait periods for processing, regular police inspections of your gun cabinets/safes, minimum number of times to participate in shooting club events annually, etc.

Looking at it from an American perspective really does reinforce the average Joe's place on the pecking order here in Australia.

All I can say is, let that be a lesson to you Americans. Don't give that up as easily as the Aussies did after one freak massacre that was milked for all it's worth by sniveling politicians.

[2DREZQ]

^ Give me a heads up if you are ever headed to the U.S. I'm in the middle of nowhere, but if you get here I can guarantee a lot of shooting, and nobody will give you any shit at all.

What kind of weapon do you want to try?

[Frigga]

This is one of the few reasons I truly envy America.

Australians have a better chance of winning a sweepstakes lottery than actually getting their hands on anything that you guys would consider remotely suitable for home defence.

'Tis sad indeed. A well-armed and well-informed citizenry are the bare minimum ingredients necessary to ensure an influential voting public and sadly Australia has long been under the thumb of a Nanny State on steroids.

Here you need a permit, just to be able to acquire a permit, to own a handgun.
Re-read that sentence.

I won't even get into the dozen other bureaucratic hoops you have to jump through; shit like mandatory 28-day wait periods for processing, regular police inspections of your gun cabinets/safes, minimum number of times to participate in shooting club events annually, etc.

Looking at it from an American perspective really does reinforce the average Joe's place on the pecking order here in Australia.

All I can say is, let that be a lesson to you Americans. Don't give that up as easily as the Aussies did after one freak massacre that was milked for all it's worth by sniveling politicians.

That is totally freaking lame that Australia has done that.

But, at least you are able to own some firearms at all though, isn't it worse in the UK?

But in regards to our right to bear arms, that's why we have the NRA, and I am thankful that it exists. Otherwise we would have been disarmed long ago.

[Gospodine]

What kind of weapon do you want to try?

I'd probably start small if I had the chance. Ruger Mini-14 or Sig P220; something to go plinking with and get accustomed to the feeling of having something potent in my hands.

Well, aside from *ahem*. Which is by the way, all we have to defend ourselves with over here up

But, at least you are able to own some firearms at all though, isn't it worse in the UK?

Here's an excellent run-down by an Aussie lady who does own guns and shoot regularly of the who, what, when, where and why. Like I said, it's not practical for home defence:
http://jigsawsthoughts.blogspot.com....australia.html
http://jigsawsthoughts.blogspot.com....ivate-gun.html
She took around three months to get her first handgun (and that's fast by our standards).

This will probably make American heads spin (note: Self-defence is NOT a genuine reason):
http://www.ssaa.org.au/licensing-sec...australia.html

It's just disgusting.

And the exact same restrictions apply to, believe it or not, air rifles, paint-ball guns, nail guns and BB guns.

[Gospodine]

Some of my favourite quotes from that ladies blog. This is sure to get your Patriot-sense tingling:

Unfortunately, from the stories I am told, many of the Firearms Officers are difficult to deal with. I’ve had friends who have had the Firearms Officers say “I don’t think civilians should own guns” when they have gone to put their applications in.

I have had one Firearms Officer, when checking the serial number of the gun against the temporary permit, ask me to read it to him as “he doesn’t like guns and isn’t confident handling them”. This would be okay, but he had a Glock on his hip!

In the first year that you have your licence you can only own two handguns. There is no regulated restriction on the number of firearms you can own apart from that, but I do know of situations where Firearms Officers at the local Police Station have tried to tell people that there is.

We're governed by a bunch of a eunuchs. Simple as that.

[Melina]

I believe citizens should own guns to protect themselves. NY has tough gun regulations but that doesn't stop people from killing each other.

[2DREZQ]

Savage Model 12 VLP SS .223Rem. 26-inch tapered & fluted heavy-barrel, 5-shot blind magaazine Accu-trigger, left-hand bolt, Leupold VX3 4.5x14 with a varmint reticle, Harris tall bipod.

I can hit a 3 inch circle in excess of 300 yards with almost boring regularity

[arcticwolf]

My primary: Beretta Storm .45



My backup: S&W 649 .357 Magnum Bodyguard.



My shotgun: Benelli Supernova Tactical



I have other rifles and guns of course, I'm a good American!

[Matritensis]

How's the recoil of the bodyguard with magnums?