marksman wrote:although I do agree with a provisional licence period with a restriction on calibre size for certain firearm types I do not agree with a practical test
the ssaa has been talking this one up for a while now and is only interested if it would be done at its ranges for a fee which I disagree with wholeheartedly if they are fair dinkum about wanting new guys into the sport do it for free or as part of your new membership, it costs nothing to open the range, no electricity ect..
if it were to happen it should be done as is the theory by volunteers who donate there time to keep it going, fark the ssaa and there money grabbing
the biggest problem with self loading firearms is it loads itself and is ready to fire without having to do anything, in the wrong hands this is dangerous, if we were allowed self loaders again (not going to happen) that is especially where a provisional licence would be needed IMO, you see some hand gun users who really should not have them as they do silly things like turning around and pointing the muzzle, these guys go through a ****** ton of practical before they get there licence
I also think we can be our own worst enemy's by even suggesting that we are not competent enough to be trusted,
the police and governments have made things the way they wanted it and its up to them to sort out who should and shouldn't have a gun,
we really don't have a choice about it do we, to make it fair would we all have to do a practical to show we are competent and to keep what we already have,
really we are talking about people who already have there licence and firearm
While i agree any competency testing should not be carried out by SSAA or any other one organisation for that matter, i do think there will never be any movement in firearms laws unless shooters are will to make some compromise in order to claw back some freedoms. As you say, Marksman, there are people who go through a "heap of training" but are still somewhat incompetent. In the climate we live in, politically, if we aren't seen to be conscious of safe handling and public safety then we have no chance of effecting any change.
In the system i suggest (in sketch form), testing would be carried out as part of licencing structure by the overseeing authority, like VicRoads licence testing. If you don't want a semi, then just keep you A&B licence and go about your merry way target shooting or hunting; no different to what it is now. Same with Cat C & Cat D, if you want to apply for these categories and can meet the requirements, then nothing would be any different to what it is now. All i propose is a path way for your Average Joe to obtain access to firearms currently beyond their reach in order to participate in legitimate sporting activities or pest control of animals like pigs & goats. This would open up local sporting opportunities and there is no doubt that semi-autos would be more effective when dealing with large mobs of pigs and goats than a manual action; even if they would make little difference for recreational "hunting" (which i put in a different category to pest control).
Too many shooters want to jump up and down, calling for a roll back of laws, without giving any thought to how to sell the idea to the community at large or what could be a viable compromise to make it happen. Too many also are just willing to throw up their hands and say, "it will never happen". Well, with that attitude and no plan nor willingness to compromise, then it never will and we look like nothing more than a bunch of petulant children throwing a tantrum because our toys have been taken away.
Just going to get my asbestos suit on again...
