Shooters in bid to bring back the ‘bunny gun’

[Mr.Seacucumber]

The Article starts,

"VICTORIAN shooters want their “bunny gun” back.

The Combined Firearms Council of Victoria says .22 calibre, self-loading rifles — off the market for 20 years since the Port Arthur gun reforms — should never have been included in the bans."

The rest is at

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/shooters-in-bid-to-bring-back-the-bunny-gun/news-story/0051dcd86ddea21243b0f7e830b68b77

[AusTac]

Lol good luck.. might as well let us have ar15's to while there at it

[Mr.Seacucumber]

Lol good luck.. might as well let us have ar15's to while there at it

I mean you have to start somewhere and targeting the ones that are more tools then "assault weapons" is a good place to start imho

[AusTac]

yeah i can see what the're trying to do, and good on them but the likely hood of regular people being allowed anything semi is very unlikely in my opinion, the bloke in the write up should have access to cat c i would think?

[Title_II]

Lol good luck.. might as well let us have ar15's to while there at it

I mean you have to start somewhere and targeting the ones that are more tools then "assault weapons" is a good place to start imho

Targeting the tools would be a good place to start. Don't let any of them get away.

[adam]

I guess they're going with "The best form of defense is a good offense"

As much as I share a similar level of optimism as AusTac - I admit I much prefer to see someone optimistic having a go than someone pessimistic (like me) doing nothing. Good on them for having a go.

[Heckler303]

While I'm also in the fight for bringing us back or 10/22s and Model 60s, I have thought over how much the leftard mainstream media would beat this up. They wouldn't even mention the fact they are .22s, but they'd love to rant on about the fact they're semi automatic. You say that to any of the leftards, they're bound to start crying out 'baaah assault weapons r becoming legal again!!!', all while citing the pimped out Rugers dressed up and tac'd up.

[brett1868]

With an appropriate level of training, police checking and club attendances I am allowed to own a semiauto pistol which I'd consider a much larger risk to the general population then a farmer with a 22LR Semiauto. Why not set some reasonable requirements of the farmers and allow them a 10 Shot 22 semi for pest control? Something along the lines of owning or managing a property > 150 acres in an area where pests are known to be a problem. The average farmer poses absolutely zero risk to the hipster generation and we need to ensure they have the required tools to keep the food supply running.

[adam]

Why not set some reasonable requirements of the farmers and allow them....

Don't farmers already have the ability to own these? (Under Cat C) - I think this article is for hunters / shooters that are not primary producers to be able to have the same. (Or I could also just be plain wrong )

And...

With an appropriate level of training, police checking and club attendances I am allowed to own a semiauto pistol which I'd consider a much larger risk to the general population

I beg to differ. After training, police checking and club vetting - I think the risk to the general population would have to be extremely low, not larger...

[<<Genesis93>>]

The use of the vineyard manager role was not a good example considering a PP can very easily obtain a cat C and access rimfire and shotty self loader and sg pumps...

This is a good first step in a process to role back all the gun laws from 96, and start again.

Brett, you think you're more of a risk to the public because you have a handgun?? I would have that licence or not the risk is similar, and much higher if you're a non-licence holder, as by definition a licence holder is clean, trustworthy, non-prohibited etc...

[brett1868]

Why not set some reasonable requirements of the farmers and allow them....

Don't farmers already have the ability to own these? (Under Cat C) - I think this article is for hunters / shooters that are not primary producers to be able to have the same. (Or I could also just be plain wrong )

And...

With an appropriate level of training, police checking and club attendances I am allowed to own a semiauto pistol which I'd consider a much larger risk to the general population

I beg to differ. After training, police checking and club vetting - I think the risk to the general population would have to be extremely low, not larger...

Doh...my bad, I read it as Vic farmers. The relationship was that a semi auto pistol in the hands of a city dweller compared to a semi rifle in a farmers hands. Been a long day and English isn't my language which is why I get things messed up on occasion

[wrenchman]

babby steps are what it take learn from the antis any gain is a gain and it starts with just talking

[Supaduke]

I miss my 10/22. I still get a bit angry when I pass the shop front on Geelong road in Yarraville where I had to hand it in with my pump actions. Still remember lining up with a bunch of quietly angry men with hang dog expressions. I think it's a bloody aquarium shop now. Gave me way under market value for them. Certainly a day that will live in infamy. My 10/22 was a hand me down from my dad. I learned to shoot with it, bloody fun gun

Meemoriees...... All alone in the mooooonlight. (Sniffle)

[on_one_wheel]

It's great to see a group lobbying for it.

I see a few extremely negative posts above, just remember that it was a can do attitude that got man to the moon.

Mass murders was the reasoning behind the heavy restrictions in the first place.
Has there ever been a mass murder committed with a semiautomatic .22 rimfire ?

Bring back out semiautomatics , lets push the example of the NZ firearms law model.

[<<Genesis93>>]

It's great to see a group lobbying for it.

I see a few extremely negative posts above, just remember that it was a can do attitude that got man to the moon.

Mass murders was the reasoning behind the heavy restrictions in the first place.
Has there ever been a mass murder committed with a semiautomatic .22 rimfire ?

Bring back out semiautomatics , lets push the example of the NZ firearms law model.

Yes. but it doesnt help the argument by listing here.
Not surprisingly it was a most common 10/22.

[Supaduke]

I'm just not sure how you would get it pushed through parliament. Seeing how semi's are technically not banned, but restricted. The provisions to own one are already there. The pollies will simply hide behind that. Perhaps an easing of elegibility for cat C. Trying to convince the greens it's a good idea would be as useful as trying to convince them nuclear power is a good idea. I wish I knew the solution. Kudos to people who continue the fight. All I can think of is to be like the tide and softly ebb away at the prejudice and bring people around to our way of thinking. Rational discussion and facts. Can't help believe it's wishful thinking though. I mean look at the hysteria created by the Adler and it's not even a semi....

[happyhunter]

I'm just not sure how you would get it pushed through parliament. Seeing how semi's are technically not banned, but restricted. The provisions to own one are already there. The pollies will simply hide behind that. Perhaps an easing of elegibility for cat C. Trying to convince the greens it's a good idea would be as useful as trying to convince them nuclear power is a good idea. I wish I knew the solution. Kudos to people who continue the fight. All I can think of is to be like the tide and softly ebb away at the prejudice and bring people around to our way of thinking. Rational discussion and facts. Can't help believe it's wishful thinking though.

It's not a stretch of the imagination to see self loading .22 hunting rifles being reclassified to cat A or cat B. Pump rifles are cat B while pump shotguns are cat C so there is already a precident to having the same type of action in two different catagories.

To succeed there needs to be a lot of noise from shooters. It may even cost money to push through but as a collective voice reclassification is possible.

[Supaduke]

I reread my post and it probably comes across as a bit defeatist. I am very pro gun and would own a semi ( and have owned ) in a flash. I just look at the reality of what it would take to actually get it over the line. Firearms are easy pickings for pollies when it comes to political point scoring. Anytime a pro gun pollie attempts to state their case on television it usually descends into an emotive filled pile of crap thanks to mostly left wing journalists. IMHO we are stuck where we are at and should work to halt any further restrictions.

[Mr.Seacucumber]

I'm just not sure how you would get it pushed through parliament. Seeing how semi's are technically not banned, but restricted. The provisions to own one are already there. The pollies will simply hide behind that. Perhaps an easing of elegibility for cat C. Trying to convince the greens it's a good idea would be as useful as trying to convince them nuclear power is a good idea. I wish I knew the solution. Kudos to people who continue the fight. All I can think of is to be like the tide and softly ebb away at the prejudice and bring people around to our way of thinking. Rational discussion and facts. Can't help believe it's wishful thinking though.

It's not a stretch of the imagination to see self loading .22 hunting rifles being reclassified to cat A or cat B. Pump rifles are cat B while pump shotguns are cat C so there is already a precident to having the same type of action in two different catagories.

To succeed there needs to be a lot of noise from shooters. It may even cost money to push through but as a collective voice reclassification is possible.

I agree we just need owners to band together to get it done, and for people to start moving forward. If every gun owner wrote into thier local PM I'm sure that it would make a difference. 750,000 in a country of only 22,000,000 is a lot of votes to be had and a lot of seats to be lost.

[Supaduke]

I'm just not sure how you would get it pushed through parliament. Seeing how semi's are technically not banned, but restricted. The provisions to own one are already there. The pollies will simply hide behind that. Perhaps an easing of elegibility for cat C. Trying to convince the greens it's a good idea would be as useful as trying to convince them nuclear power is a good idea. I wish I knew the solution. Kudos to people who continue the fight. All I can think of is to be like the tide and softly ebb away at the prejudice and bring people around to our way of thinking. Rational discussion and facts. Can't help believe it's wishful thinking though.

It's not a stretch of the imagination to see self loading .22 hunting rifles being reclassified to cat A or cat B. Pump rifles are cat B while pump shotguns are cat C so there is already a precident to having the same type of action in two different catagories.

To succeed there needs to be a lot of noise from shooters. It may even cost money to push through but as a collective voice reclassification is possible.

I have been shooting since I could hold a rifle, over 35 years. In that time I have encountered A LOT of anti gun sentiment. Mostly through ignorance. Most shooters I know are average people, unassuming. Any formal sort of protest rally would quickly descend into a farce as the left wing rent a crowd would counter it and it would probably turn violent just adding to our problems. Shooting sports suffer from a major PR problem. We don't have enough political power to really effect change. I honestly admire and respect everyone's efforts to change things but I can't help thinking we are preaching to the converted here. For every shooter there are 5 people that are completely apathetic to our plight and 5 people opposed to guns outright. Those opposed to us will never be convinced otherwise and the rest just don't care. I just try to do my bit to introduce new shooters to the sport, dispel myths and support the industry. I would support any real attempt to change things I just really don't know how we would do it.

[Supaduke]

My own posts annoy me sometimes , but I stand by what I say. We need an image consultant lol

[adam]

. Any formal sort of protest rally would quickly descend into a farce as the left wing rent a crowd would counter it and it would probably turn violent just adding to our problems.

Nah... the lefties are all about freedom of speech. Human rights. The right to protest.

They'd never contradict themselves or think that there should be different rules that apply to them vs anyone else. And as for human rights - they're all about caring for people. They'd never incite violence.

[happyhunter]

. Any formal sort of protest rally would quickly descend into a farce as the left wing rent a crowd would counter it and it would probably turn violent just adding to our problems.

Nah... the lefties are all about freedom of speech. Human rights. The right to protest.

They'd never contradict themselves or think that there should be different rules that apply to them vs anyone else. And as for human rights - they're all about caring for people. They'd never incite violence.

Hitting the streets wouldn't work anyway. You don't want or need the general public to notice because street protests are seen as a negative thing these days.

A coordinated campaign at political candidates in marginal seats would be more likely to gain some political support. I couldn't guess what percentage of voters in my electorate are gun owners or if it would be enough to tip the result in an election but I would assume if the numbers were enough to tip the result the political candidates would sell their arse for votes.

The hard part would be knowing who the gun owners are (and how do you overcome the security issues around that?) in order to contact them and then getting the gun owners to make the effort. It would have to happen nationally. The logistics would be a real challenge but not impossible *if* the money, information and motivation were available.

[Gwion]

Meemoriees...... All alone in the mooooonlight. (Sniffle)

Sorry, mate: but that made me laugh!

What is it with everybody wanting a 10/22... weren't (aren't) there any better semi-auto rim-fires than that? A mate has one under cat-C. Maybe he and his rifle aren't a good example but i don't think a great deal of it after seeing it in action on a few runs on the back of the ute.

[happyhunter]

The 10/22 is a nice little rifle. Accurate and reliable. That's all.

[Supaduke]

The 10/22 is one of those rifles that ruger just got 'right' . The classic stocked one has been around for decades basically unchanged. It's a modern day classic and the bench mark for any semi auto .22 . I would buy another one in a heartbeat if I could.

[Gwion]

To each their own. I don't think I'd buy one.

[Title_II]

I have 10/22. It stays in the back of the safe because I have .22 upper for the M16. It's a great little rifle but I probably haven't shot it in 15 years. Just can't bring myself to get rid of it.

[anthillinside]

I'd like to see some sense return to firearm laws,well ALL laws really.
Talk, Media, Public perception, is all window dressing,
Positive is better than negative but still does very little (I was going to say nothing) to change the laws,
The POWER in in the POLITICS thats where we need to focus.
You don't need to be a majority, you just need the right person in a position of power at the right time.
Or the wrong person if you look at it from the other side,
eg: Witlam-Medicare, Howard-gun laws, Gillard-carbon tax.
The people in power are the only people than can actully make the change.
You don't "have: to be the leader but it helps, just a few like minded people holding the balance of power in the Senate makes anything possible.
The Greens got their way inte early 00 with how many? 4-5 from memory but they had a good mouth piece Bob Brown , now gone.
Palmer? 3? but got a hell of a lot of his own way (amazing)
Politics is personal and everyone does their own thing, but the S&F party, now expanding into Shooters Fishers and Farmers hopefully expands our influence and support.
There is real power in the Senate, Thats why the big 2 want to control it,
Thats why we have an election soon with pushed through changes to senate voting rules.
If we were real smart we would FILL the senate with NON-Lib/Lab senators, then only bills that would have wide public support would pass.
Yes there would be some nutters there but there would be a lot less chance of being rail roaded byone partys back room power brokers.

[Oldbloke]

" There is real power in the Senate, Thats why the big 2 want to control it,
Thats why we have an election soon with pushed through changes to senate voting rules.
If we were real smart we would FILL the senate with NON-Lib/Lab senators, then only bills that would have wide public support would pass.
Yes there would be some nutters there but there would be a lot less chance of being rail roaded byone partys back room power brokers."

Spot on mate. I SAY VOTE INDEPENDANT.