Owen Guns Bulletin December Edition No 186, 2021
Owen Guns Bulletin December Edition No 186, 2021
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! It’s my favourite time of year; December always brings more people to the shop so I get more pats. There’s also an abundance of tremendous food around, I get turkey, stuffing, gravy, roast potatoes even a bit of royal icing falls my way from time to time.
So far it has not let me down I am one happy staffy until I turn on the news, which I believe you can all relate too. Since the infamous bat soup of 2019 we hear nothing but the “C” word. Before that it was a different “C” word “Climate Change” which is sprinkled in every now and then to appease the greens and the people who get their good feels from buying electric cars and hating on coal companies that help manufacture their electric cars and giant wind turbines. The talk of the town in Queensland is Vaccine mandates which has already come into place in other states and countries.
In New Zealand a man received the covid vaccine 10 times in one day after he was paid by anti-vaxers to get their jabs. The man, who has not been identified, pretended to be a different person each time he visited a doctor. While there is limited data on the effects of multiple Covid vaccines on the body, Doctors have guessed the man would be feeling pretty rough the next day. I’m sure this is not the only man in the world who has done this. But if you’re worried about not being able to go to your local shooting club you will not have to go to these lengths because there is no mandate on the clubs. Shooters Union wrote in their latest email “The new vaccination status restrictions in Queensland came into effect on December 17 and the good news for a not insignificant number of our members is that unvaccinated shooters will still (legally) be able to attend ranges and shoot there.” At least that’s one thing the unvaccinated are not shunned from.
SSAA however…. Not so nicey nicey.
SSAA Qld State Office have provided instruction to ALL SSAA branches. The branches were provided with two options on how to open and operate ranges.
Option 1 – Fully Vaccinated Only: – No COVID-19 density limits will apply. This would mean no restrictions on vaccinated members, Juniors, Form 33’s and authorised visitors.
Option 2 – Vaccinated and Unvaccinated: – Allows for licensed adult shooters only with density limits and physical distancing of 1.5m
Most clubs seem to be opting for Option 1. For example Fraser Coast, Mackay and Brisbane
Luckily Imbil and Wattle Grove are opting for Option 2
But our Gympie Pistol Club has taken it upon themselves to lock out the unvaccinated ….
“On the 19th December 2021, a committee vote was undertaken which resulted in a split decision and the President was called upon to cast a deciding vote. The vote was conducted in accordance with the Gympie Pistol Clubs rules and constitution, it was to determine whether to allow unvaccinated members and guest to be able to attend the pistol club. The vote was passed, and the decision was made to NOT allow the attendance of unvaccinated persons at the club, unless there is a genuine medical reason for not getting vaccinated against Covid 19. As of 1am Tuesday 28th December 2021, no person unvaccinated is to attend the club premises located at Gympie Pistol Club, Belvedere Road, Veteran, QLD, 4570. Any person that has at least One vaccine dose against Covid-19 is able to attend providing it has been at least seven days post vaccine. A medical exemption certificate would need to be shown to the range officer All those that are Vaccinated need to show their certificate of vaccine to the attending range officer This has been a difficult decision but believed to be our way to help fight against the spread of the Covid 19 / Omicron virus within our community. This is not a personal attack on any person, but more to keep everybody safe.”
The Royal Australian College Of General Practitioners wrote on the 15th of December
‘Neither vaccination with two doses of AstraZeneca nor Pfizer were able to stimulate an antibody response strong enough to neutralise Omicron in our assays among the samples we tested,’ Associate Professor Turville said.
If you need more verification a new study from researchers at Columbia University suggests the omicron variant of COVID-19 is “markedly resistant” to the current COVID-19 vaccines, antibody treatments and booster shots, raising concern from experts about what’s to come from the variant in the coming weeks.
So what is your real reason Gympie Pistol Club? There is no mandate, there is no proof that the vaccine has any benefit to “stopping the spread”. Does it give you a sense of elitism?
This is an email we received this week from one of our very loyal customers and it describes the heartache and injustice that is already being created from Fraser Coasts SSAA..
Hi Ron,
My young friend Alex Read has worked hard, got all his certificates (license), SSAA membership, Q50 amenities, a new (second) rifle with a new scope – all up he has spent about $1,500 earned doing odd jobs, mowing lawns, washing dishes at a restaurant and so on.
So, at the Q50 range – no me – no Alex, no Alex’s mother, or brother (we have all used that range). Not my wife or her friends, who were looking forward to time at the range.
Today this “pureblood” (me – no altered DNA and not a participant in the worlds biggest medical experiment) went to lunch in a restaurant with two boys and a wife. We did not wear masks going in – we did NOT have to show vaccine passports and they (the restaurant) face a real fine if this is picked up on by the powers that be. The SSAA only had to abide by existing conditions allowing us to shoot, just not use the restaurant. (what restaurant).
It would be hard to underestimate how much respect I have for the SSAA. While I wish you well, I wonder if you will notice a shift in purchases over the next 6 months? It is always galling that the “decision makers” who inflict this on the industry, have no skin in the game – does that branch president who tipped the balance own a gun shop? Will it effect him?
Thanks for being in touch – it is not what we fought for, it is not the Australia I had hoped to leave to my son and grandsons. It ain’t over just yet…
The Transplant Conundrum
Seven News reported on the 6th of December that vulnerable Queenslanders waiting for a life-saving organ transplant will be denied medical treatment unless they are fully vaccinated, regardless of genuine concerns about vaccine side effects.
All potential organ transplant patients must have a minimum of two doses before surgery – a process that takes more than a month to complete. They fear that this delay will leave them at increased risk of serious harm, even if they agree to abide by the restriction.
Unvaccinated Lives Matter
Dana Ward, a 23-year-old from the Gold Coast, had a pancreas and kidney transplant in 2009. Her body has rejected the kidney, placing her in urgent need of a transplant to save her life.
“I have been told that if I received a kidney and then got Covid it would be a waste of an organ. I even have a donor ready to go but it’s been made clear nothing will go ahead until I am fully vaccinated,” said Ms Ward, who is now considering taking the vaccine even though it goes expressly against her wishes.
Unvaccinated Lives Matter
Kidney, lung, and heart transplant patients have told the Courier Mail that they remain unvaccinated because they fear side effects from the vaccine that could make them even more ill than they already are. This is particularly true of those on complex medication schedules or in an especially fragile condition.
Queensland Health has stood by its decision, insisting that it was backed by health authorities and indigenous representatives.
Unvaccinated Lives Matter
“A recipient is highly immunosuppressed post-transplant, which is why it’s incredibly important for the person to be vaccinated prior to transplant. Queensland Health prioritises safety before, during and after a transplant,” said a spokesman for Queensland Health.
The patients involved now have no choice; hospitals will deny life-saving care unless they get vaccinated.
Unvaccinated Lives Matter
Unvaccinated patients have had their surgery put on hold. There will be a review of the policy in February 2022. Which might be too late for these people? The government and a lot of their sheep keep regurgitating that “you have a choice” but this is real proof that there is no choice and people are risking their lives more than ever. Another line I love hearing from our health minister is “we are trying to keep the community safe” and then the government is the only thing prohibiting people from these life saving surgeries.
Primers
The worldwide shortage of ammunition is taking hold in Australia, with the supply of primers now critically low, most distributors running out completely and no relief in sight. Sources told Straight Shooting that most of the distributors, both large and small, have run out of primers, or if they do have stock it is only limited amounts of low-demand types. There is likely to be one more significant shipment of primers arriving in Australia before the supply stops completely for three years. Since this directly affects us I can confirm this to be true. We still have some but not enough to tide people over the next few years.
According to our sources, Australian distributors are expecting no further delivery of US-made primers in Australia until 2024, while supplies from elsewhere in the world will not be available for at least 18 months. Scott Allen, sales manager at Beretta Australia, agrees: “The disruption to supply chain for components has been a limiting factor for how much ammunition can be produced.”
Supply of ammo wasn’t helped when Remington’s ammunition manufacturing stopped for eight months when the company was split up and sold off. “This also was compounded by huge military contracts in Europe which came into effect at the start of 2021 and will run till midway through 2022,” says Allen.
A worldwide shortage of shipping containers has seen their prices soar, too, just one part in rising ammo prices here. “Freight prices are now five times what they were before COVID,” Stevens says. “Restricted staff numbers in factories because of COVID have added massive costs, and most manufacturers have had three price increases in the last six months.”
Most of our importers have absorbed some of the rises. If one keeps prices down, the others are forced to follow quickly or they lose market share, because dealers tend to look for the best value at wholesale level. But inevitably, prices have gone up at retail level. Most of these issues go beyond ammunition to include firearms and most accessories.
Of course, other industries have been hit just as hard, such as cars and electronics. If and when the COVID pandemic is brought under control around the world, it’s still difficult to know when the industry will return to a state of predictability and balanced supply and demand. However, there may be times when you can’t get your favourite box of bullets, so you may have to be prepared to try whatever else is available at the time. The prices may be hard to swallow but it’s probably not your dealer’s fault, because the root of the increased costs comes from outside the industry. Some dealers have been stockpiling primers and other ammunition in an effort to maintain stocks as imports slow down or stop altogether, but many have not been able to buy primers for months now. As the situation became critical, those dealers who could bought whatever stock was left with distributors. The supply of imported projectiles has also dried up. Boxes of 5000 large rifle primers are being advertised on GunBroker.com for $US1125, about $A1550 or 31 Australian cents per primer. Boxes of 5000 match-grade small rifle primers are advertised for $US1000, about $A1375 or almost 28 Australian cents per primer. One seller listed individual packets of 100 CCI small pistol primers for sale at $US40 each, equivalent to 55 Australian cents per primer!
Whats selling….
Boito Reuna Single Shot 410 – $264
for a bargain quality firearm?? Look no further…….
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