Owen Guns Bulletin Edition 78 March 2013

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Thoughts for the Week. 

Thoughts for the week.

Many Queensland dealers received an email last week from Inspector Peter Assfalg the Manager of the Firearms and Weapons Amnesty a ‘name’ I am sure that shooters will hear a lot about in the future. He shoots, he is interested,  intelligent, depending on heart and circumstance will dictate whether he makes a good mark on our fraternity, or a bad.

I suppose that if we supply him with more information we may affect the circumstance, and as I am sure he will read this missive there may be value in that. More so if we are all better informed and speak out to others make corrections in ‘letters to the editor’, Facebook and email chains we all affect circumstance. Even in a small way it changes our world as long as we all keep busy producing letters and passing them on.
Inspector Assfalg reported,
“We have reached the halfway mark for the amnesty ……..should continue until 30 April 2013.
Total number of Firearms processed under the amnesty as at 18/3/13 – 3203 
– average of 70 Firearms per day (2004 Amnesty 59 average per day)
2538 Firearms have been registered – 79%
635 Firearms have been destroyed – 20%
30 Firearms are being held for safekeeping pending license application by the owners – 1%
2186 Firearms processed at non-police premises – 68% (FIREARM DEALERS)
3 Stolen firearms located…
Regards Peter Assfalg.

While its good that (hopefully) that 3 people may ( if they still have a licence) have their firearms returned to them. It hardly justifies the cost to the taxpayer for the millions that this individual exercise has cost, never mind the billions of dollars wasted on the registration system and the human misery it has caused the good responsible shooters of Queensland.
While I am sad that their might have been some good firearms in that 635 going for destruction there is a lot of good that might come out of this amnesty, if we campaign intelligently.
Firearms for registration and firearms for the purpose of destruction (Owen Guns never destroy anything, just put them into our parts or museum area) have mainly (99%) been only of sentimental value. I love to see customers freely registering Daisy Red Riders and Diana Model 1s, or Shanghai air rifles, or some of the better 100 year old single shot .22s that could be lethal at both ends. In those cases we inform them that they are not safe to shoot. Some of them the headspace is so sloppy only one shot in ten will go off. Comforting to know that another 2538 have freely been adding to the 600,000 or so on the Queensland registration list. 25 million for the computer program last time maybe 50 million next time.
So if you have an old clunker, or an air rifle that cost $8.00 35 years ago, or somthing that you dug up in the vegetable patch, even if it has no number or model number, or you cannot define a maker, or that it will not even work. If its not registered do the right thing and register it under the amnesty, we charge one dollar to cover the photocoping and the fax transmission. Take it to your local dealer and add to the government’s well deserved problem.
Eventually the rubber will have to hit the road, someone will realize that it is too expensive in man hours and taxpayer funds for absolutely no benefit. No assistance at all in saving a life or identifying a criminal. In fact if the truth be known not even identifying a firearm, as numbers are not specific to an individual firearm. Unless they come up with a completely new science they never will have that. Any half intelligent criminal could follow the examples of the criminal terrorist and manufacture the weapons they need.

Besides all that, there is another benefit for Queensland shooters in this amnesty. Besides the fact that the amnesty organisation has shown up Weapons Licensing Branch by producing a list of firearms of registered firearms to each shooter who has applied to put a firearm on their licence within 10 days. As with a PTA registration, that you pay Weapons Licencing $32.20 for, more than likely you will never recieve one, unless you phone plead, threaten and cajole.
The crucial point is that this system has employed the licensed firearm dealers in carrying out the registration process, (which they do anyway) but this system allows it, and makes it happen on the spot. The Dealer identify the owners shooters licence put the details on a form and then identifies the firearms details, includes it with his own details on the one sheet faxes it to the Amnesty number. Gives a copy to the owner. The owner takes his firearm home, on the spot. The staff at the amnesty type the details into their computer and send out the new list.

If they can do that with the amnesty they, ‘Weapons licencing’ can do it. That’s no cost, on the spot registration. If there is a problem the firearm, such it is stolen they have all the details and can pick it up at there convenience.

Inspector Peter Assfalg has shown and proved that it is possible. If they want to employ there hundreds of staff in more productive work they can do it, if they want to. If they just want to prove that they are ‘harassing’ the licenced shooters then they will continue with the PTA system. Licenced shooters are increasing in numbers at least 16% per year (try find a vacancy in a firearm course) they have all served out their 28 days waiting period they should not have to wait again for an obsolete PTA system.

Please all point this out to your local State representatives, your MP s the ones responsible to you as we all pay them to re – present your problems to parliament, write letters to the editor of your local paper if they do not intelligently respond. Local papers are their reflection in the re-election mirror. If you are consistent with the letters you will get much greater response from your local member. He may hate you, but he will take notice and re act which ever party he is in. If he opposed everything you say, his duty is still to represent you, and you are then telling all your neighbours that you will not vote for him due to this issue. This is the only way we can expect change for the better. Please strike a blow.

Contact your local MPs today.  http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/Members/mailingLists/MEMLIST.pdf

Congratulations to the people who struck a blow in Western Australia and worked very hard to get a seat in the Upper House for Rick Mazza from the Shooters & Fishers Party. This was there first try, we are all hoping for further successes.

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