The licenced shooters in this country have been getting a hard time the last few years, and in most cases its unfounded and over the top, and we should be asking ourselves why is that? We have seen the figures and statistics; violent crime has gone up, the ban and so called buy back, netted stuff all, but cost us over $200,000 in tax dollars. Which, no surprise, only resulted in honest people participating. Hell the gangs had been on TV saying they wouldn’t hand theirs in, (how come they have any and the police aren’t kicking their doors down?) This also gave the gangs a holiday from the careful watch of police and their membership subsequently increased.
Now we have The Firearms Safety Authority, which has been set up and run under the police. While the Minister of Justice has taken a change at the top, nothing has changed in the way they deal and treat the licence holders. After the massacre in Christchurch, Police were silent about what vetting and checks properly were done but nothing was done when discrepancies were identified.
The paperwork to apply for a licence is an obscene joke. It’s about making those that want to follow the laws and have a licence think twice and in a lot of cases, just plain give up.
We know that the desire from a lot of people is to disarm the public, even when they say otherwise, because actions show this. If you don’t believe me, go and download the application form for a firearms licence and note they are the same whether it’s for a new application or renewal, then look at a driver’s licence or Passport application where a renewal is relatively simple.
The over-the-top watch on pistol clubs and ranges has put so much extra pressure on the volunteers who are just trying to keep their clubs going and to give people a safe place to learn the right way to handle a firearm.
They try and claim it is about safety, but is it really? Accidents have always been rare and normally self-inflicted. Accidents will happen but do the math, every Pistol endorsed holder has to shoot a minimum of 12 times per year and I would estimate they shoot about 150 rounds per visit, some do less, but others more. This means 4600 members x 12 shoots x 150 rounds = 8,280,000 pistol rounds on the minimum, and believe me, we do a lot more than that.
If you are wanting good, knowledgeable advice and experience to back it, talk to Pistol NZ, NZ Deer Stalkers or COLFO. They talk and live it, firearms and their use, damn near every day and have done so for years. Not the police who shoot two times a year and mostly on other people’s ranges. It’s time that smart people who know the subjects are at the front of the room, and those that have gained their expertise from Facebook and just run on feelings get limited time to speak as there is little benefit, in my opinion, to what they have to say.
