Thread: Australian Army's new rifle being sold to American civilians

Originally Posted by Tombie

How about gun owning Canadians. Lots of firearms there an little to no gun violence..

Not uncommon to see people on public transport in Canada with a rifle slung..

Two important comparisons with the US:

Gun ownership rates in CAN are about 1/4 of those in the US.
(Canada is about equal with Germany)

Only 12% of gun owning households have a handgun.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

I grew up on a farm and we had guns. There is a small role for guns on a farm. I don't think there is any role for guns in the general community. All they do is make it easier for unbalanced people to hurt others and make us all more unsafe, as happens daily in the USA.

Indeed. From the link I posted earlier.

Gun suicide

Finally, there is the elephant in the room: gun suicide. In industrialised nations, most firearm-related deaths have nothing to do with crime. Suicides make up 77% of gun deaths in Australia. In the UK it is 70%. Even in the US, 63% of shooting deaths are self-inflicted.

Public health practitioners see suicides and homicides as almost equally preventable. But try telling a firearm owner that statistically, the person most at risk from a gun in the home is a member of their own family ? from suicide, unintentional gunshot or domestic violence.

Yep, these people who boast about how having a gun will let them repel home invaders are kidding themselves. What often happens is the intruder takes the gun and shoots the resident. The gun they boasted would make them safer actually got them shot. Just dumb, I think.

So then, its ok to sell them overseas. ?

So we should be the moral compass of the World?

If someone wants to buy a gun, if they cannot get the Australian gun they will buy a gun made elsewhere.

Every time we have tried to"lead the World" by banning something nobody takes the slightest notice. Examples are Asbestos, BCF, R12 and banning smoking in restaurants and public places. I saw a video last night of an Iraqi enjoying his first cigarette after being liberated from IS. So we are in tune with IS at least. He looked like he enjoyed it.

I recall when I was tasked with selling 7.62 ammo, Bofors and 105 Howitzer ammo to Malaysia a similar uproar happened and the government caved. Did the Malaysians not buy ammo? Er No.

We are not important . Nobody cares if we make futile gestures.
That warm feeling is probably pee in your pocket.
Regards Philip A

I reckon there might be plenty of toyonissan owners who reckon all on this forum are weirdos

Originally Posted by PhilipA

We are not important . Nobody cares if we make futile gestures.
That warm feeling is probably pee in your pocket.
Regards Philip A

So, can you make a balanced argument without snide remarks? This is not about you, personally I couldn't care less what you did in a past life. No offence meant. I'm happy knowing the ADF has a capable weapon system . BTW, THALES owns Lithgow small arms now, nothing to do with the Government. I believe every human is important, and even futile gestures can make a difference. Any how, this a place for discussion. And I really like that weapons system.I reckon I could hit a target with it, unlike the L1A1, useless lump of a thing. Or it may have been me......

Originally Posted by Meccles

I reckon there might be plenty of toyonissan owners who reckon all on this forum are weirdos

Only the Defender drivers......