10/24/2014

Victoria (Australia) Police: Banning semi-automatic handguns won't take such guns off the street

This news article misses the point that even to the extent that a ban takes some guns from criminals, that is offset by the fact that victims are easier targets.  From The Age newspaper:
Banning semi-automatic handguns won't take such guns off the street, Victoria Police has told a federal inquiry into gun violence. 
Victoria Police told the submission such a ban "would most likely have little effect on the number of illegally held firearms in Australia". 
"The majority of semi-automatic handguns seized are from criminals who are prohibited persons," the submission says. "It is unclear whether a ban on semi-automatic weapons will diminish their ability to obtain such weapons." 
It also warns that a ban could make it more profitable to import such weapons illegally, potentially pushing the market even further underground. . . . 
"It is likely that 3D printing of firearms will increase, posing a significant risk to community safety and law enforcement agencies," the submission says. . . .
By the way, there has just been an attack where three people were killed in a shooting attack in Australia.  Again from The Age newspaper:
Two men and a woman are dead and a man has been arrested following a shooting and siege north-west of Melbourne that police say was triggered by a neighbourhood dispute.  
Police were called to the property, near Wedderburn and about 210km from Melbourne, about 8.30pm on Wednesday after reports of a minor dispute between neighbours. 
Fairfax Media can confirm that Peter Lockhart, president of the Wedderburn Historical Engine and Machinery Society, his wife Mary Lockhart, and Mrs Lockhart's son Greg Holmes died on Wednesday night. . . . 

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2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

3D printing? Really? How many semi-auto plastic 3D printed guns have been used by criminals? How many of these have killed anyone? I specifically mention plastic, because the average person can't possibly afford a metal 3D printer. I guess that's Australia's version of the ghost gun.

10/24/2014 3:06 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Thanks for posting the article, John.

3D Printing may become the "underground" method of choice where firearms are prohibited, but there are a number of other methods, but, given illicit market ROI factors, 3D Printing costs shouldn't be an issue just as illegal drug manufactures don't appear to have similar issues for their high demand products as well...

An engineer, Chandler, wrote an article, "Gun-Making as a Cottage Industry," originally published in SAF's JOURNAL ON FIREARMS AND PUBLIC POLICY. In the article Chandler asserts there are a number of "low tech" methods for illicit manufacture, like narcotics, so 3D Printing is just a another method albeit a potentially powerful one.

Anyway, the article is well cited and may be worth a look, especially with market forces likely encourage illicit manufacture because of the growth of Prohibitionist jurisdictions...

A "Gangster's Paradise"...

Best,

Eric

10/25/2014 5:12 PM  

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