this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2025
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Australia was once the gold standard for gun safety. Experts say it’s losing control (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 month ago by Davriellelouna@lemmy.world to c/australia@aussie.zone
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[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

the number of guns each licence holder has is going up – gun owners now average more than four firearms for each licence.

So on our farm we have

  1. A shotgun(foxes and rabbits)
  2. A .22(never got rid of it)
  3. A .22 Magnum (kangaroos and sheep)
  4. An air rifle(fun)
  5. A .303(cows and wild pigs)

3 guns is close to an irreducible minimum for a large farm or a serious hunter. I imagine club shooters similarly 'need' around 3-4 guns for different events. An average of more than four on each license is not a shocking figure.

With the exception of illegally acquired guns there is very little in here that is concerning. The absence of semi automatic and pump action guns combined with registration tied to valid uses remains firm.

[–] DavidDoesLemmy@aussie.zone 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How do the animals even hold the guns, let alone aim and fire them? Why do animals need guns at all?

[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 month ago

There's a reason Australia is know for dangerous animals.

[–] cuber_momentus@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 month ago

I very much agree, the number of guns per licence in and of itself is not a concern. That said, I still believe that it's a valuable statistic to track.

Legally owned/originally acquired guns are the ones that contribute to the grey-market, obviously, and acknowledging that the supply for that market is likely to grow is important to bare in mind.

I absolutely agree with the last statement as well, greater restrictions around semi-automatic and faster firing weapons has had the greatest impact on safety, regardless of the increase in guns per person.