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I'm curious. I have read differing reports on the number of firearms that were turned in or registered after the regulation. Some studies have suggested that many Ozzies did not turn in their guns or register them, but just went underground, especially in the outback.
How much truth is there to this? Anybody know for sure?
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But he certainly didn't get 'em ALL!
Based upon the import figures for Chinese SKS alone (one of those murderous, horrible semi-auto firearms now banned) the "buy back" netted less than half of the SKS imported.
A total of over 750,000 long guns and 68,000 handguns were confiscated from their legal owners in Little Johnny's hoplophobic orgy, but several states had not kept a complete registry before the event.
As a result, there's still a heap of unregistered firearms out there. Every state "Weapons Amnesty" surprises the police with what turns up.
Net result? The cost to the taxpayer was well over a billion AUD$ just for the pay out to legal owners and "lost business' compensation to dealers and importers. Winchester Australia soaked 'em 14 million for lost ammo sales.:
The ongoing cost to staff and operate the firearms branches and registrys for all of the states is several times that figure, and rising.
SO! Is Australia any "safer" now?
Firearms-related deaths continue to decline at the same rate they have since 1982 (14 years BEFORE the "Tough new gun laws":barf
The police spend their time going from owner to owner to inspect storage facilities and overseeing every single (legal) firearms transaction, while drug gangs import whatever they want through Australia's rather vast and porous borders.
John Howard achieved nothing but scratching his anti-gun itch and demonising a lot of good citizens in the process. This is what happens when we elect little men with strange ideas.