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I'm a licensed gun owner and have been for the last 5 years or so, I also have a current SA hunting permit. I own 2 rifles - a .22LR and a .270WIN, they live in a safe and my ammo is hidden and locked up seperatly. They aren't going to be stolen easily. I don't do much shooting but when I do I only use my rifles for hunting feral animals (goats, rabbits & foxes) and kangaroos in over populated areas. All the animals I kill are pests and nearly all of them are kept for their meat.
One problem with talking about guns is that most poeple don't have a clue about what's involved in getting trained and licenced to own one, and all the rules and regulations that go with it. It's not an easy task anymore. Getting a licence involves police paper work, a TAFE course, and theory and practical tests. There's also waiting periods for getting the licence and when buying a gun. It's impossible to go and get a licence and a gun in less than 2 months, it took me over 3 months just to get my licence and 6 weeks for my first rifle. Licenced gun owners go through this long and difficult procedure to use their guns for hunting and target shooting, not for criminal activities.
Another problem is the so called "uniform gun laws" in Australia. I understand they are not uniform throughout all the states. There are loop holes and inconsistancies in them.
The current laws are still very strict but it's only hurt the responsible, licenced owners and hasn't stopped the illegal guns and the crimes commited with them. The buyback was a joke. I know of one person that was given $28 for a semi auto .22, I know of another person that got a few hundred for a Beretta pump action shot gun that cost $5k. And there's plenty of others out there that never handed them back, and I don't blame them.
Another stupid thing with the current laws is that I can buy a lever action shot gun and not a pump action, but I can buy a pump action high power rifle.
Licenced gun owners with registered firearms aren't a problem.
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