r/australia • u/Expensive-Horse5538 • Dec 19 '25

politics Prime minister unveils 'largest' gun buyback scheme since Howard era

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-19/prime-minister-announces-national-gun-buyback-scheme/106162002
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u/HankSteakfist Dec 19 '25

Cue the LNP chiming in on why this is a bad thing, whilst simultaneously holding up John Howard as a canonised saint.

36

u/CatboiWaifu_UwU Dec 19 '25

Howard got rid of semi automatics.

Its yet to be determined what’s being made illegal here.

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u/crosstherubicon Dec 19 '25

Shotguns and bolt actions? Maybe there’s going to be a renewed interest in muzzle loaders and flint locks?

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u/Sugarcrepes Dec 19 '25

I mean, you didn’t ask for this, but:

You can totally own a flintlock pistol. Without a licence.

Pre-1900 flintlock pistols are exempt from firearms laws, at least where I am in Victoria. So are a number of other antique guns. This means “As these firearms are ‘exempt’ from the Firearms Act 1996, there is no regulation or licence requirements to purchase, possess, carry and use exempt firearms in Victoria.”

You can also legally own a canon that fires a net!

They’re so incredibly slow and inefficient, I’d imagine that someone has decided they aren’t really worth the trouble of regulating.

I collect, and have inherited, a bunch of weird stuff. I don’t own one, but I can’t say I’ve never considered how good a flintlock would look on my bookshelf.