Gun Laws show their worth.

OK, I always knew that the gun laws brought in back in the 1990's were a farce...they punished and banned law abiding shooters and hunters from owning many different types of firearm, while allowing criminals, drug producers, and other scum to do whatever they want. This is what comes from not realising that "breaking the law" is the top of the job description of a crook.
Now in the central Queensland coastal city of Rockhampton, the local army cadets were simply trying to update thier replica, and I stress REPLICA, firearms which are used for training and ceremonial purposes. They wanted to move from the old .303 rifle, which dates back to WW1, and get the modern Steyr light machine gun, which the army uses now. This was so they can use the same techniques and methods as the army, with REAL guns, uses.
The problem is that the local police have said the army cadets are not allowed to buy these replicas. They are, believe it or now, classed the same under the law as THE REAL THING!
That's right...plastic replica firearms are classed the same as full-auto firing machine guns which the army uses.

This shows the basic wrongness of the gun laws...the gun laws...hell, ANY laws...should be aimed at the people who break them, while creating a minimum of disturbance to the normal man-in-the-street. Sporting shooters have always said, make it a more serious offence before the law if you use a firearm in the commission of a crime. Say that the statutes say that you should face around 2 years in jail for a robbery...if you use a firearm to threaten the person, then automatically make it 6 years.

Of course, this is assuming that the usual soft crap doesn't happen in the court...we have all seen stupid cases where someone commits a horrible crime, is "sentenced to 10 years jail", yet further down the news column they reveal "eligble for payrole in 3 years...less with good behavior."
How the hell does that work? If you are sentenced to 10 years, you should get 10 years MINIMUM.
Any time anyone brings up the idea of minimum, not "maximum" sentencing, as it takes away the idea of "leniancy and taking other things into consideration by the judge"...hey buddy, stiff shit...if you don't want to do the time, try not breaking the law asshole!!!

So on the one hand, we have law abiding young people who have volunteered to do thier bit for thier country and stay off the streets are getting shafted by stupid restrictions on a simple replica firearm to further thier training with, and on the other, we have criminals who are allowed to virtually do whatever they like, while knowing they will face a minimal sentence if they do get caught.

Great message to young people and a prime example of how our legal system works...