The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community

Submission 113

The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate

gun-related violence in the community

Submission

Stephen Barrett

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

1. Introduction
I became aware of the committee and its study of firearms laws and felt I had something to
offer. My knowledge of firearms is extensive. This is due to my training first as a Fitter and
Turner. Because of this I have first hand knowledge of the construction and manufacture of
machines. I understand first hand their operation, maintenance and repair. In more recent
times I have attended The University of South Australia and gained an Associate Degree in
Engineering Defence Systems. While I have opinions on many of the questions I will limit
myself to those questions within my field of knowledge.

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

2. Point C

the adequacy of current laws and resourcing to enable law enforcement authorities to

respond to technological advances in gun technology, including firearms made from

parts which have been imported separately or covertly to avoid detection, and firearms

made with the use of 3D printers;

2.1 The Question

I have chosen to address point C although my evidence goes to other matters raised for the
committee to examine. I believe my evidence is also strong against any argument to ban semi
automatic hand guns in Australia.

2.2 Gun Technology

Before going further gun technology should be considered. Semi Auto Handguns trace their
origins to the late 19th century and the inventions of Borchard, Maxim, Mauser and Browning.
Browning’s famed design was named the 1911 after its year of initial production. This gun is
in common production. To this day a majority of gun makers produce a version of the
1911.(Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-automatic_pistol) Bolt action rifles date
back to Mauser’s design of 1895 which was produced in 1898
(http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=275). This was the rifle
that Germany used in the Second World War. Today most rifles produced are based upon its
cammed action, close to cock and locking lugs as well as blow back ports. You can see that
firearms technology is not recent. I can only imagine that the question refers to the use of
polymers in handguns.

2.2.1 Polymer Handguns

Glock led the way into plastic guns. The benefits were cheaper price and easier manufacture.
The important parts of the gun including the slide and barrel were still made from metal. It
can more accurately be said to be a gun housed in plastic. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glock)

While there are claims that polymer guns are invisible to metal detectors this is patently
untrue. Their major parts are all still metal.

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

2.2.2 Replicators

Replicators or 3D Printers as they are sometimes called have been cited as a coming
revolution in firearms production. The technology is not at that point as yet. NSW Police have
tested the concept and Andrew Scippione described it as, “Catastrophic failure”.
(http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/05/watch-the-nsw-police-test-the-liberator-3d-printed-
gun/) This can be easily understood by anyone familiar with processes and materials. The
weak bonds of a built up object might have reasonable toughness, but tensile strength will be
very low. Lacking this strength the firearm cannot contain the pressure developed behind the
bullet. In fact the steel used in gun barrels and actions is never cast. Casting is fast and cheap
but does not give the strength of forging. The structure is grainy, there are no long structures
in the material and so the casting is unable to contain the force of combustion. All pressure
vessels are constrained by these factors, and a firearm is nothing more than a pressure vessel.

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

3. The Adequacy of Laws?

It should be considered what a firearm is, when asking can it be made from parts imported
covertly. In South Australia shooters are trained in TAFE that it is the receiver. All the other
parts are just parts, so things like triggers, barrels and stocks are not firearms.
(http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/g/definition-of-receiver-gun-parts-rifle-shotgun.htm) To
make the receiver fully effective though they are required. I will demonstrate how simple
these parts are

3.1 Receiver

Table 1 Mauser Receiver

Shows Receiver top, Bolt middle and Bottom Metal bottom.

A receiver is so eloquently named because it receives the cartridge and allows it to be

mounted for firing. It is a piece of bar with a hole drilled through the middle. Typically a hole
is cut in the bottom for a magazine and one in the top for ejection of the spent cartridge.
Target rifles do not include the hole for the magazine. This part can be manufactured on any
lathe. A small lathe with a digital read out can be bought new for a couple of thousand dollars.
Since the decline in manufacturing there are many second hand machines that are not really
used and might be put to this new use. There are many thousands of tradesmen that have the
skills. The number of these that are unemployed is unknown, but due to the decline in
manufacturing there could also be many thousands. Even if every unemployed machinist was

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

too noble to succumb to the offers of criminals to make firearms, you could make this part
after a couple of tries, you might even find an instructional on youtube.

3.2 Illegal Importation

It is reported that stun guns slipped by customs

(http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/17/1200419974236.html) other reports include over
100 Glocks being seized from a post office in Sydney. Greg Sheridan reported of the
inadequate staffing of customs to prevent that type of thing. Because it is so widely accepted
that government is not financing customs well enough to do the job I will not bother
discussing this any more. Whether the laws are adequate is completely meaningless. A
mountain of more laws to enforce will not help customs when they do not have the resources
to police the current laws.

3.3 Home Made Guns

As mentioned guns are incredibly simple mechanical devices, designed to be pressure vessels.
This simplicity was seized upon by Britain in World War 2 when they lacked skills and
machinery to make enough guns, in inventing the Sten Gun. A plumber could put it together
from the junk in his yard. A modern version is attached so that you can see how easy it is to
get this information and make one for yourself at home.

3.3.1 Seized in Australia

The following imaged are of home made guns that were seized by Australian Police. As
reported http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/08/05/bill-holmes-homemade-smg-
others-spotted-australia/

Table 2 Machine gun seized in Australia

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

Table 3 Machine
Pistol

Table 4 Additional
Seizures

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

Table 5 Home Made machine guns with other illegal guns including cut down
shotguns an AK47 and what appears to be an M14

3.3.2 Sheet Metal Semi Auto

The Firearms blog detailed the construction of a semi auto handgun that was made with a
hand drill and a welder and grinder. It included drawings of the parts. This is crucial as any
tradesman will tell you, you can’t make anything without the drawings.

Table 6 Sheet metal Semi Auto

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

Table 7 Drawings on cover of PDF

3.3.3 “10% of guns are home made”: Police

The ease of making illegal guns for the specific purpose of committing crime should be clear
by now. Police make this argument themselves and should be arguing that more laws are not
the answer. The source article is at
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/06/16/australian-police-10-firearms-seized-
homemade/

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

Table 8 Seized guns

collection
3.3.4 Fully Auto Guns in Perth

The police are arguing again here to channel 7 that gun laws have been totally ineffective. The
laws as onerous as they are in restricting every type of firearms ownership and making
ownership of semi automatic firearms available to only a select few individually approved by
police, has not prevented the proliferation of illegal semi and fully automatic firearms.
(http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/04/04/australian-motorcycle-gang-diy-firearms-
surface/)

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

Table 9 Captured machine

Gun

Table 10 Additional
Capture

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

Table 11 Another Fully Auto

Gun

Table 12 Luty Machine

Gun

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

Table 13 Bikie Machine

Gun

Table 14 Thompson look alike in

22LR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxEHXlYckTY shows the test firing of home made

machine guns captured by police. I notice here especially the police threat that if you draw a

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

gun on a police officer you will be shot! It should be noted that the one group in society that
has the protection of firearms, police, is also the group that works hardest to prevent anyone
else having that protection.

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

4. The ability of Australian law enforcement

authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in
the community
This is a bit like prostitution, can laws and police eliminate it? The drugs question also, the
war on drugs has been running my entire life but has only encouraged more crime. It might
also be good to ask if law enforcement authorities can reduce violence in the community.
Much crime against women has nothing to do with guns it is the back of the hand or the fist,
verbal abuse which is in some ways the worst. Can these things be reduced by authorities? In
fact John R Lott Jnr proved these things were greatly reduced by allowing guns. Every
American state has been forced by the soundness of his research and the overwhelming
evidence of falling crime rates in states that allowed concealed carry and enforced stand your
ground laws, that guns in the hands of the law abiding is the major way to reduce crime.
Simply criminals consider their targets and take the softest ones. The risk of being shot by a
victim or onlooker greatly reduces the criminals determination to commit crimes.

4.1 The Adequacy of Law

Illinois recently became the last American state to allow concealed carry, this led to
reductions in gun crime, murder, rape and accidental discharge of firearms.
Via ABC-affiliate Eye Witness News in the Windy City:
▪ The first three months of the year saw 6 fewer murders than the same time frame in
2013–a 9 percent drop–and 55 fewer murders than 2012, according to a statement
from Chicago Police.
▪ There were 90 fewer shootings and 119 fewer shooting victims, drops of 26 and 29
percent respectively, according to police statistics.
(http://www.ijreview.com/2014/04/126664-coincidence-illinois-enacts-concealed-carry-
law-chicago-murder-rate-plummets-immediately/)

This demonstrates the inadequacy of law to do much that is useful at all. The only law that did
anything was to allow people their natural right to defend themselves. Laws to date have been
about empowering government officials to the detriment of the wider population. It is surely
time that a different path was chosen. Criminals have easy access to guns and are using them
daily in Western Sydney and even Adelaide! This is completely normal as Lott reports that
more laws lead to more crimes. They have done every time they were ever introduced. I
notice that we all felt safer before the Port Arthur laws, nobody had any fear of crime gangs,
the Hells Angels were a forgotten few, and there was never a drive by shooting. Today we all
live in fear of what or who will shoot us in cold blood. This is entirely normal when gun
restrictions are introduced. Russia after all has a gun ban and 30 times the crime of Norway
which has 25% more guns than Russia.

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The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
Submission 113

5. Recommendations
To the committee I would ask from the depths of my heart not to consider any new laws on
legal gun owners.

▪ Seek to finance customs more effectively

▪ Remove from police any law or regulation making ability, their regulations
are entirely self serving and distract them from the role of catching criminals

▪ Require the states to allow firearms to be used in self defence. Self defence
is the single existential right, it is basic to the rights of every human being.

▪ Direct police to further their investigative efforts against criminals, who can
freely and easily manufacture their own weapons to illegal fully automatic
specifications

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