CANBERRA was bending to “whims and hysteria” on gun control by stopping the importation of a shotgun by a family relation, state member for Mount Isa Rob Katter said.
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The federal government last weekend decreed a stop to the importation of high-capacity lever-action shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than five rounds until the completion of a review of the National Firearms Agreement.
The review, which was initiated after December’s Lindt cafe siege in Sydney by Man Haron Monis, may result in a ban on shooters owning an Adler A110 through restrictions on the people who can own the weapon.
It will stop an order of 7000 Adlers entering Australia by a relative by marriage of Mr Katter.
Gun law reform say the Adler A110 represented one of the greatest threats to the nation’s gun law regime since the Port Arthur massacre, and threatened to open the door to ordinary shooters being able to own a rapid-fire shotgun for the first time since the 1996 massacre because it was comparable with a pump-action shotgun, which was banned after the massacre.
The Adler A110 lever-action seven-shot shotgun has been the talk of the shooting community because of its high reliability and functionality – meaning it can fire eight shots in eight seconds. “Tailor-made for fast and furious pig shooting from the bike, quad or all-terrain vehicle,” its advertising says.
Mr Katter said he was against the ban on Turkish-made Adler A110.
“This has been driven by someone watching advertising footage on the Internet and whipped up hysteria around that,” he told The North West Star.
“This is the exactly the same behaviour that drove the ban of the live export of the cattle industry years ago.”
The government’s focus “would be better used tracking down illegal firearm holders,” Mr Katter said.
“I would fully support a government crackdown.”
“But once again we have the government bending to the whim and hysteria of the radical element.”
Mr Katter’s father and federal member for Kennedy Bob Katter stressed in a letter to The North West Star (page 6) that rifles in private hands deterred invaders. Australia’s biggest gun importer Robert Nioa, Bob’s son-in-law reportedly planned to import 20,000 of the Alders a year and has already pre-sold 7000 to gun shops nationwide. They will be delivered in the next two years, it was reported last weekend.
Described as a “game changer for the Australian market”, the Adler A110 12 gauge will be available in two models: a 28-inch model for ducks, foxes and rabbits hunting and a 20-inch model for pig shooting from bikes, quads and other vehicles.
Samantha Lee, of Gun Control Australia, told the ABC’s 7.30 the gun would erode federal gun laws “because it’s a rapid-fire firearm and gun owners are describing it as a cross between a lever firearm and a pump-action shotgun.”
Sporting Shooters Associate Australia national president Geoff Jones was critical of the government’s stance.
Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the decision to suspend imports was not about targeting law-abiding gun owners, but reflected the heightened terrorist threat in Australia.
“We are concerned about this temporary ban as there has been no consultation from the government to make an informed decision,” Mr Jones told The North West Star.
He was disappointed by the government’s acts and said “it doesn’t reflect well on a responsible government”.
“It is a lever-action shotgun. The same kind of firearm you see on the old cowboy movies.”
Mr Jones said the issue has been drummed up from people who are against guns and poor reporting from “urban” media.
These firearms would only be available to licensed owners, and were used hunting feral pigs, which were a problem, in particularly Queensland.
