The New Zealand government issued the accused Christchurch attacker a license to buy firearms. He was, according to this Wall Street Journal article, “granted a Category A license, which allows a person to use a seven-round magazine of ammunition and buy certain guns for sporting use.”
You might think that New Zealand’s government would respond to the attacks by reforming its own internal processes that led to them handing a license to this guy.
That would make too much sense. Instead, the law enacted in April 2019 defines as a “prohibited firearm” all centrefire rifles, including your grandfather’s old hunting rifles, and lists as a “prohibited magazine” any detachable or permanently attached rifle magazine that “is capable of holding more than 10 cartridges.” As a bonus, the law creates a list of “prohibited ammunition” to which calibers can be added by regulatory fiat.
Which explains why the linked video shows grandfathers sadly handing over family heirlooms that were probably their grandfathers’ favorite hunting rifles. The only creatures that should be worried about these classics chambered in .30-06 Springfield is a Rusa deer on the North Island’s east coast, or a foolhardy criminal trying to rob a senior citizen.
Sadly, the government did exactly what the Christchurch attacker wanted to see happen: “The gun owners of New Zealand are a beaten, miserable bunch of baby boomers, who have long since given up the fight. When was the last time they won increased rights? Their loss was inevitable. I just accelerated things a bit.”
The New Zealand government issued the accused Christchurch attacker a license to buy firearms. He was, according to this Wall Street Journal article, “granted a Category A license, which allows a person to use a seven-round magazine of ammunition and buy certain guns for sporting use.”
You might think that New Zealand’s government would respond to the attacks by reforming its own internal processes that led to them handing a license to this guy.
That would make too much sense. Instead, the law enacted in April 2019 defines as a “prohibited firearm” all centrefire rifles, including your grandfather’s old hunting rifles, and lists as a “prohibited magazine” any detachable or permanently attached rifle magazine that “is capable of holding more than 10 cartridges.” As a bonus, the law creates a list of “prohibited ammunition” to which calibers can be added by regulatory fiat.
Which explains why the linked video shows grandfathers sadly handing over family heirlooms that were probably their grandfathers’ favorite hunting rifles. The only creatures that should be worried about these classics chambered in .30-06 Springfield is a Rusa deer on the North Island’s east coast, or a foolhardy criminal trying to rob a senior citizen.
Sadly, the government did exactly what the Christchurch attacker wanted to see happen: “The gun owners of New Zealand are a beaten, miserable bunch of baby boomers, who have long since given up the fight. When was the last time they won increased rights? Their loss was inevitable. I just accelerated things a bit.”