Police Minister Judith Collins says the Government is looking seriously at legislation to restrict the sale of high-powered air rifles which are being blamed for two recent slayings in Auckland.
Police Sergeant Don Wilkinson died after he was shot with a FX Monsoon air gun while on a undercover drugs operation in 2008.
And now it has been revealed the same type of weapon was used in the slaying of Keith Kahi, 44, in the eastern Auckland suburb of Botany Downs nine days ago.
This is simply hysteria and based on total ignorance of firearms including air-rifles. The news article constantly refers to the FX Monsoon as “high-powered”. A check of the manufacturers specifications show that .177 calibre has a muzzle velocity of1000fps and the .22 version a muzzle velocity of 920fps.
By way of comparison a standard .22 long rifle cartridge generates not less than 1,080fps and up to 1,750fps. The air rifles could hardly be considered high-powered, just as no-one would dare call a .22 rimfire rifle “powerful”. In fact most air rifles these days are around 750fps -1000fps making the distinction between high-powered and low-powered almost impossible.
The other thing about legislation is that it doesn’t ever stop criminals from arming themselves. They simply ignore restrictions and legislation, that is why they are criminals. What it does do though is further dis-arm the general populace. It isn’t access to the weapons that is the problem, if that was the case then criminals wouldn’t have assault rifles, pistols and shoguns, for they are already far more restricted than air-rifles. The simple fact is that restrictions will not stop criminals arming themselves.
New Zealanders need to face up to reality that we have lost control of general society to criminals, who generally act with impunity and can count on an un-armed Police force.
The Police should be armed as a matter of cousre, and they should be trained appropriately. We also need to allow our general citizenry to defend themselves in the face of increasing violence in our drug addled society.
No-one has mentioned that the neighbours of these criminals who committed the latest shooting will have been living in mortal fear next door, knowing full well that there were armed criminals in there, yet unable to defend themselves because they were law abiding citizens.
If we need any reason for allowing the open carry of firearms in our society then Navtej Singh is it. He was abandoned to die for simply running a shop, while Police cowered unarmed behind their vehicles.
Let’s have a proper look at our gun laws and a proper look at our ability to defend ourselves, we need this because it is clear that the Police can’t protect us, they can’t even protect themselves. We need to take back our streets from the criminals. We need the right to keep and bear arms.
