NSSF Shot Show Day 3

Shot Show Day 3

The third day of the Shot Show falls on a Thursday every year, and is the last full day of walking mile after mile while you view product after product of the some 1600 plus exhibitors spread over 830 000 square feet. It is also the day where some folk are walking around like zombies after the many Shot Show parties on the Wednesday night. It is not uncommon to see someone walking along trying to battle through a hazy memory of the night before, mixed with the excitement of the third big day of the Shot Show.

The last big day of the Shot Show always comes with mixed feelings. By now you have seen so many amazing products, met so many amazing energy filled folk, and covered so many miles on the show floor that your feet are swollen, and back sore from carrying the many product samples in your backpack.  All the while you are thinking what an amazing week, filled with the creativity and energy of the firearms and outdoor industry. All week you have been able to spend time with folk who share your passion for the outdoors and outdoor related sports, such as shooting, hiking, camping and generally loving life and wishing to experience it to its fullest.

On this final, full day, there were several products that caught our attention. Firstly, there was the debate we had at the show over whether or not the bolt on the Ruger Precision Rifle or the Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle was the smoothest, and therefore allowed the cleanest mad minute. With a crowd gathered around us, we put this question to the test, and sorry to say for the Ruger fans, the Mossberg won hands down! Mossberg won our mad minute competition with by far the smoothest bolt, and highest number of clean repetitions. Let’s hope many of these fine Mossberg rifles are soon seen in Australia.

Following our mad minute test, we visited several new product exhibitors whose inventive products might be seen in Australia in the near future. A few of these products caught our eye, as we felt these would be well matched to the needs of Australian shooters. Firstly, there were the active custom molded ear plugs, or noise suppression aids of Decibullz. Decibullz is now examining entering the Australian market with the incredible economically priced noise suppression aid. They are the next generation in hearing protection and offer a hearing aid style active noise suppression (suppressing the sharp, loud gun-shot), whilst allowing the wearer to hear normal conversations to the same level of not wearing any suppression. They also obviously allow the wearer to wear that stylish Akubra whilst on the range, or whilst going bush, but while maintaining maximum hearing protection! Firearm Owners United US office will be testing this product in the near future, and a full report will appear shortly after.

We also discovered a very useful tool for Australian shooters, in another US based company preparing to enter the Australian market. With the growing need in Australia of shooters to carry their firearms in secured cases to not have heavy handed police create havoc in their lives, the US based company, My Case Builder now offers both a selection of secure, hard case storage from leading brands with the twist of being able to instantly produce customized foam inserts through a proprietary software package.

With My Case Builder you simply upload a few pics of your new pride and joy, and the next day exact high quality, customized, foam case inserts are on the way to your door! This is what I would call an undervalued product, except for those of us who possess expensive rifles and pistols, and through experience, are aware you can end up shedding a tear after a long road trip! My Case Builder was developed with the elimination of these tears in mind, as well as instantly taking the hassle out of obtaining cases and constructing your own solution!

Your pride and joy will forever enjoy the ride in a nice snug and economically produced package, that is also legal to the worst inspection an Australian police officer can produce! Again, we hope to provide a full review in the coming months.

The worst aspect of the final full day at the Shot Show is the feelings and helplessness you feel when your mind turns to where, oh where, did Australia go wrong? Looking at the incredible, inspirational, energy filled, enthusiastic, inventive U.S Industry, why did Australians decide on a future of social control, where a minority have tried to turn an incredible country into their own idea of society?

Where did Australian individuality and the concept of individualistic freedom go? When did Australia turn that corner where the politicians became gutless wonders, publicly supporting nonsensical firearm laws but in private admitting that it is the socialist control and screaming of the Greens that stop them from rational debate and law? Where did Australia hit the point where the police become the controllers of law, the repressors of freedom, rather than the respectable servants of the people? How did the police gain the ability to create law? When did the police lose faith in the Australian people and become so scared that they ban or recommend banning anything in life that they are paranoid might threaten them?

When did the Lucky Country decide it was time for citizens to be wrapped up in safety jackets and millions of regulations that try and remove the irremovable risk in life?

The questions about Australia is what you think about and consider when confronted with the ultimate expression of freedom, and thousands of people who will never allow what occurred in Australia to destroy American freedom. Despite the pampered Australian politician’s belief that Australia is leading the world on some form of utopian, regulated freedom, with the ultimate firearm regulation, we overseas possess a different view. In short, if you ask any regular American they will tell you that Australia regulates everything, and, despite our own social issues, Australians ban their citizens from not only rational firearms ownership, but fun. Australia is not seen as a free country!

Australia is seen as a country that has fallen into the trap where the police have simply become the upholder of social control, rather than the protector of freedom and liberty through the enforcement of the law onto those who threaten freedom and liberty through criminal activity. It is well known that Australian police threaten the most respectable citizens with draconian law simply to enforce the will of political masters. In short, Australian police have lost their way.

Australia is not America. Australians have no Bill of Rights, and the traditional rights derived from British tradition such as the Magna Carta, the Act of Settlement and alike have been watered down to the point where politicians see rights as something that is simply an inconvenience to manipulate so that their political will prevails.

Today, as I walked around the Shot Show, I considered the disgrace to individual liberty that Australia is becoming. I considered the National Firearms Agreement and I considered how to amend it sensibly in order to bolster its credibility through all sectors of the law abiding community. I considered how regulation could be maintained, safety could be maintained, but liberty and freedom could be restored. I considered the sickening private debate I had with Mr. David Shoebridge during his political stunt when he decided to slime off one unfortunate mass shooting through his tour of America. I considered why an educated man would dismiss the experience of others and simply say no, no, no! The only conclusion I was left with was that Mr. Shoebridge feels he is in a social war with his fellow Australians, where he wants the upper hand and revenge against those who he feels repressed social minorities for too long.

Finally, I considered the long discussions I have had late into the night with some of the most incredible Australians I have met. Australians who every day fight for a rational society where liberty and freedom are core principles, where you are free to live your life as you feel fit. Such people deserve the support of their fellow Australians as they hold back the tide of far left social control. Such Australians are symbolized by incredible folk such as Mr. Jeff Bourman, the upper house member in Victoria who dedicates every waking hour to his love of Victoria, Australia, freedom and liberty.

Reforming Australia’s gun laws is not difficult and only requires politicians to be patriotic and have guts. Some do! Sadly, from private discussions, the majority do not, or are too scared of the political pressure of police or Greens that they say one thing in private and one in public. Anyway, that aside, as someone who was once an intense patriot, who faced armed criminals and did so with a love of her country and community in mind, here is the simple fix I discussed with Mr. David Shoebridge, and one which he eventually rejected.

1. Keep the principle that Australia needs good, safe firearms regulation that balances freedom and liberty against public safety.
2. Keep the principle that some firearms offer an increased risk due to their capabilities, and this keep categorization.
3. Keep the principle of “genuine need.”
4. Rationalize and reform categories, and slightly expand the “genuine reason” to possess.
5. Offer Airsoft in Australia as per the Western Australian Law Reform Committee suggestions. Airsoft is an incredible sport and hobby that is worldwide, fosters a large worldwide industry and employment, and produces economic growth in country communities where fields are established. As someone who has been involved in the industry in Europe and America for a decade, I cannot understand why Australia simply passes on this incredible economic gain. Public safety is easily maintained by Airsoft being licensed as per paintball and by Airsoft guns being locked up in a lockbox or safe. No European country, including the United Kingdom has any issue with Airsoft, and in fact doesn’t even require Airsoft markers to be locked away. So, why the Australian police?
6. Firearms should be categorized only through function. The draconian police wish of categorizing firearms based on the look of the gun defies logic and only gives rise to people believing that the police are a law unto themselves, and not the servants of the people, freedom and liberty.
7. Expand category C/D “genuine reason” to possess to include sports such as 3 Gun. It is a disgrace that Australians living around the world have to compete internationally as British, New Zealanders, Americans or Canadians simply to compete in worldwide competitions. Australia is a laughing stock when it comes to international competitions. Why not do this? What are the police afraid of? Are they afraid of lawful, responsible Australians possessing the firearm of their sport, even though they have a track record of abiding by the law and firearm regulations, are recognized competitors, and the firearm is securely locked up? Why Australia, why?
8. Allow hunting with pistols, alongside rifles.
9. Stop persecuting farmers from using pistols for the destruction of livestock on isolated farms. Queensland Police are a disgrace with their current attempt to create law to serve their political masters.

I make my suggestions as someone who has faced criminals pointing guns at her, as someone who has seen deranged persons kill themselves in front of her, and as someone who currently works in public safety, carrying a firearm every day hoping that an armed person will not create the need for her to use her firearm in order to protect life. I am a person who recognizes the difference between the Australian and American landscape, and therefore I feel Australia only needs to reform the current law, not dispense with it. I write my recommendations as someone who faced an active shooter and watched the shooter’s life end, while the shock of impending death and then death could be seen as her and the shooter’s eyes met.

I do not advocate for Australia to reflect my home in America when it comes to Firearms laws. Australia and America are different. Saying that though, where Australia and America should not differ is the need for rational law, based on fact and not emotion, and should not differ in the need for politicians and police to love their country, be courageous and do the right thing, while maintaining liberty and freedom. That, by definition, is the maintenance of freedom itself!

Please Australia, please, allow me to feel proud again of raising an Australian flag that symbolizes the sacrifice our ancestors made in their attempt to ensure freedom and liberty for those that followed them. Please give me the chance to feel as proud as I do of my American flag that sits pride of place on our front porch, honoring those who have sacrificed for my American freedom and liberty. Please Australia, return my pride in Australian police. Return my pride in the Australian police to where I believe that they protect my freedom and liberty in the way that my American police do. Please Australia, return my pride in Australians having the guts to get together and advocate for their freedom, liberty and rational law.

Tomorrow is the final day of the 2018 Shot Show, and thanks to email requests by Firearm Owners United members, we will be following up on some personal requests with pictures and a report. So, stay with us for the final day!

Introducing our US Corespondent, Maree Davidson. Maree is an NRA Instructor & RSO, a writer, Ex-cop an,investigator,teacher, lecturer, and historian. She loves life,travel, the outdoors, firearms, and freedom. You can reach her direct at: maree@tornv.com