Gun-law claims anger dealers

Press, 25 January 1989, Page 2

Gun-law claims anger dealers

By

DAVE WILSON

J —- — Christchurch firearms dealers have reacted angrily to a police arms officer’s claims that New Zealand’s gun legislation is allowing weapons to get into the wrong hands. And Canterbury importers of the Chinese AK47 semi-automatic rifle are angry that the weapon is being singled out in what they believe is a scare campaign to have the gun banned. Local gun dealers responded yesterday to remarks by Senior Constable Paul McLennan, of the Auckland police, who was reported as saying gun legislation was allowing weapons to get into the wrong hands. He singled out the Chinese-niade version of the Soviet AK47 assault rifle and the Chinese SKS assault rifle, saying these were not hunting firearms, and that he suspected they were being bought for personal protection and to stock arsenals.

Mr David Tipple, proprietor of Gun City in Christchurch, said such remarks were alarmist and incorrect, and that such guns were popular with pig and deer hunters and gun collectors, all of whom were responsible, licensed firearms owners.

The acting arms officer at the Christchurch Central Police Station, Senior Constable Bert Archbold, said people wanting to buy a gun for personal protection would not be granted a firearms licence. ’* “The obvious reason is that an intruder could use the gun against the owner,” he said.

Senior Constable Archbold and several local gun dealers said firearms legislation was obeyed by honest citizens but it could not control underworld gun transactions.

Mr Grant Boyd, of Ballinger Firearms, said most of the customers for the AK47type rifle were bona fide collectors or. pig shooters. ; “It’s a very collectable gun and fight now is very popular with target shooters because ammunition is, by comparison with other types, incredibly cheap,” he said. >'

“The whole emotive question of firearms legislation needs to be looked at calmly and rationally,” said Mr Tipple.

“There are less than 1000 of these Chinese AK47 rifles in New Zealand and we, the dealers, know who has got them. There are, on the other hand, about 100,000 old Lee Enfield .303 rifles in circulation. “Then there is the fear that bank robbers and such will use these AK47s to hold up places. The reality is that robbers are using old shotguns and .22 rifles that they have stolen from people who have carelessly stored them.” Mr Tipple said if firearms legislation in New Zealand was to be changed, he would support moves for owners to be legally liable for the secure storage of their weapons. “If people were legally liable for the storage of their guns, we would see fewer weapons being left around in barns or in the boots of cars, from where they can be easily stolen.”