Hey Brits (And Others Who Live In Places W/Strict Gun Control)

[The Magic Pudding]

Milperra massacre - Two biker gangs, the Comanchero and the Bandidos, engaged in a shoot-out in a hotel car park, killing 7 people in 1984, including a bystander. Only one defendant was acquitted on the murder charges.
Joseph Schwab - 1987, Schwab shot dead 5 people in and around the Kimberley region in Western Australia before being shot dead by police. [1]

Hoddle Street massacre - Armed with two rifles and a shotgun, Julian Knight shot 7 people dead and wounded another 19 in 1987 before surrendering to authorities.

Queen Street massacre - Armed with a sawn-off rifle, Frank Vitkovic roamed the Australia Post building killing 8 and wounding 5, also in 1987. When the weapon was finally wrestled from him, he committed suicide by jumping out of a nearby window.

Surry Hills massacre - Paul Anthony Evers killed 5 people with a 12-gauge shotgun at a public housing precinct in Surry Hills in 1990 before surrendering to police. [2]

Strathfield massacre - In 1991 Wade Frankum killed 7 people and wounded 6 others with a large knife and an SKS before turning the gun on himself when he realised he could not escape.

Central Coast Massacre - Malcolm Baker killed 6 people and injured another with a shotgun in 1992 before being arrested by police.

Port Arthur massacre - In 1996, armed with two semi-automatic rifles, Martin Bryant killed 35 people around Port Arthur and wounded 21 before being caught by police the next day following an overnight siege.

Resctrictions introduced after the last incident -

    Port Arthur Massacre - Semi-automatic rifles and pump action/self-loading shotguns were banned from civilians, and ammunition capacity restricted to 5 rounds in magazine-fed rifles. Licensing is also introduced, and both a firearms license and a buyers permit are necessary to legally purchase a firearm. Furthermore, an acceptable reason must be stated on the permit for buying the weapon, and a minimum 28 day "cooling off" period must be enforced before the issuing of the license.
    Monash University shooting - Pistols restricted to .38 calibre and magazine capacity restricted to ten rounds maximum unless under special circumstances. Furthermore, pistol barrels are restricted to a minimum of 120 mm (4.72 inches) and revolver barrels to a minimum of 100 mm (3.94 inches) to make pistols harder to conceal.

(Two people killed)

The list of mass murders doesn't list any gun incidents after laws were changed, I'm not sure how they defined mass murder, the minimum deaths on the list was five.  Anyway I don't recall any major incident in the last 16 years.  The restrictions were put in place by a conservative government.

[Stevil]

It seems to be difficult to commit mass murder with a knife or a black belt in karate.

A chainsaw might do it, but you'd have have pretty strong arms and shoulders and be adventurous to chase after people with that.

[Stevil]

Oh, there are probably more hunting rifles than people in the country, but those tend only to be used for hunting.

There is a difference between a 0.22 or a shotgun for shooting rabbits and magpies or having an AK47 or 9mm pistol for shooting people.

[The Magic Pudding]

It seems to be difficult to commit mass murder with a knife or a black belt in karate.

A chainsaw might do it, but you'd have have pretty strong arms and shoulders and be adventurous to chase after people with that.

I'm not sure about chainsaws, they can clag up, maybe throwing a coat on one would stop it.  It's not a good idea to hit something with the tip of the bar.  Chainsaws are a good weapon for opponents who  don't move around much, trees for example.

[OldGit]

The victim might notice the roar as you start your chainsaw.  Or he might run away while you're frustratedly pulling the cord for the 8th time.

There is a difference between a 0.22 or a shotgun for shooting rabbits and magpies or having an AK47 or 9mm pistol for shooting people.

I imagine shooting large animals in Scandinavia you'd want something a bit pokier than a .22"

[Guardian85]

In Norway there  are a fair few guns, as sport shooting and hunting are quite popular,  but there are some hoops you have to jump through to get a gun licence.
First there is the background check. Gun licences are issued by the police, so they handle the application and check your record while they're at it.
Then you must demonstrate adequate skill and use for a gun, by for example taking the hunters exam or joining and being a member of a registered target shooting club for more then 6 months.
Finally you must demonstrate to the licence issuing police officer that you have adequate storage capability for your weapon and ammo. For example a rifle locker or safe. This to prevent theft of weapon and accidental death of the non-gun users of the household.
Military rifles are of course banned from civilian ownership. If you see such a weapon in a civilian house it is an almost certainty that this person is an active service man or Home Guard.

I own a hunting shotgun, but it is registered in my fathers name and stored in his house since I have yet to take the hunters exam to get my own licence.

Police in Norway don't carry guns regularly on their belts. They keep pistols locked in the patrol cars for those situations where firearms might be needed, but mostly you will not see police carrying anything more severe then pepper gas. We private security dudes are not even that lucky...

[Asmodean]

Would you consider yourself lucky to drag around a gun and loads of ammo as part of your uniform?

[AnimatedDirt]

Police in Norway don't carry guns regularly on their belts. They keep pistols locked in the patrol cars for those situations where firearms might be needed, but mostly you will not see police carrying anything more severe then pepper gas. We private security dudes are not even that lucky...

Reminds me of a joke of which the origin eludes me but speaks about police without guns.  It goes;

Police to criminal running away: "Stop! or I'll yell 'Stop!' again!"

[Guardian85]

Would you consider yourself lucky to drag around a gun and loads of ammo as part of your uniform?

A little one and a spare clip. Fits snugly on a belt. Or at least a decent whacking stick.

[Tank]

Police in Norway don't carry guns regularly on their belts. They keep pistols locked in the patrol cars for those situations where firearms might be needed, but mostly you will not see police carrying anything more severe then pepper gas. We private security dudes are not even that lucky...

Reminds me of a joke of which the origin eludes me but speaks about police without guns.  It goes;

Police to criminal running away: "Stop! or I'll yell 'Stop!' again!"

And no innocent bystanders were killed by stray bullets from cops

[AnimatedDirt]

Police in Norway don't carry guns regularly on their belts. They keep pistols locked in the patrol cars for those situations where firearms might be needed, but mostly you will not see police carrying anything more severe then pepper gas. We private security dudes are not even that lucky...

Reminds me of a joke of which the origin eludes me but speaks about police without guns.  It goes;

Police to criminal running away: "Stop! or I'll yell 'Stop!' again!"

And no innocent bystanders were killed by stray bullets from cops

True, but in L.A., cops love their clubs to speak up.

[Stevil]

Police in Norway don't carry guns regularly on their belts. They keep pistols locked in the patrol cars for those situations where firearms might be needed, but mostly you will not see police carrying anything more severe then pepper gas. We private security dudes are not even that lucky...

Reminds me of a joke of which the origin eludes me but speaks about police without guns.  It goes;

Police to criminal running away: "Stop! or I'll yell 'Stop!' again!"

And no innocent bystanders were killed by stray bullets from cops

Even if the cops have guns, they aren't allowed to shoot at someone just for running away. There must be present and imminent danger.

[Asmodean]

Police in Norway don't carry guns regularly on their belts. They keep pistols locked in the patrol cars for those situations where firearms might be needed, but mostly you will not see police carrying anything more severe then pepper gas. We private security dudes are not even that lucky...

Reminds me of a joke of which the origin eludes me but speaks about police without guns.  It goes;

Police to criminal running away: "Stop! or I'll yell 'Stop!' again!"

Well, most of our cops go easy on the donuts and are generally capable of chasing someone down 

[xSilverPhinx]

Police in Norway don't carry guns regularly on their belts. They keep pistols locked in the patrol cars for those situations where firearms might be needed, but mostly you will not see police carrying anything more severe then pepper gas. We private security dudes are not even that lucky...

Reminds me of a joke of which the origin eludes me but speaks about police without guns.  It goes;

Police to criminal running away: "Stop! or I'll yell 'Stop!' again!"

And no innocent bystanders were killed by stray bullets from cops

Even if the cops have guns, they aren't allowed to shoot at someone just for running away. There must be present and imminent danger.

My mother knows a guy who worked in the police force who said that they aren't allowed to shoot someone in the back when they run away. It's protocol. One day a thief was running away from his partner, then decided to suddenly turn around to shoot the guy right in the head. The cop was stuck in protocol and totally defenseless.

[Stevil]

My mother knows a guy who worked in the police force who said that they aren't allowed to shoot someone in the back when they run away. It's protocol. One day a thief was running away from his partner, then decided to suddenly turn around to shoot the guy right in the head. The cop was stuck in protocol and totally defenseless.

Its a dangerous job being a cop, they are so under paid and under valued.