Thread: Public perception of rifles

I'm with Tussock. We've come a long way (?) since 1967 when I left my parent's home in an Auckland suburb on a Friday afternoon to go hunting throughout the South Island. Wearing a large backpack and carrying an unbagged cut down No 4 Mk 1 .303 rifle, I caught a bus into Auckland City, and walked down the main street (Queen St), rifle slung over my shoulder. I passed a couple of plods on foot patrol, they saw me, smiled, and carried on with their mission. I hopped on a train to Wellington, and popped the rifle on the seat beside me. Arriving in the capital I proceeded to the Interisland ferry terminal, and boarded a ferry. . A crew member politely informed me to report to the purser who without any fuss, put my rifle in a safe (standard practice at the time). I spent several months hunting throughout the South Island. To get from one hunting area to another, I hitch hiked. Several times I was given a lift by a female driver, one with a very small child in the car. Nobody complained or recoiled in horror at seeing my "naked" rifle. On more than one occasion, my "driver" invited me in for a meal, or to spend a night. Ah, the good old days!