Thread: Gun Culture In New Zealand

In terms of culture, New Zealand has a strong rural backbone and propensity for the outdoors. Most firearms use and ownership stems by in large from these pursuits rather than being considered a separate cultural entity in my opinion.

Most of my family are in guns and hunting of some sort. My father was a war a veteran in WW2 , Korea and Malyasia conflict then he came back and went deer culling in Fioldand, so had shooting guns i my blood so to speak, been shooting guns from since a little boy. am not into shotgun shooting anymore but am the only one in the family that shoots long range on steel and animals. I would like a pistol for hunting the roar/rut but not aloud in this country. If I could afford to run more guns I would get more. I have got a few people into shooting long range and hunting now. The old school way of putting meat on the table is getting lost and more into just shooting anything being paper, targets etc. In saying that ammo is cheaper now than it used to be when every shot counted.

Considering what's in my safes, I must have someone else's allocation.

We have a very safe, friendly and generally excepted gun culture in nz. There is a vocal few in cities who occasionally voice anti gun/hunting...but in general greater nz has a rich history of hunting, deer culling, back country heroes etc that the general public has at least a remote interest in.

Kj

Nice Guys!!! I love your answers. Glad to see NZ has both a firearms heritage and a great deal of respect for the culture itself. You guys should be VERY proud of that many other countries have lost these rights. Keep your guns my friends!!!

The only reason we seem to have retained our rights is that no political group or party have really taken up an anti gun agenda.
There are small groups of people that are anti guns and hunting, but so far they don't have much of a following.

Unfortunately more and more people are leaving rural areas and moving to the cities, so even people that may once have owned rifles are not really shooting anymore.
Thankfully the cities do have a few shooting clubs with some full of new members which is promising.

New Zealand has had guns and hunting deeply rooted in its culture, but with most cities growing much much faster than rural communities and people getting soft, I don't know what the future of our gun culture is.

Just remember firearms education and involvement is the key here to keeping your firearms. Train new people to shoot especially children and address to the public the importance of maintaining healthy pro gun laws. And most importantly make sure you guys put pressure on your politicians and let them know you will not stand for anti gun legislation.

Originally Posted by Beetroot

The only reason we seem to have retained our rights is that no political group or party have really taken up an anti gun agenda.
There are small groups of people that are anti guns and hunting, but so far they don't have much of a following.

Unfortunately more and more people are leaving rural areas and moving to the cities, so even people that may once have owned rifles are not really shooting anymore.
Thankfully the cities do have a few shooting clubs with some full of new members which is promising.

New Zealand has had guns and hunting deeply rooted in its culture, but with most cities growing much much faster than rural communities and people getting soft, I don't know what the future of our gun culture is.

Scary, that's what it is, and for that reason. Too many 'do gooders' in minority groups getting their 'opinions' listened too. It's scary. I think we will see some big changes over the next couple of decades.

Originally Posted by JoshC

Scary, that's what it is, and for that reason. Too many 'do gooders' in minority groups getting their 'opinions' listened too. It's scary. I think we will see some big changes over the next couple of decades.

I unfortunately agree. The government is under pressure to move towards the NATO goal of no guns in civilian hands, or very high restrictions. This would thankfully be of no use to the country as they are needed for pest control. Although only 6% of the population possess a firearms licence that would likely mean 15-20% of households with on average about 2 voters. We should not, nor the politicians, underestimate our voice.

It's UN not NATO. UN has to be the most corrupt organisation going.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by R93

It's UN not NATO.

I'd be confused if we were part of a North Atlantic treaty!

Originally Posted by R93

It's UN not NATO. UN has to be the most corrupt organisation going.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Doh! As you said. The totally ineffective one. Rather than the corrupt one.

Originally Posted by R93

It's UN not NATO. UN has to be the most corrupt organisation going.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

It is, in every measurable way

There is no "gun culture' in New Zealand as that particular North American term is understood. (Although some anti-gun or anti-hunting people have tried to represent that there is, so they can rail against it. Whenever they mention the other American phrase "gun lobby", I picture a group of elderly deerstalkers at their clubhouse in Oamaru, looking bewildered.)

Firearms are used for hunting or target shooting, or collecting. Owning a firearm for personal self defence, or as part of a militia, or as a natural citizen's right to defend themselves against an oppressive government, is unknown in this country.
A firearms license is a privilege accorded to responsible citizens and can be revoked by the police if they simply consider you are no longer responsible, and this is without any real legal redress. For example, people going through divorces have had their firearms seized, and so have those who have had restraining orders taken out against them, no matter how justified or not.

Originally Posted by Carlsen Highway

A firearms license is a privilege accorded to responsible citizens and can be revoked by the police if they simply consider you are no longer responsible, and this is without any real legal redress.

Every firearm Licence holder or potential licence holder can challenge any official decision in court.

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/p.../DLM73319.html

The old guys at deerstalkers aren't the only one with Firearms Licences.

There definitely is a firearm culture in New Zealand, and I'm proud to be part of it.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk