[scintill76]

Right, but if someone steals your registered gun and uses it in a crime that gets traced to your gun, the police will be visiting you, if not arresting and prosecuting. For this reason, I'd assume it's smart to do what you can to avoid having your gun being used by strangers. For the same reason, you could argue it's smart to not let strangers use your internet connection, even if theoretically you can make a case that you're not legally responsible.

[RyJones]

What is a registered gun? I have plenty of guns, none of them are registered.

[DrStalker]

This varies by country. In Australia if I want a gun I need to have a firearms license, I have to register every weapon I own and store them in an safe that meets certain minimum requirements (separate ammunition, requires key and combination to enter, minimum thickness, rules about how it is secured to the wall/floor, etc) and at any time the police can show up and ask me to show them I have the weapons correctly secured.

Or I could rent appropriate storage space at a gun club, store the weapons that way.

It's a completely different gun culture to what is seen in the US, and personally I like it a lot more.

[robbiep]

You also need a valid reason to have a gun- you can be a member of a gun club and be a recreational shooter, or for animal control (my license) but to have that you have to have a property to shoot on

[15155]

Self-defense is not a valid reason, that should be noted.

The Australian government would rather you get beaten, raped, or murdered in your home than enable to safely and effectively defend yourself.

[osxrand]

I know. There's not a single other implement in the home that could be used for defence. The government must want you beaten, raped and or murdered.

[15155]

Really?

What implement would you use that would be safer (for yourself) than a firearm? What would be more effective?

Better yet, what would you do as a weaker individual when confronted with two or more aggressors?

I don't know about you, but I don't pretend to be tough enough to "take em!" Nor would I want my wife to try and fend off those who have already committed felonies against my property.

Baseball bats, batons, mace, knives, etc. are heinous, laughable, or otherwise ineffective tools for self-defense.

Simply put: the firearm is an effective equalizer. It enables a mother to defend her family against multiple aggressors at otherwise completely unfavorable odds.

I value the lives of myself and loved ones far more than someone who has violated the rights to my property. I refuse to cede any advantage that might make the difference in my survival.

[robbiep]

The australian people don't fear home invasions as much as citizens of some other countries. It's not a rational fear in the scheme of things. My risk of getting killed by someone because of high gun ownership in the community is much higher than my risk of getting a home invasions.

My front door doesn't even lock, and i'm happy that way.

[dzhiurgis]

Guns in Europe are registered and you are obliged to have a dedicated safe.

That said, it's better not to own a gun.

[chias]

They all have serial numbers, and you had to show ID when buying them. So yes they are registered, you just might not be aware of this fact.

[douche]

At least in the US, private sales are legal, and there is no requirement to file any paperwork whatsoever.

Moreover, there is a staggering number of firearms that predate any sort of government record-keeping. It's not like these are muskets and black-powder revolvers, either - most of the designs for hunting rifles and shotguns are nearly unchanged from models that were available a century ago.

[15155]

A paper 4473 sitting in the store-room of my local gun dealer (of which, there are thousands) is hardly akin to registration.

All firearms I have purchased privately, been gifted, or manufactured also do not fall under this category.

[RyJones]

I cut a bunch of them from aluminum, for which I showed no ID, and they do not have serial numbers.

[scintill76]

OK, nice. So, my analogy does not apply to all cases, but the point is that many guns are tied to government ID, as are many internet connections. Subverting that is of course possible, and an alternate solution to those problems.