This is a sawn-off pump action Breech-Loading shotgun seized by police from criminals, this is what criminals use. They do NOT use black powder muzzle-loading pistols. So why are flintlocks, wheellocks & matchlocks on a restrictive firearms licence? Either it is because of sheer ignorance, or they simply could not be bothered to distinguish a muzzle-loading pistol from a modern breech-loading pistol when they drafted the legislation.
Please sign my petition asking the government to take primitive muzzle-loading pistols off the restrictive H class licence & place them with other muzzle-loading guns on the less restrictive B class licence. Thank you. Keith.
This is a matchlock muzzle-loading pistol, it requires a smouldering matchcord to make it fire.
This is a wheellock muzzle-loading pistol, it requires a key to wind up the lock, & a piece of iron pyrite rock to make it fire.
This is the most sophisticated of the muzzle-loading pistols that I want removing from the H class licence. This is a flintlock, it requires a piece of hard rock clamped in the jaws of the cock to make it fire. All three of these pistols require black powder & only black powder to be placed in the pan & down the muzzle of the barrel to make them fire. None of these pistols is capable of firing modern cartridge ammunition.
How smart are you? Smarter than the average law maker? Do you think that in this day & age a criminal would even know how to use one of these guns let alone bother when they can easily access a modern gun?
ISLAND CARIB FISHING TECHNIQUES6 French observers of the 17th and
18th centuries, including some excellent anglers, unanimously admired the
fishing skills of the Island Caribs. These Indians, who expertly sought out
productive banks and deeps (Breton 1665: 131- 132 S.V. chbbi, 355 S.V.
minroua), even had a word translatable only as ‘(reproach to a man who does not
know how to fish” (Breton 1665: 59 S.V. miticati. oue). Island Caribs
frequently fished with handlines from their dugout canoes.
As you can see from above, period paintings of inland fishing always show the use of fixed lines on poles. However, it is evident that there were hand lines in use in the 18th century & earlier, in fact this method is probably one of the oldest methods of fishing. Travellers are not likely to have carried poles with them, these poles with fixed lines were used by city & towns people. Travellers could either use a hand line as is, or they had the option of cutting a pole & tying the hand line to the end of the pole. Hand lines can also be used as fixed lines, hanging from a tree branch & left overnight.
The Petition of Keith H. Burgess.
President of the New England Colonial Living History Group.
Brings to the attention of the House the matter of
firearms licensing in relation to muzzle-loading pistols (percussion locks
excluded).
At this present time, working replica (replicas of
original 17th and 18th century antique muzzle-loading pistols) muzzle-loading
pistols of the lock types matchlock, wheellock, tinderlock, doglock, snaphance, and
flintlock
can only be owned by a person possessing a category H gun licence, and these
pistols can only be legally fired on a registered gun range. Antique
muzzle-loading pistols of the same type may be owned, but not used/fired
without the owner possessing an H class licence. This requirement excludes the
use of these antiques & antique replicas for Living History and Historical
Re-enactment purposes. It also excludes the use of these antique replicas for
use as a back-up safety for muzzle-loader hunters hunting on private property
who are hunting with single shot muzzle-loading rifles or smoothbores.
Historical Re-enactment groups and Living History
organisations have re-enactment rules which preclude the use of live ammunition
and preclude the use of a ramrod during any and all re-enactment displays. There
is also a permit requirement; this permit is for historical re-enactment organisations
wishing to conduct an historical re-enactment event involving the possession
and use of firearms by participants. Clause
61 - Firearms Regulation 2006.
Replicas of muzzle-loading pistols of the lock types
mentioned are single shot (though some flintlocks can have two barrels), slow
to load and require a good deal of knowledge and training to ensure the
workability of this type of gun. Ignition even when used by a competent person
can not be guaranteed. Therefore these muzzle-loading guns are not suitable for
criminal use.
We fully understand the purpose of the H class licence
requirements, but these primitive muzzle-loading pistols are not the same as
modern breech-loaders, revolvers or semi-automatics. If a criminal wishes to
use a concealable gun to commit a crime, they can simply cut down a modern
breech-loading rifle or shotgun.
At present anyone can purchase an antique muzzle-loading
pistol without the need to apply for a permit to purchase, a licence or
registration. However, they cannot be legally fired/used unless the owner posesses
an H class licence. These replica muzzle-loading pistols are no different from
the antiques, their workings, capabilities & disabilities are exactly the
same.
The undersigned petitioners therefore ask the Legislative
Assembly to change the licensing requirement for these replica antique & antique
muzzle-loading pistols (percussion locks excluded) from the present category H
class licence to the category B class licence. Alternately we respectfully
request that these muzzle-loading pistols be placed on a new less restrictive
class of firearms licence , allowing these guns to be used with no more
restrictions than are presently placed on muzzle-loading long arms.
