Debate over gun importation laws sparked by French-made firearm

A debate is underway about a gun manufactured in France and whether it should be allowed to be imported into Australia.

Rick Casagrande, a gun importer and CEO of the Australian Sporting Agency, said there was a demand for the Verney-Carron Veloce shotgun.

He rejected concerns by anti-gun advocates it was a “rapid-fire” or semi-automatic gun.

“It’s not, not by a long shot,” he said.

“The real issue is not the firearm, for us as it is the framework within which importers can and can’t work.”

He believed it would be approved by the Australian Federal Police under firearms classification laws, but it was effectively banned from Australia.

A promotional video of the Verney-Carron Speedline firearm

Tom Elliott: I have looked at the video, while technically it’s not semi-automatic it is capable of a much higher rate of fire than other weapons, in my view.

Mr Casagrande: It’s only faster than a bolt action, and it’s certainly not any faster than a pump action.

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