Tuesday 12 January 2010

Amazing insights

Someone is running around the back blocks of NSW shooting brumbies - wild horses. I'm ambivalent about that. But forget my feelings on the matter, and check out this amazing statement from the Fairfax press:

Police say the gunman, who may have accomplices, is shooting at wild horses ''indiscriminately'' with an unlicensed high-powered rifle.

That's an interesting outcome from a forensic examination. The Police can tell from looking at bullet holes in horses, and possibly shell casings, that the shooter is using an unlicensed rifle.

How, prey tell, did they determine that the firearm is unlicensed? Unless it's .50 cal, which you'd never get a license for in Australia, that is a pretty big stretch. Either a cop has opened his mouth and said something silly, or Fairfax is making it up... again.

Unlicensed is one of those lovely, prejudicial words that Fairfax loves to throw around at times like this, making the perp sound even more bad-ass. He has to be caught - and now! - because he has an unlicensed firearm! Arrgh - we're all going to die! etc etc etc.

Excuse me while I yawn and turn the page.

2 comments:

bigtones said...

The only other possibility I can think of is that if it was some type of semi-automatic rifle the clasp marks on the back of spent shell casings might be forensically identified. I know the preferred weapon for culling donkeys and goats in the NW is the old faithful SLR which is used by the APB in Western Australia. I think if I was targetting horses I would want something of this caliber!

MarkL said...

You can get a .50 cal here, though you'll have to get it imported by a dealer as a special order (not much of a market).

It's just a bolt-action rifle.

better have deep pockets for the ammo!

MarkL
Canberra