Harry Sachs with a 5 shot Adler shotgun which has seen large numbers imported in to Australia.
A Shotgun which can fire up to eight shots in eight seconds has sparked debate about Australia’s tough gun laws. Some believe allowing the Adler A110 into the country would be a watering down of the Howard Government’s gun laws introduced after the Port Arthur massacre. Farmers love the Adler, so should Australians allow them in? Some say the Adler A110 is similar to a semi-automatic gun because it can fire a number of bullets quickly. While the version that can accommodate five shells is legal in Australia, (pictured) there’s a ban against importing the model which holds seven shells.
Lever-action shotguns have been manufactured for more than 100 years but fell out of favour when pump action shotguns were developed that could fire shells slightly faster. Unlike pump action shotguns, which were generally restricted to professional hunters as part of the Howard gun laws, the lever-action version hasn’t been as difficult to get, although this may now change.
7440 of the unrestricted five-shot version are currently in Australia. Local man Harry Sachs is an avid shooter and hunter. He is also a responsible gun owner and is fully licensed and accredited. Harry believes that national media have jumped on the bandwagon and made a bigger fuss of the Adler than they should have.
He said “The Adler is a gun that is deadly like any gun, bow an arrow or knife. Licensed gun owners are responsible and the regulations are well defined. You have to go through several checks to get a gun. There is a 3 month cooling off period. If you have been convicted of any sort of crime or assault you won’t be allowed to get a gun licence. If you try to acquire too many guns they will also stop you. Lever actions have been around legally for decades in Australia. I think the Adler was heavily promoted and that is why the gun has hit the headlines. It is fairly cheap and at around $850 is an affordable gun for shooters. ”
When asked why several quick fire rounds are needed Harry said “I use them for foxes and wild pigs, to exterminate vermin. There are now people in Sydney who have started a fox rehoming centre. The fox is one of the most wicked animals there is, I have witnessed them eat the carcass of another dead fox while it is still warm. They are not a warm and cuddly animal. Anyone who thinks it is inhumane to kill foxes can tell me what they think after coming across one eating the backend of a ewe which is trying to give birth to a lamb.”
Harry said “There are videos on youtube which show that a double barrel shotgun which is perfectly legal can shoot 10 rounds faster than a 5 round lever action shotgun can. The gun is only effective at around 50 metres.” Harry has been a part of the Harden Hunting club for just over 4 years, however, since his business commenced he has less time for competition shoots and prefers to go out and hunt vermin instead, when he gets the chance.
For Harry hunting is more about a sport and a challenge for him. “You start doing stupid things and people will find out and you can use lose your guns. Everything I do and most hunters do is humane. The greenies will say killing an animal is inhumane, but the numbers need to be controlled. The Adler like other guns helps do this more effectively. Gun owners aren’t the problem, it’s the criminals that are the problem.”
