Do you want anything on Australian laws, too? I'll give it to you anyway:
It varies from state to state, but bits of both the UK and Canada are familiar.
In short, licenses are granted if one can satisfy the police-administered licensing authority that one has documentary evidence of a "genuine reason" (ususally primary production, hunting, and / or target shooting; note that personal protection is not one unless you're a licensed security guard) to hold a license, are of sound character and mind, and pass a safety test. With exceptions for antique arms of muzzle loading or obsolete calibre, all arms must be registered, and may only be acquired if one can satisfy the registry that there is a genuine reason to own the firearm.
Arms are generally categorised A (rimfire and single/double shotgun), B (Centrefire rifle), C (self-loading rimfire and shotgun), D (self loading centrfire), E (automatic etc) or H (handgun). A and B are easy enough to get, but C is much harder with stringent requirements, D nearly impossible, and E...! There are some anomalies in this - eg pump shotguns are c, but pump centrefire rifles are B. Handguns may only be used on a range, and the process of getting H lic is quite lengthy. All firearms must be under sturdy lock and key, separate to ammunition (which must also be locked away)
Various "outrages" committed over the last 15-20 years or so have provided the impetus for antis' knee-jerk tightenings of laws here, most notably that hateful little man Prime Minister John "I hate guns" Howard's response in the hysterical atmosphere after Port Arthur in 1996. He still regards it as his finest achievement.
RG
