Did Australia’s Ban on Semiauto Firearms Really Reduce Violence? A Critique of the Chapman et al. (2016) Study
No
25 Pages Posted: 20 Dec 2017 Last revised: 16 Apr 2025
Date Written: January 12, 2018
Abstract
In 1996 Australia implemented arguably the most ambitious gun control effort ever attempted, banning all semiauto rifles and shotguns and all pump-action rifles and shotguns, and buying the banned guns already in circulation. Chapman, Alpers, and Jones (2016) produced what is arguably the most extensive evaluation, concluding that the measure was a success. In fact, their own data indicated that the effort failed to reduce homicides, suicides, or unintentional firearms deaths. It is even questionable whether the effort reduced mass shootings, the problem that had triggered the gun control effort in the first place.
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