>>508868288 Australia – 1996 Port Arthur Massacre Response
What happened: After a mass shooting killed 35 people, Australia banned semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and tightened licensing.
Buyback: Over 650,000 firearms were bought back and destroyed (about 1/5 of all guns in the country).
Result:
Mass shootings basically stopped (none for over 20 years after, compared to one per year before).
Gun homicide and suicide rates dropped by 50% or more over the next decade.
Gun crime did not spike with illegal weapons — the law was effective.
United Kingdom – 1997 Firearm Ban
What happened: After the Dunblane school shooting in Scotland, the UK banned all handguns.
Semi-automatic rifles were already mostly banned after a 1987 shooting.
Result:
UK gun ownership is now among the lowest in the developed world.
Gun deaths are extremely rare — fewer than 50 gun homicides per year in a country of 67 million.
Criminals mostly use replica or converted blank guns, and gun violence is far lower than in the U.S.
Japan – Century-Long Tight Control
What happened: Civilian guns have been strictly controlled since the Meiji era, and modern gun laws are among the strictest globally.
Result:
Gun violence is virtually nonexistent.
Some years, 0 gun homicides nationwide.
Criminal groups like the Yakuza may possess guns, but rarely use them due to harsh penalties.
New Zealand – 2019 Christchurch Massacre Response
What happened: After a terrorist used legally owned semi-auto weapons to kill 51 people, New Zealand banned most semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines.
Buyback: Over 60,000 weapons were surrendered.
Result:
Support remained high.
No similar mass shooting since.
Criminal use of guns remains low, especially compared to U.S. levels.
