When I lived a short time in New Zealand three years ago, I was curious about how they handled guns. New Zealand’s gun laws are notably more liberal than other countries in the Pacific and focus mainly on vetting firearm owners, rather than registering firearms or banning certain types of firearms.

Furthermore, the incidence of gun violence is drastically less there than in the U.S.A.

The president of the local gun club introduced me to the New Zealand gun culture, and I was surprised to see how many guns were there, even a gun like the AK-47 (brand new, unmodified, fully automatic) was proudly shown to me at a local gun range. The new owner smiled and said to me: “Bet you don’t see many of these in the U.S.” Membership in a gun club also involves firearm training in safety and defense.

To own a gun in New Zealand, one must be part of the community of gun owners, be a member of a local gun club and attend at least 12 meetings a year. A history of domestic abuse or violence results in immediate confiscation of all guns.

I think the critical difference between New Zealand and the U.S. is that a gun owner in New Zealand must be well-known and trusted by the community. In fact, since New Zealand police are mostly unarmed (they carry pepper spray and a baton), armed citizens may be called out when a violent situation occurs, sort of like a “well-regulated militia.”

— Lawrence Dean