This has diverged from the OP. If you’d like to talk more in this new vein, I created a thread over here.
Like Sam Stone, I’ve read articles saying that violent crimes in Australia have been increasing since the new gun laws took effect. It seems that Oz’s criminals didn’t sell their guns back. Who would have though that criminals would break the law? 
Listen up BO, it is very, very poor SDMB etiquette to give crap to the people that are trying to answer your questions. In fact this seems very repetitive to a thread about Don Juan’s prison escape. If you want to be here, I suggest that you be more polite to the people trying to help you.
I can see why Lance Turbo was under the impression that the only Olympic medal the Australians have ever won was for shooting. The site says this:
“Until the Atlanta Olympic Games, Australia had won only one Olympic medal since 1900, by pistol shooter Patti Dench in Los Angeles in 1984. In 1996 Michael Diamond broke the drought with his gold medal and Olympic Record in the trap event, to be followed two days later by Double Trap medals from Russell Mark (gold) and Deserie Wakefield (bronze). Australia finished 5th out of 100 nations on the shooting medals table in Atlanta”
I think it should read “had won only one Olympic shooting medcal since 1900” to make it accurate. Obviously just an oversight on the writers of the web page.
Here’s a link to the Australian Sports Commission’s list of all Australian Olympic medalists:
http://www.ausport.gov.au/ausolymw.html
Thanks C3, that was, in fact, the web page that I based my earlier statement on. Thanks for setting me straight.
Just an Ozzie’s 2 cents worth.
There was a bit of a problem with the use of semu-auto shotguns, since they were made illegal, but exemptions have been made. As far as the effect on crime:
A press release fom our illustrious federal justice minister.
HANDGUNS are used in almost half of all firearm murders, up from just 13 per cent four years ago, new figures show.
An Australian Institute of Criminology report said handgun homicides accounted for 42 per cent of firearm murders last year.
“There appears to have been a noticeable increase in the proportion of homicides committed with handguns,” report author Jenny Mouzos said.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed there were 123 murders in NSW last year, up from 96 in 1998.
Justice Minister Amanda Vanstone said “In over 90 per cent of firearm-related homicides, the offenders are not licensed and the weapons are not registered,” Senator Vanstone said.
In the US, firearm- related homicides are 14 times more likely than in Australia.
Senator Vanstone said she had raised the issue of handgun crime with the Australasian Police Ministers’ Council, which was examining strategies.
Bear in mind that handguns have been virtually impossible for the average person to obtain since 1900. Armed robberies, homicides and assaults have also increased markedly since 1996, just long-arm crimes have decreased.
An interesting use of statistics here too. "In the US, firearm- related homicides are 14 times more likely than in Australia. " In actual fact the chances of getting shot here are far higher than in the US, but when you consider that we have a population of at best 18 million and the US population is what?
Lies, damned lies and staictics
Another problem with those statistics you mentioned, Gaspode, is that they’re talking about the proportion of murders using handguns rising. Does that mean that handgun murders are rising (a bad thing), that handgun murders are staying the same, but all others are decreasing (a good thing), or that all murders are decreasing, but handguns are decreasing more slowly than others (a very good thing). I’d like to see the numbers for the number of handgun murders, or the number per capita, rather than the proportion.
I think other posters have adequately addressed the issue of what the actual gun control laws are here.
Our media would have had a field day had our Olympic shooting team practised overseas for any reason, let alone because of our gun control laws (actually, we have pretty strong weapon control laws in my state, they don’t just relate to guns).
The only challenge I can see relating to the Olympics and shooters would have been compliance with our gun storage laws. Our laws on the manner in which guns must be stored are extremely tough, but I have no doubt that provision was made by the Olympic organisers to ensure that all shooting teams were able to comply with those laws.