Tom
1 I think Geoff would be quite happy to work with you. He does mail order all round Australia and has probably done business with guys in the US before. I can forward contact details, but so far as I know, he doesnt have an email address let alone a web site. I think something like a Rem 700 would be very well suited to a project like this. I will give Geoff a call this week and let you know whet he says.
2 The answer to that is long, but the short answer is that laws were significantly tightened up in 96/97, with the govt introducing a whole bunch of extra paperwork which scared a lot of people out of the sport at the time. The govt would not automatically renew any existing firarms licences - we all had to reapply and fill out the new paper work. I had to get permission from my wife to own a firearm under the new laws - she had to co-sign the form for my new application. Also with the new laws, the govt introduced a complete ban on semiauto rifles (including rimfires) and semiauto and pump shotguns. You can still own most other types of firearms here for hunting or target shooting. This was all done by the Australian equivalent of the Republican Party which I had just helped to vote into power at the time (surprise!).