Gun Laws Down Under...

 

I could write a whole book on this...but it depends on what you want to own. Basically, Australia's gun laws are very restrictive and complex (a lot of waiting and paperwork) when compared to the United States.

 

Here's a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_Australia 

 

Of note is the section at the start regarding firearm categories/classes (same thing). Here it is with corrections:

 

Wikipedia wrote: Firearms in Australia are grouped into Categories [or classes] with different levels of control. The categories are:   * Category A: Rimfire rifles (not semi-automatic), shotguns (not pump-action or semi-automatic), air rifles, and paintball rifles.   * Category B: Centrefire rifles [bolt action and pump action rifles] (not semi-automatic), muzzleloading firearms made after 1 January 1901. [they forgot combination guns]   * Category C: Semi-automatic rimfire rifles holding 10 or fewer rounds and pump-action or semi-automatic shotguns holding 5 or fewer rounds. (Restricted: only primary producers, occupational shooters, collectors and some clay target shooters can own functional Category C firearms)   * Category D: Semi-automatic centrefire rifles, pump-action/semi-automatic shotguns holding more than 5 rounds (functional Category D firearms are restricted to occupational shooters; collectors may own deactivated Category D firearms).   * Category H: Handguns including air pistols, deactivated handguns and guns less than 65 cm long. Target shooters are limited to handguns of .38 calibre or less.   (Participants in "approved" competitions may acquire handguns up to .45", currently Single Action Shooting and Metallic Silhouette. IPSC shooting is not "approved" for the larger calibres, for unstated reasons. Category H barrels must be at least 100 mm (3.94") long for revolvers, and 120 mm (4.72") for semi-automatic pistols, and magazines are restricted to 10 rounds. Handgun collectors are exempt from the laws stated above.)

 

Say I want to buy a Remington SPS Varmint bolt action rifle. It is a class B firearm here in Australia. I have a gun licence and can own A and B class firearms*. To purchase one I do this:

 

1. Go to dealer personally or ring up. Hopefully it's in stock...if not order it in.

 

2. If it's in stock or when it has arrived, I have to fill a permit form. I fill in details on the form such as my details (address, licence # etc), the dealers details (such as the dealers licence # etc) and the firearms details (make, model, class and serial # etc). I either hand this in at the nearest Police station, post it in to the Police Firearms Branch or hand it in personally to the Branch (fastest).

 

3. I wait until they have approved the permit. When I first got my licence (end of 2005) this usually took 4-6 weeks, then it went to 28 days but just recently, if you already own a gun of one particular class and you want to buy another of the same class, the wait has been changed to 1 week (applies to me!). The Police Firearms Branch will check on the Police system if there is anything stopping you from owning guns (charged with any or sentenced for a serious crime, court orders, restraining orders, if you've been judged mentally unstable etc). Once processed they will post it out to you.

 

4. When I receive the approved permit in the mail, I have 4 weeks to pick the rifle up from the dealer.

 

5. I go to the dealer and show him the approved permit. He gives me the rifle and I pay for it and then walk out with it.

 

6. When i've done that, I have to go to a Police Station ASAP and register the rifle. The Police will check whether the rifle and the details on the permit match (particularly serial #). Once done, I pay the $25 fee to register it, the Police send the witnessed and signed permit form back to the Police Firearms Branch for final processing.

 

7. I walk out the door with my new play toy and can now shoot it.

 

Of course this is only a very basic summary and doesn't include if the dealer wants a deposit while waiting for the permit to process. Nor does it include C & D class firearms or H class (handguns).

 

At this stage I can't own any C, D or H class firearms (like 95% of gun owners here) because I don't qualify to own them and they're heavily restricted. (Wikipedia article says who can.)

 

* Everyone who has a firearms licence is authorised to own A and B class firearms...with probably the exception of my Dad who only wanted to own shotguns so he just ticked A class when going for his firearms licence.

* All firearms must be stored in a locked steel safe when not in use.

* All bolts must be taken out of bolt actions and securely stored separately from them...Police say this but it isn't in the Firearms Act.

* All ammo must be stored in locked metal box/case and stored separately and away from all firearms.

* Large calibre military rifles (.50 cal etc)...either banned or soon to be!

* Silencers/Supressors...banned!

* Folding stocks...banned!

* Magazines on a B class firearm with a capacity of more that 10 rounds...banned unless you're "primary producer"...Lee Enfields were Grandfathered but the Remington 7615s when they first hit Australia's shores came with a 10 round magazine but the government soon afterwards forced Remington to issue them with 9 round mags cos the ones with a 10 round mag you could have a full mag and also put another round in the chamber.

* You can only possess 12 months worth of ammo at one time.

 

At this point in time, there is a big push happening from shooting organizations in Australia to have C class firearms unrestricted. There is a rumour floating around that one state is going to make 5 shot pump action shotguns changed from C class to A class. If done, all states here will change their laws to accommodate this change.

 

They can't really. I know people occasionally get charged with stuff like that but it rarely stands up in court...if it even makes it at all.

 

 

Yeah, man I know.

 

I've always wanted to go through the Black Hills area.

 

Just watch out for this woman...

 

 

She's the reason that I can't own Ruger 10/22's or 5 shot Pump action shotguns...

In order to own a firearm you have to:

Do a compentency training course with a registered firearm trainer. This is a very basic course such as how a firearm works, the firearms act etc. One also have to demonstrate that you can load, fire, and handle a firearm correctly.

This costs about $100.

You then have to take this certificate to the police and apply for a Firearm Competency Card. This includes a lifestyle audit (no drugs, criminal record, wife bashing etc) The police interviews your spouse and a close friend. Yes, they do. You give the cops a set of finger prints.

You pay $12 and wait. And wait, and wait. When you are finished waiting, you wait a bit more and then enquire about the progress. (About 9 months has passed by now). You are told that the documents have been lost and you must reapply. So you do. About 12 months later you get this amazing phonecall that your compentency card can be collected.

 

You have to own a gunsafe that complies to the act. The police will inspect such a safe.

 

You take your competency card to the gunshop and select your purchase. The competency is specific for either a rifle, shotgun or pistol/revolver.The dealer requires full payment up front. You leave the gunshop minus the gun and minus your cash.

 

You apply at the police station to own this specific firearm, serial no so and so. You write a motivation that rivals War and Peace, with photgraphs of your safe, your home security system, your intended use and your mother-in-law just for good measure. You make about twent copies, as this application is bound to go missing. You hand it in with another $12.

 

Now you wait, and you wait. Sometimes you get lucky and the application is not lost, misplaced or just thrown into the dustbin. Other times you submit a second copy. Anything from a year to two years later your lic arrives.

 

You can now take this lic and collect your rifle, which by now is either rusted, lost or has erroneously been resold.

 

 

 

We did about 110 years ago...

 

Anyway, in Australia you can only own handguns if you are a member of a gun club, done the introductory attendances (this with all the attendances and paperwork takes a year) and are prepared to only shoot your handguns in competitions 6 times a year...I recently told the cops to stick my H class on my licence where the sun don't shine.

 

I've had the chance to buy a sawn-off shotgun from a man in a pub about 2 years back and just recently this guy at work mentioned he could get me a handgun N.I.B. for $500 Australian...I believe him too as he showed me a photo on his phone holding the one he bought from the friend he knows whos got them. He told me these are being imported into Australia via Malaysia.

 

They put all these laws on law abiding citizens and yet you see in the newspapers and on the news people getting caught and charged with "possessing (a) unregistered firearm(s)". The illegal trade in unregistered firearms in Australia is absolutely huge...way bigger than what the police are letting on. At Australian ports they only check 1 container in every 100.

 

Makes your blood boil!

 

...again.

The same cops sell confiscated and legally handed in firearms to the black market. They also "lose" thousands of their own guns annually.

 

We made one mistake when we arrived in Africa in the 1600's - we arrived 400 years to soon! If we only arrived today the natives would have killed themselves off by now!

 

That's how Martin Bryant got hold of the AR-15 he used to tear up the Broad Arrow Cafe at Port Arthur!

 

That particular AR-15 was handed in by a man during a gun amnesty in the state of Victoria during the early 1990s when they cracked down on semi-auto rifles after their Hoddle and Queen Street massacres. The Police, instead of sending it to the scrapheap, sold it (as well as a number of other AR-15s) to a Victorian gun dealer. It then made its way to Tasmania...and the rest they say is history...

 The only deduction that could be made was that the weapon in question got stolen or sold from police ownership.

Join the NRA!

Sam