Benonymous
New member
Hi all.
I've been lurking for a while and had nothing to post until now.
After doing extensive research I joined a pistol club here in my city and began the paper trail necessary to eventually own a handgun. I just thought I'd appraise you of the process and maybe any other Aussies on the forum could benefit.
The initial licensing process should take around two weeks. This includes a thorough police check by the Firearms Licensing Dept. After that has been rubberstamped, I will be on a sort of "provisional" license that allows me to actually pick up and use a handgun. Prior to this being official I am not permitted by law to even handle a pistol much less fire it. They actually call the provisional licens an "exemption" as it exempts me from this particular law. Once I have waited out my "exemption" and have been granted a license, I must then wait another three months before I can lodge an "Intention to Purchase" application. These are legendary for getting "lost" in the process of approval. However, now that I have lodged the Intention to Purchase I must now instal and have inspected, an approved gun locker or safe to store the firearm in. The Police, acting for the Licensing Dept. will come and inspect the locker and and if it complies with the regulations, I can then go ahead and buy a pistol. This goes for evrything from an air pistol to a .50cal (not sure if I could legally buy a .50...) All paper target shooting in Australia is limited to "Service" calibre ie: .38 (even though our police are armed with 9mm Glocks) If you want to shoot anything "over calibre" you must only, I repeat only, use that handgun for metallic silhouette competitions or practise. If you have any hadguns in your posession at any time, you must be either going-to or coming-from an approved range. You also must be a member of an approved club before any of the other stuff too, getting a license, owning, shooting etc. The final kicker is that if you own any type of handgun you must use it in a competition at least six times a year. Thats six times for each discipline. So if you have an air pistol, a .38 , a.22 and a .45 you'll be up for twenty four COMPETITION shoots per year just to keep your license for each of those handguns. Sorry for the length of this post but I have tried to apply the nutshell principle to this, it wasnt easy. Anyway, bugger the legislators, I'm going to eventually get a .22 a .38 and a 9mm along with a couple of rifles hopefully.
The costs associated with this run into the hundreds, that's before I even buy a gun of any kind. There is no doubt in my mind that this complex mess was formulated to actively discourage people from owning guns for any purpose but I'm a firm believer in the theory that if the crims know for a fact that ordinary citizens are unarmed, they can do as they please. Thanks for your patience if you've read this far, I'll keep the board updated as to my progress in the legislative jungle....
I've been lurking for a while and had nothing to post until now.
After doing extensive research I joined a pistol club here in my city and began the paper trail necessary to eventually own a handgun. I just thought I'd appraise you of the process and maybe any other Aussies on the forum could benefit.
The initial licensing process should take around two weeks. This includes a thorough police check by the Firearms Licensing Dept. After that has been rubberstamped, I will be on a sort of "provisional" license that allows me to actually pick up and use a handgun. Prior to this being official I am not permitted by law to even handle a pistol much less fire it. They actually call the provisional licens an "exemption" as it exempts me from this particular law. Once I have waited out my "exemption" and have been granted a license, I must then wait another three months before I can lodge an "Intention to Purchase" application. These are legendary for getting "lost" in the process of approval. However, now that I have lodged the Intention to Purchase I must now instal and have inspected, an approved gun locker or safe to store the firearm in. The Police, acting for the Licensing Dept. will come and inspect the locker and and if it complies with the regulations, I can then go ahead and buy a pistol. This goes for evrything from an air pistol to a .50cal (not sure if I could legally buy a .50...) All paper target shooting in Australia is limited to "Service" calibre ie: .38 (even though our police are armed with 9mm Glocks) If you want to shoot anything "over calibre" you must only, I repeat only, use that handgun for metallic silhouette competitions or practise. If you have any hadguns in your posession at any time, you must be either going-to or coming-from an approved range. You also must be a member of an approved club before any of the other stuff too, getting a license, owning, shooting etc. The final kicker is that if you own any type of handgun you must use it in a competition at least six times a year. Thats six times for each discipline. So if you have an air pistol, a .38 , a.22 and a .45 you'll be up for twenty four COMPETITION shoots per year just to keep your license for each of those handguns. Sorry for the length of this post but I have tried to apply the nutshell principle to this, it wasnt easy. Anyway, bugger the legislators, I'm going to eventually get a .22 a .38 and a 9mm along with a couple of rifles hopefully.
The costs associated with this run into the hundreds, that's before I even buy a gun of any kind. There is no doubt in my mind that this complex mess was formulated to actively discourage people from owning guns for any purpose but I'm a firm believer in the theory that if the crims know for a fact that ordinary citizens are unarmed, they can do as they please. Thanks for your patience if you've read this far, I'll keep the board updated as to my progress in the legislative jungle....