What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Questions about Queensland gun and ammunition laws. QLD Weapons Act 1990.

What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by Snorkels51 » 13 Nov 2016, 5:43 pm

While I am new to this forum I have been a shooter / reloader /and unrepentant tinkerer for over 45 years as well as being a former mechanic and owning / operating a lathe, milling machine and all manner of equipment of mass construction. I have now reached that period in life referred to as retirement and have a safe bulging with (as defined in Qld licenses) weapons mostly bought cheaply and requiring refurbishment with the intention of doing exactly that in my retirement.
A little background. In the 1980s and early nineties ( pre little Johnny) I used to do all manner of 'gunsmithing' for myself, my brothers and an occasional friend including chambering, threading and fitting barrels, repairs to mechanisms and general tinkering, including fixing the odd abortion created by a gunsmith used by a local gun shop but life and business commitments pretty much coincided with the infamous Buy Back and have only done the odd barrel set back and rechamber due to throat erosion and a couple of recrowns on my own gear which I believe to be ok as I man not changing anything that identifies the 'weapon'.
Now to the question above.
I have reamers and headspace gauges for the cartridges that interest me, the equipment, expertise and experience to do all that I need to do on the old rifles in my safe, mostly in the 303 and 06 families and also have built a stock making pantograph but only holding a licence for category A & B class weapons cannot legally do the work I wish to do such as rechamber / rebarrel to a different calibre and on at least two set up a second barrel as a switch barrel rifle. I have owned some of these rifles since the early eighties for 'one day' only the world has changed.
So I was wondering if I should talk to QPS Licensing Branch about obtaining either a Dealers License or an Armourers License but I am not really interested in setting up a business other than for hobby purposes ie I really only want to do my own or the very occasional outside job. I just want to make the old girls sing again and keep a couple and sell off a few to pay for my bits and pieces and other old relics to rescue.
What license do I need to cover me so that I can LEGALLY do what I want to do and stress that I am not interested in doing it the illegal way or am I pipe dreaming here?
For those of you who will tell me that I should just go see an armourer, you have completely missed the point. One - I am not made of money, two - it would make the whole exercise economically unviable, three - I just want to do what I can already do myself.
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Re: What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by Snorkels51 » 28 Dec 2016, 7:39 pm

Thanks for that. It was pretty much what I was thinking I'd have to do but just thought that someone else may have already gone down that path.
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Re: What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by deye243 » 28 Dec 2016, 8:21 pm

I know it's not qld but in vic all you need is a dealers lic to make a firearm from scratch .
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Re: What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by Apollo » 28 Dec 2016, 8:34 pm

Ask Lee Trengrove, Trentech in Brisbane. http://trentech.com.au/

He's been through it all when he wanted to build and licence a rifle action yet alone start his Gunsmith Business.

If you are a member of AHN then I'm sure the whole drama was the subject of at least one topic or more. (AHN Leeroy) I think from memory.
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Re: What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by brett1868 » 28 Dec 2016, 9:05 pm

As the others suggest best talk to the powers that be and see what they advise. I've got a relative wanting to make stocks and would love a few pics of your stock making pantograph machine if you could post some. Like you he's semi retired and spends his time refurbishing old rifles with a main focus on the .303
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Re: What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by Snorkels51 » 06 Jan 2017, 7:26 pm

I can certainly post some pics of the pantograph but it may take me a week or two as I am still getting set up after two house moves and at the moment it has sundry stuff sitting on it while I finish an unrelated project.
A bit like your relative I have an interest in not specifically the .303 but it's derivative cartridges in the P14 / M1917 Eddystone, Winchester and Remington Enfield rifles as well as ME and Martini Cadets. Not exclusively, but I do have a few but also any old quality rifle in need of tlc.
Keep an eye out for the photos.
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Re: What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by straightshooter » 22 Jan 2017, 9:34 am

If you don't want to become a dealer or armourer then probably the best licence to obtain is the 'keep your mouth shut licence'
In NSW the firearm registry doesn't seem to mind provided you don't change the category eg. from A to B.
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Re: What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by bladeracer » 22 Jan 2017, 10:02 am

straightshooter wrote:If you don't want to become a dealer or armourer then probably the best licence to obtain is the 'keep your mouth shut licence'
In NSW the firearm registry doesn't seem to mind provided you don't change the category eg. from A to B.


In Victoria we're not allowed to change the caliber or the category.
But it seems they consider caliber to be the cartridge rather than the caliber.
So you need to apply for permission before you rechamber a .22LR to a .22WMR or a .223 to a .22-250, even though the caliber doesn't change. I assume the same would apply to modifying a chamber to an "improved" version as well.
http://www.police.vic.gov.au/retrievemedia.asp?media_id=35359
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Re: What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by Snorkels51 » 22 Jan 2017, 7:54 pm

Gee straightshooter, that sounds like the go. I had thought about that but then it makes it very difficult to onsell the item to finance further projects as I do want to reduce my current inventory somewhat.
As far as I can work out in QLD it would appear to be similar to the VIC story as outlined by bladeracer although I'm not certain that adding 'AI' to the cartridge changes the cartridge for registration purposes as the standard cartridge operates perfectly well and safely in the improved version. But I don't know for sure but intend to enquire once I clear a few other projects up.
The interesting part of all this is in discussing this general topic with a licensed dealer recently I found out that if you want to add a second barrel in a different cartridge / caliber to an existing registered weapon as a switch barrel, if it has an existing number it can be added to the registry for that weapon and if it does not have a number one can be assigned to it (generally the same number as the existing barrel with a suffix such as 'A' or '-2'), have it stamped and added as mentioned. In Qld you do not need a PTA to acquire a new barrel blank or second hand barrel so once the barrel is chambered and threaded etc you just need to take the whole shooting match (pun intended) into your local friendly dealer who will the for the prescribed fee do the necessary paperwork and you are legally on your way. I will also check to confirm that this information is correct and if so I can see a few switch barrel rifles on the horizon. The lock nut in 1/10 x 1.10" square internal thread for the P14 / M1917 Enfields is going to be a bitch though.
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Re: What license do I need to re-chamber my own rifles?

Post by No1Mk3 » 23 Jan 2017, 4:51 am

G'day bladeracer,
Just to qualify your post, here in Victoria we are permitted to change calibres without prior permission, but must notify LRD within 7 days of having done so. I refer you to Section 134B of the Act. Such changes must not, of course, alter the Category from A to B and vice versa, Cheers.
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