Change a pistol licence category

Questions about New South Wales gun and ammunition laws. NSW Firearms Act 1996.

Change a pistol licence category

Post by ederlezi » 26 Oct 2020, 9:11 am

Hey Everyone,

Quick one for you. Would you know, if possible, what would be the process to switch a pistol between two licence categories? From target shooting to collectors and vice and versa? Just like a normal transfer at a dealer?

Referring to pistols which are club compliant obviously. <=9mm, >120mm, <10 rounds.

Thank you,

Ben
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Re: Change a pistol licence category

Post by bladeracer » 26 Oct 2020, 11:08 am

ederlezi wrote:Hey Everyone,

Quick one for you. Would you know, if possible, what would be the process to switch a pistol between two licence categories? From target shooting to collectors and vice and versa? Just like a normal transfer at a dealer?

Referring to pistols which are club compliant obviously. <=9mm, >120mm, <10 rounds.

Thank you,

Ben


I asked Firearms this a year or two back. You require a PtA each time. Whether your dealer wants to charge the $25 transfer fee is between the two of you. This is in Victoria.
Last edited by bladeracer on 26 Oct 2020, 1:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Change a pistol licence category

Post by ederlezi » 26 Oct 2020, 1:32 pm

It does make sense, thank you kindly Sir!
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Re: Change a pistol licence category

Post by bladeracer » 26 Oct 2020, 1:55 pm

ederlezi wrote:It does make sense, thank you kindly Sir!


Confirm it with the NSW Registry.

They want me to get a collector's licence but there is zero up-side, it's all down-side. If an email would be sufficient when I decide I want to take a "collector" rifle out to shoot, it wouldn't be too bad, but having to do PtA's beforehand is just stupid. I could have a pair of identical No1Mk3 rifles, one on Collector, one on CatB. I can take my CatB one out any time I want and shoot on the farm or take it bush. If I decided I wanted to take the second one instead, I would have to do a PtA via my dealer first, and wait on approval. And as I already have a bunch of CatB rifles, they may well decide to require "further information" (as I currently require for all CatB purchases), dragging it out for a week or more. That's just the logistics side of it. If I inadvertently grab the wrong rifle and go hunting, I'm in breach of my licence provisions - and that gets serious.

It's the same with your pistols, have two of the same pistol on different licences, take the wrong one to the range, you've breached your licence provisions.

As I said, there is no incentive at all to get a collectors licence.

OzzieReviews made a good post on Facebook last week.

"As a holder of many firearm licences, I’ll often get asked from people who have little understanding of gun laws, why do I want to see them changed, what’s wrong with them they will ask? I always provide any of the following examples:

- As a feral pest controller I can use a handgun on rural properties to control feral pests. This means that that I can walk around with that handgun in my hand all day long shooting on a rural property but the moment that handgun goes into my holster, the holstered handgun must be out of sight concealed by my clothing otherwise it’s an offence. Meanwhile as a primary producer on that exact same property, I can use a handgun to control feral pests but my holster can be in full view and doesn’t need to be concealed at all.

- If I have the same pistol on 3 different licences, a collectors licence, an occupational licence and a sports licence, I’m required to store and be limited to its use and configuration depending on the licence even though I am the same person with the same pistol in the same safe.

For example, if I have a 45 calibre semi-auto pistol as a sports shooter, I can only use it in metallic silhouette competition on an approved range, I’m limited to 10 round magazines and must have a minimum barrel length of 120mm, yet it can be stored in a safe with no trigger lock being fitted. If I have the same pistol on a collectors licence, I am not restricted to minimum barrel lengths, I’m not restricted to 10 round magazines however I have to store the same pistol temporarily inoperable in the exact same safe by fitting a trigger lock to it. I cannot use this either unless it’s at an approved historical event twice a year on an approved range. Then if I have the same pistol on an occupational licence such as primary production, I am not restricted to minimum barrel lengths, I’m not restricted to 10 round magazines and I don’t need to store the pistol with a trigger lock in the exact same safe. I can use the pistol all day long on my property however can’t attend a range because the pistol isn’t sports compliant.

- A feral pest controller or primary producer cannot legally take a semi-automatic firearm to an approved range to sight it in.
- On a standard firearms licence I cannot own a 2-round semi-automatic shotgun, yet I can own a double or triple barrel shotgun that can fire 2-3 rounds just as quickly as a semi-auto shotgun can.
- On a standard firearms licence I cannot own a 2-round semi-automatic rifle, yet I can own a revolving rifle that fires 5-6 rounds with every pull of the trigger.
- On a standard concealable firearms licence I can own a cut down semi-auto 22 rifle (under 75cm) but I’m prohibited to own the standard non cut down version of the same rifle because it’s over 75cm.
- When you get issued a firearms licence, you have completed a safety course and passed background checks, however to then purchase a firearm that you’re already licensed for, you then have to justify to the Government why you want it even though you already hold the licence for that genuine reason to justify having the firearm in the first place.
- A firearm instructor and collector cannot import a lot of firearms that they are licensed for.
- To obtain a licence for a 22 calibre rifle for shooting on private property, you must have a minimum of 40 acres yet to obtain a licence for a 22 calibre pistol for use on private property, you must have a minimum of 5000 acres.
- You can have a semi automatic rifle and a bolt action rifle that looks similar to that semi automatic rifle. Even though the bolt action rifle is a manually operated firearm it gets classed as a semi automatic rifle solely on cosmetic appearance and therefore prohibited.

So do these laws make sense to you all in the name of “public safety” or do you have examples yourself which leaves you questioning the rationale behind it? Comment below and share your experiences..."
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Re: Change a pistol licence category

Post by ederlezi » 28 Oct 2020, 10:09 pm

Thanks Bladeracer, I understand the above post from OzzieReviews. The reason of me asking is much simpler. I am a few months away to get my full H licence (2nd half on my ppl atm, so only .22) but have a collector licence and came across a piece I have been looking for a long time. (Pre 46). So will have it on my collector licence until I can use it at the club hence me asking. It will be a one way, one off transfer. :-)

Thanks for your help,
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