Legal Suppressors ?

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

Re: Legal Suppressors ?

Post by animalpest » 25 Aug 2021, 3:12 pm

That was law between 1980 and 2010. I was their firearms instructor so I certainly had to know what the law was.
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Re: Legal Suppressors ?

Post by bladeracer » 25 Aug 2021, 3:19 pm

animalpest wrote:That was law between 1980 and 2010. I was their firearms instructor so I certainly had to know what the law was.


Whose firearms instructor were you?
This was organised through the Canning Shire, in partnership with whichever government group was managing the wetland at the time. Rose was treasurer of the Wilson Wetland Action Group through Sercul, so she organised the grant money to pay for the job.

Regardless of what you are saying, it was done legally, though I don't know how it was done, neither does Rose. The foxes were destroying the wildlife along the river and trapping had failed on numerous occasions, this was the last resort, and it worked well. Rose doesn't know much about the pigeon eradication as she was not involved directly with that, it was a private business that hired a professional shooter to deal with it, but it also was legal.
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Re: Legal Suppressors ?

Post by Communism_Is_Cancer » 25 Aug 2021, 3:22 pm

Maybe it was granted with a commissioners permit? Pretty much nearly anything can be done with a commissioners permit. Although they are nowhere near as common these days as they once were.
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Re: Legal Suppressors ?

Post by bladeracer » 25 Aug 2021, 3:25 pm

Communism_Is_Cancer wrote:Maybe it was granted with a commissioners permit? Pretty much nearly anything can be done with a commissioners permit. Although they are nowhere near as common these days as they once were.


That is my guess. I would think Theatrical Armourers in Perth can own silencers, and probably Collectors as well. The local ranger in Wilson told me they had access to a silencer that was kept in a safe at the Shire compound, but they needed very, very special permissions to ever get it out, usually to euthanise an injured animal. I never saw it though, and he may well have been working on old knowledge, no idea.
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Re: Legal Suppressors ?

Post by pomemax » 25 Aug 2021, 4:01 pm

I was in the gunsmith at Sefton One day a bloke came in asking for a Suppressor they thought it was a joke till he showed His Permit for one, It was real but they could not help him .
Another time at a pistol /rifle range a bloke pulled out a .223 semi auto rifle with suppressor fitted (contract shooter sighting it in )
So long as you have all the correct paperwork you can have these things Its just a pain to acquire
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Re: Legal Suppressors ?

Post by animalpest » 26 Aug 2021, 1:20 pm

There are no permits for suppressors in WA under the legislation.

There are many times that community groups, shire councils etc get told that something is legal ( especially by unscrupulous contractors) when it is not.
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Re: Legal Suppressors ?

Post by niteowl » 26 Aug 2021, 1:29 pm

animalpest wrote:There are no permits for suppressors in WA under the legislation.

There are many times that community groups, shire councils etc get told that something is legal ( especially by unscrupulous contractors) when it is not.


All the disbelievers should read the firearms act !!! They are ILLEGAL in WA except for APB for starlings.
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Re: Legal Suppressors ?

Post by bladeracer » 26 Aug 2021, 2:33 pm

animalpest wrote:There are no permits for suppressors in WA under the legislation.

There are many times that community groups, shire councils etc get told that something is legal ( especially by unscrupulous contractors) when it is not.


A contractor has way too much to lose even possessing anything illegal, let alone actively using it to assist government funded community groups. In this specific instance, quite a lot of people were aware it was going to happen, months before the grant was finally approved, then more months waiting on the approvals. None of these people were told to keep quiet about it.

I'll say it one more time, however it was done, it was done absolutely within the law.

I think it's too long ago for me to try to chase up any paperwork, but I will see if I can.
I don't believe the same shooter dealt with the pigeons years earlier, that was just the impetus behind the idea of applying for shooting permissions. It's a shame I wasn't more closely involved with group at the time, I would've wanted to meet the guy and discuss what he was doing :-)

It has occurred to me now, that none of the Action Group were likely familiar with firearms at all. It's _possible_ an air-rifle was used, because it would be "quieter" and thus they merely believed he was using a suppressor when he wasn't. But I don't believe this was the case. As I said, any contractor has far too much at stake to have his customers spreading stories about him using illegal methods. If you know the Wetland, the shooting was done on the north side, which is quite close to housing (we lived about 200m from the area - Langham Gardens) and a fairly busy road. There is a very good chance that people would've noticed somebody spotlighting foxes in there.
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Re: Legal Suppressors ?

Post by animalpest » 26 Aug 2021, 3:12 pm

Actually one contractor spruiked many illegal recommendations to a landcare field day a couple of years ago. This included using rat bait to control rabbits on their front lawns. And that setting foothold traps on private property doesn't require a permit in WA. Both of these are totally incorrect.

So no, there some contractors that are total cowboys.
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