What is a gun in Victoria

[Tiger650]

I have an old and battered 94 Win 30-30 that is essentially worthless, my Brother and his mates in NSW shoot pigs with these things and he needs a new butt stock after breaking one crashing a quad or whatever.
Given that all the tiny special thread screws and other bits are pretty much unobtainable I stripped the rifle down to bare barreled action and on the advise of a DFO [District Firearms Officer}] today attempted to surrender it at a Police Station for disposal by them.
I confess to having lost a screw from the damn thing and becoming frustrated with fixing an under carrier jam, I also have a Rossi '92 in .357" which with handloads makes the '94 look and feel and perform like a worn out clunker.
Back to the story, I took the barreled action to my closest [ major suburban] cop shop today and they were perplexed, firstly concerning their internal processes and then as to what I had handed them.
"What do you call this"? I said it was a Winchester Mod 94 in 30-30 and please check the firearms registry.
My answer was not applicable to the question apparently, I had to explain that it was a receiver and barrel from a Winchester '94 and that the receiver bearing the serial # was "the Gun".
The Cop returned 10 minutes later with a printed form with serial # etc hand written and asked me to sign as "person having found" !!!
An hour of my time had been consumed by so I signed and departed.
Ten minutes later I received a call from the Police, they had spoken to [different] DFO and apparently had I sent the parts to my Brother I would have committed an offence !!!!!!
I will call the registry tomorrow and also the other DFO but if anyone more familiar with "The Act" could enlighten me further I will be grateful.

This is not the fault of the Police, I sheet the blame home to the shiny pants who invent these laws and then fail to spend the $$ on the folks are supposed to run the process, Vicpol and I wasted our precious time time today, theirs more important than mine as they have two legged vermin to apprehend.

I will advise re progress.

[newsteadvic]

and just surrenders the action with serial number to have them removed from his books.

Exactly - The only bit you need to hand in for destruction is the serialised action. I would have given you $50 for the barrel with sights on at least, more if the rifling was in good shape.

I don't know what the police on the phone was going on about, there is no restriction on posting a stock around the country.

I would also second the idea about not taking firearms to the local cop shop. Despite wearing a firearm, unless you strike the right person their knowledge is poor (even to the level of being able to show clear on a firearm) and going to a dealer is always a better option and they will take it off with no dramas. It is a courtesy to call ahead first stating "bringing in such and such rifle in a bag, cleared and empty, registered or not" .

[brett1868]

next time you want to do something like that drop the action off to a licensed dealer, they are required by law to accept it and can have it taken off you licence, a mate of mine is a dealer and said that he only has to hand in the action to Vic-pol for destruction, he regularly gets old clunkers dropped off there and he strips them for part, ie; stocks, sling swivels barrels sights triggers, basicly anything he thinks might come in handy one day and just surrenders the action with serial number to have them removed from his books.

That just takes way more common sense then some public servants are capable of comprehending. Our government seem more concerned that a process is properly followed rather then what the outcome is. After 10 years with IBM I left because they were all about the "Process" and had no concern of actual outcomes.

[David Brown]

Ahhh yes but if you follow the process you can't be nailed for the sub optimal outcome if there is one. Go outside the process and do a good deed, no reward. Go outside the process and it goes a bit pear shaped…….you are in deep do-do.

And that is how the whole system is geared. The problem is we have been brainwashed into doing things right rather than doing right things.

[Tiger650]

Cheers Gents

An half hour on the phone to registry has thankfully sorted it, had to return to cop shop with contact details of the person I spoke to at the registry and also advised to obtain a property receipt.
I also spoke to the Knox area DFO whom I was told had been contacted yesterday for the erroneous opinion, turns out he was not at work yesterday and would have given the correct answer if asked.
Sorry about the barrel Newsteadvic, no sights but you could have had it for the cost of postage, too late now unfortunately.

[AusC]

I don't know what the police on the phone was going on about, there is no restriction on posting a stock around the country.

Yup, a stock is not a "firearm" under Victoria law.

You'd think they would have worked that out from the fact there are stocks within customer reach on any gun shop shelf and you can buy one without a license