Mononoke wrote:Thanks YoungBuck for your answer. I do have a friend's brother in Ringwood who is a license holder who could hold them for me in his safe while I'm in WA/overseas. I may be working out of Mansfield over the summer, so hopefully I can befriend someone local (or even the gun shop there?) who could store for me. If I'm working in that neck of the woods I'd like to have access to my rifle on weekends so I can go hunting. But yes you're right, finding an alternative storage option over this next year makes sense over hauling a dodgily modified safe here and there. I looked into Kennard's self-storage as well but they charge like a wounded bull.
Yes, I am a newbie... currently waiting on my A+B license. Planning to get a Howa 1500 (Sporter barrel) in .308 and mount a Leupold 3xi 2.5-8 to it as a nice solid Sambar hunting setup.
Interesting wording regarding the storage laws.... I asked at the gun safety course and the chap running the course said that weights bolted to the base of the safe would be considered part of the "empty" structure. I guess I should just call my local DFO and get it from the horse's mouth.
Wombat wrote:Storing in a vehicle is a no no sadly. If anyone wants bulk lead I have bought large billets from these guys at a very good price in the past - http://www.icmetals.com.au/
That was not for casting so I wasn't fussed on the exact alloy, pure lead would be more expensive.
bladeracer wrote:Wombat wrote:Storing in a vehicle is a no no sadly. If anyone wants bulk lead I have bought large billets from these guys at a very good price in the past - http://www.icmetals.com.au/
That was not for casting so I wasn't fussed on the exact alloy, pure lead would be more expensive.
What do you mean a no-no? If you're travelling then securing your firearms in a vehicle is fine as long as their isn't somewhere more secure available.
southeast varmiter wrote:Don't confuse safe transport with secure storage.
bladeracer wrote:southeast varmiter wrote:What do you mean a no-no? If you're travelling then securing your firearms in a vehicle is fine as long as their isn't somewhere more secure available.
Don't confuse safe transport with secure storage.
bladeracer wrote:A perhaps more useful alternative might be to simply buy two safes and weld them together.
BRNO_Bigot wrote:bladeracer wrote:A perhaps more useful alternative might be to simply buy two safes and weld them together.
There's something wrong with me.
The moment I saw the above sentence, my mind's eye saw two safes being welded together face-to-face.
I can't help it.
Dunxy wrote:Im in VIc and when i did the course a few months ago, the DFO (James) told me it was no go when i asked him. Im a metal worker by trade sand said "what if i WELDED inch plate on the inside" his claim is it would not satisfy the requirement as stated in the act because it didn't leave the factory that way. I suspect the rule is not just to do with the physical weight of the safe but its general construction, an 80kg safe is pretty flimsy and even with weight inside, the door is still flimsy. I ended up with a safe over the 200kg mark and the door weighs more than these cheap safes by itself.No safe is impenetrable, some are a lot easier than though.A mate uses one for ammo, locking system failed and he was able to easily pry the door.I would not leave my firearms in one of these cheap single skin non cement filled "bunnings style" safes.Just go on gumtree and buy used. Ive seen 500kg safes for $200.
I would not be relying on added weight without written permission from a DFO,good luck with that.Otherwise you are leaving yourself open, sure certain DFO's might tell you its fine on the phone, but if another who thinks the way the one i asked does comes for an inspection you are going to have to sort it out, so may as well just buy a decent safe or bolt crap one in to begin with.
Just my 2c.
bladeracer wrote:
That's garbage. There is no requirement for your firearm storage receptacle to have left any factory, you can make it yourself if you prefer.
Dunxy wrote:bladeracer wrote:
That's garbage. There is no requirement for your firearm storage receptacle to have left any factory, you can make it yourself if you prefer.
Never said it was in the act or regs, just what my local DFO said when i directly asked him the question. Ive read both the act and regulations and i know it says nothing about that.
bladeracer wrote:Dunxy wrote:bladeracer wrote:
That's garbage. There is no requirement for your firearm storage receptacle to have left any factory, you can make it yourself if you prefer.
Never said it was in the act or regs, just what my local DFO said when i directly asked him the question. Ive read both the act and regulations and i know it says nothing about that.
That's my point, the DFO was telling you rubbish.
Dunxy wrote: Agreed, but lets say he was inspecting me, which is highly probable as hes the closest,would it be worth the grief to argue it with him? Its something i honestly wanted to do because i posses the skills and equipment to do it properly, ive built friggen boilers and those great big ass signs above crown casino, i welded the mounts for them and they've been up nearly 20 years so im more than qualified to make a strong box! I had read the storage requirements long before doing class and had seen nothing about not being able to do it so i was a bit miffed when he shot it down but it hardly felt appropriate to argue the point with him at that moment in time.
At the end of the day im still happy with what i got without having to modify it, happier than i would have been. I probably spent around $1-150 more to buy my 14gun safe that exceeds weight requirement by a long shot. that i would have buying a smaller lighter new safe.I don't work in the metal industry these days so id have to buy the steel, that alone would have cost me the difference id hazard a guess, especially if you need it cut! Sometimes stuff that seems like an easy option actually works out more expensive and difficult in the long run.
Mononoke wrote:Hey thanks so much everyone for all the answers!
Given I probably won't have ownership until early october, I will hopefully know by then where I will be working over the summer. At least then I'll know what options I have to choose from, and if I'm going somewhere in NE Victoria whether there are storage options that the locals can let me know about.
For the longer term next year..... someone told me that you can ask the DFO to do an inspection BEFORE you transfer your firearms there, to make sure everything is compliant. However, if I have the beans in the bank I may just bite the bullet and get a factory-made heavy safe. Otherwise I always have my mate's brother as a backup.
I guess an important key comment in the discussion is that there are mixed verbal messages from the authorities. Best to get things in writing, and to even have inspections done beforehand. Anyway, very educational. My lifestyle is a little unorthodox and just trying to figure out the best, safest, most legal, and hopefully affordable to keep my firearms stored and safe but also accessible when hunting opportunities arise.
bladeracer wrote:
I agree with you on that unfortunately, rarely is it ever beneficial to argue with a Police officer, no matter how wrong they are. I would probably simply ask for a copy of the requirements. It wouldn't surprise me if they don't sometimes just try to push our buttons to rile us up so they can then report that we were "uncooperative" during the inspection or something. My DFO made a surprise inspection two weeks ago and I think he was actually pretty impressed with my security efforts. After we finished going through all the rifles I asked if he wanted to inspect my ammunition safes as well but he just said "I think you're well on top of it" and left it at that.
I'm the same, I really, really want to build my own safes, but the cost of materials and time is far too high so I just keep buying more safes. I will need yet another very soon so I am once again looking at building my own, but I'm pretty sure I'll just buy another 20-gun and add it to the collection.
I'm lucky to have discovered an old grain hopper on the farm. It's 6mm steel plate and roughly a 1.5m cube, although Bob cut one side out decades ago to make something he needed. I really hope I can turn it into a nice safe one day.
Dunxy wrote:Unfortunately i hadn't read the entire act or even knew the regulations (was it you who pointed the regulations out to me when i queried the target shooting on private property stuff? ) existed so i wasn't in a position to argue the point at that stage.
Its good when inspections go smoothly and im sure I should have no problems myself because I have gone to excessive efforts myself.
When you're talking about another 20 gun i just get jelly have you looked at bank vaults? One of my long time shooting mates has an ex bank vault! I have no idea how he got it wherever he has it because it weighs more than you can handle without heavy equipment! He offered me a smaller one he had got for a mate who no longer needed it for whatever reason but it was excessive to my needs and weighed 1000kg! Was only $1000 though and i think he said it would have held over 20 no problems.While I would happily love to collect a lot of firearms my budget will probably keep me in my safe for a long time
I would have thought though when you move above the 15 gun limit, stuff changes and couldn't you use a strong room kind of thing i have seen in some gun stores VS keeping them in lots of or even 1 large safe? Would be stupid if the laws regarding storage are better for them than us.