niteowl wrote:on_one_wheel wrote:animalpest wrote:In WA the required firearms training is currently just a 20 question multiple choice questionaire. You don't even need to handle a firearm.
Cheers for that, looks like we have a very limited number of people familiar with WA rules here.
Sounds like their pretty relaxed with obtaining a licence, how about safe keeping... can they still keep their firearms in a
Milo tin provided its locked shut and bolted down ?
Any way I am invited to attend their discussion meeting re the changes so we will see how it goes.
I don't see
too much in the proposal documents that are of great concern.
The Bill mostly centres on it’s ideas around preventing criminals and criminal associates from getting a firearms license and penalties for having things they shouldn’t. That I don’t mind particularly but only time will tell if the powers are abused.
As others have said, the section on firearms technology is very poorly written and in it’s current form makes hand loading and possession of the equipment a crime.
I do have a problem with requiring a new license application for innocuous items like Triggers, Mags, Stocks/Chassis and bolt components. - all of these things I could get shipped to my door.
In fact my most recent rifle build involved a Shriud and Handle from Sterk - KRG Stock, new trigger and some mags from Iceng, all of those things fall under what is now considered a ‘Major’ firearm part under the new bill.
Incase I didn’t mention above, I am a WA shooter.
For the most part I don’t think our storage requirements are any different from any other state for the most part. We have to bolt our safes down regardless of weight, to two structural surfaces.
Schedule 4 of the Firearms Regulations has all of the dimensions of an approved safe’s construction.
Keys can’t be stored readily accessible in the same area as the safe. (I keep mine on me.)
Bolt doesn’t have to be removed as per the regulation however enough cops believe it to be the case that I do it anyway to avoid issues.
One area our laws differ from others is we can get Cat C for IPSC, which is sweet if you like the sport as I do. We also don’t require co-licensing of a firearm by another shooter if the firearm is used under direct supervision of the licensed owner.
I’m hoping some common sense will prevail, I don’t particularly mind the additional training for long arms. (Pistols already require a long training period that is handled by the clubs however) not everyone has the advantage of being raised by responsible firearms owners who pass on good gun safety to their children. I personally do my best to introduce others to shooting the same way I was with a safety first mindset.
However irresponsible shooters will pass on bad habits to new shooters and some people will apply for a license without ever having been taught anything before they read the Firearms Safety Booklet I’m prep for their Safety test (The above mentioned 20 Question test.)
However I think they are fear mongering when they say that these .50 Cal rifles are everywhere, most gun stores I have spoken to in the perth metro area have said that a handful of people got them when they were first able after Ella Valla’s range was commissioned but the policy of WAPOL Firearms Branch has been to outright refuse to issue more licenses for them for some time now. Not to mention the financial barrier to entry for many shooters.
WA isn’t as bad as it is often maligned to be, the fees are high and sure, I’d love a MPR-308 (not that many are being sent out anyway.) but I’ve been otherwise able to license everything else I’d ever want.