Well, I decided to create this page to publish some of the information I have collected over time that will likely help you if you do not have the things, such as a car or your own home, that guidelines provided by the Firearms Registry usually assume you have. I am not a legal professional, and although I have noted the source of the information I provide, I strongly recommend you seek legal help before attempting to obtain a firearms license in these specific circumstances. Anyway, I thought it best to start with the condition that seems to be causing the most distress among firearms owners, particularly the young and poor; safekeeping of firearms. In case you are wondering, yes I am from NSW and most of the information here is geared for the legislation here.
Safekeeping of Firearms
Below is a link to a pamphlet distributed by the Firearms Registry outlining the requirements and guidelines for correctly storing your firearms. Do not quote me on this, but I believe the pamphlet is no longer distributed as some of the obligations listed are not legally correct. Rest assured though, if you follow these guidelines you should not run into any trouble.
*Update: Based on information from John Tingle and his years of experience of the issue, I can confirm the below pamphlet list guidelines well and truly above your legal obligations. You can find your obligations as listed in the Firearms Act 1996 (NSW) here. Generally, interpretation of the requirements is up to your inspecting officer, although if his determination is negative you can challenge the decision.
Safe storage of Category 1 and 2 Firearms
Now, obviously there are numerous reasons while many people can not adhere to these guidelines. The most glaring would have to be that there must be only a handful of landlords in the country that will let you drill holes in the floor and walls of his or her house. Unfortunately, after much discussion with the firearms registry, having exclusive access to a safe storage facility is a must for applying for a firearms license, regardless of whether you intend to actually own a firearm. Alternatives are few but following are some that I have figured or that have been suggested to me.
- You can hire gun cabinets at safe storage facilities. These are not prohibitively expensive but generally are irritatingly inconvenient if you do not have a car. Kennards Self Storage offers storage for long arms for as little as $20 a month.
- If you are a student living away from home and you do not intend to own a firearm but perhaps just use a range gun, you could have a safe storage facility installed at a family members or friends house and list that as the location that you will store your firearms. It should not matter if it is far away if you do not actually intend to own a firearm. Cheap long arm cabinets can be purchased from numerous suppliers, usually starting from about $250-$300.
- If you can convince a friend who is a gun owner you may be able to get permission to store your firearms with them. Make sure every person who has access to the firearms is appropriately licensed for the category of firearm you wish to store. It is still your responsibility to ensure the safekeeping of your firearms, if your friend leaves the safe unlocked or likes to leave his or her guns loaded, you will be charged along with them.
- There is a provision that if when empty, your safe weighs over 150kg, you do not actually legally have to bolt it down. After discussing this with a few people including the fine people at the Australian Hunting Forum, you could well run into a few problems with this. To buy a safe that by design is over 150kg will likely cost well in excess of a thousand dollars. As a cheap solution, theoretically you could weld a heavy steel plate to the bottom of a cheaper, lighter gun safe. But the problems with this are twofold, for one, 150kg safe is an extremely difficult thing to move around. Second, it may actually be quite dangerous to place a 150kg safe in certain places, the second floor of an old house for example.
Obviously these solutions are not ideal but rest assured the storage is the trickiest part of obtaining a firearms license.
Transporting your firearms
OK now comes the fun part. You have convinced the landlord that a firearms cabinet is just the kind of permanent addition his house needs or you own your house and you have your gun; you are ready to go to the range. Oh oh, it suddenly dawns on you that as you do not have a car you have no idea how to get your rifle from point A to point B. You contact the Firearms Registry and alas they inform you that you are screwed, you may as well hand in your license and your firearms.
Don’t fret! Whatever the Firearms Registry tell you, if you probe them a little you will find the Firearms Act does not specifically address the transportation of category A and B firearms. After much discussion with the Firearms Registry, the fine folks at the Australian Hunting forum, John Tingle (former leader of the Shooters Party) and perusing numerous guidelines distributed by various clubs, it seems that legally you should be fine throwing your rifle in a bag, slinging it over your shoulder and walking or riding on a bicycle to the range. Theoretically, you could even jump on the bus, train or taxi and head there. The reason I write theoretically is that many private bus companies, Countrylink, Cityrail and public buses have specific policies regarding the carriage of firearms in their vehicles.
There is a downside to this method though, in the act there is a general requirement that says a person possessing a firearm must take all reasonable precautions to ensure its safe keeping and that it is not stolen or lost. I am certain this ambiguity is intentional. While I am almost positive you should not have any problems legally transporting firearms in the aforementioned ways, should you be robbed and your firearms stolen in transit, I can not imagine it would be a difficult leap in court that you did not take sufficient precautions transporting your firearms, evidenced by the fact they were actually stolen. So for your own benefit, try to ensure you remove the bolt on your rifle, maybe put a trigger lock on it and put your ammunition in a locked container. Do your best to conceal the fact you are carrying a firearm and lie through your teeth when questioned, the obvious exception being law enforcement. Basically, do everything you can possibly think of to ensure the safe keeping of your firearms.
Conclusion
It is no accident that it is so ridiculously difficult for any private citizen other than the wealthy to obtain, use and own a firearm. Our gun laws are designed to prevent the introduction of the fictional monster the “evil American gun culture” into Australia. It is no secret that the Australian government (at least the Howard government) policy has been for a long time to regulate the sport of shooting and the ownership of firearms into obscurity. If even after all this information you still do not think it is possible for you to become a firearm owner, make sure you stay vocal and stay educated. Speak to your friends and family or even bring it up at the pub! The future of this hallmark of absolute liberty is at stake. Our primary, perhaps sole advantage is that a vast majority if not all academic evidence (as opposed to philosophising) points to the fact that civilian small arms ownership is not a bad thing, and it does not increase violent crime. It is in your hands.
Gone are the days I use to strap my holster on at Cambelltown and ride my bike to a range at Ridgehaven SA with my 1863 Remington Black Powder.