Thread: Tauranga Deerstalkers range have banned MSSA's

Hi Guys,
Went to the TECT\Tauranga Deerstalkers Range to find that they have temporarily banned MSSA's from shooting at the range. They did not say when the ban would end but it has something to do with their RO's not being able to handle an MSSA rifle if the shooter has issues. I was also told that there are a lot of members that what them permanently banned so it may end up that way. I thought other MSSA shooter should know if you are an before they join up or go for a long drive to just end up disappointed and unable to shoot.

I don't see how the rest of the shooting ranges throughout NZ handle this but since the law has been around since 1992 its nothing new and it pretty sad that they are acting worse than the NZ govt.

Shit that's interesting, not something I considered

Just about every second or third trip to my local NZDA range I seem to help out someone with failure to eject from a semi.

Would not even start to know if something is A, E, X or Z

I was pretty surprised by it all, I know another club member that day drove all the way out with his newly minted MSSA only to find he was not allowed to shoot. He was not a happy chap.

It would concern me that a RO doesnt have enough nouse to keep it all safe. Black powder and hang fires are a real pain to deal with on a busy range

Technically it is illegal for anybody other than the owner to handle an MSSA under any circumstances, unless of course they have her majesty's dispensation. Whether police would bother to enforce that under these circumstances is another question. I doubt a judge would be impressed having it bought to them. Regardless, sounds like a bunch of wankers to shoot with anyway, don't know how you guys put up with it.

Originally Posted by Maca49

It would concern me that a RO doesnt have enough nouse to keep it all safe

Macca, I think it is more a legal technicality as Beavis pointed out, rather than a lack of skills or nouse.

I don't have an E-cat, so theoretically should not be handling one.

It wouldn't matter whether you had an endorsement, as the law stands, you must have a permit to procure before you can take hold of an MSSA. Of course it is ridiculous, impractical and unenforceable.

You could possibly argue discrimination as well - some of our members are elderly and one of our shooters is wheel chair bound and requires assistance from time to time.

I'm sure the intent was to stop mates lending their MSSA's out.

Are we talking E cat mssa rifles or a ban on anything that resembles an AR type and is on the A cat?

That's a bit of a knee jerk reaction, I belong to NZDA and we have a dedicated military rifle shoot once a year and there are all sorts of rifles, sks,s m14,s ar15,s slr,s mini14, as well as bolt actions no problem. Also others have used their mssa,s at the normal monthly shoots with out any fuss.

I can join deer stalkers. Sit a range test, get a key for the range, but can only go up there by myself, as I'm not an RO, so a mate is excluded, if he doesn't have a key. Shooting on a range by myself, ah why would ya?
As an RO I would need to run some shoots and I'm not into that, just don't have the time at present

I use my soon-to-be MSSA at the AKL NZDA range as do several other shooters. Never had an issue apart from one off-handed remark about the high number of "assault rifles". They do seem to have a new rule regarding "no rapid fire"... Not sure why this is, perhaps so the other shooter isn't showered with brass? *shrugs*

Originally Posted by Ryan

I use my soon-to-be MSSA at the AKL NZDA range as do several other shooters. Never had an issue apart from one off-handed remark about the high number of "assault rifles". They do seem to have a new rule regarding "no rapid fire"... Not sure why this is, perhaps so the other shooter isn't showered with brass? *shrugs*

I don't own a MSSA and have no intention of getting one, but there definitely is a place for them, I have to keep saying NO

Originally Posted by Towely

Are we talking E cat mssa rifles or a ban on anything that resembles an AR type and is on the A cat?

No just MSSA's are banned, A cats with pistol grips are ok.

Now that I think about it, there is that loophole where if your registered MSSA firearm has no MSSA features then it becomes classed as a normal A cat - Just to confuse things a bit further.

The most probable reason is that to be an RO for a MSSA shooter the RO needs to to have a E cat licence( I know at one club this was brought up and the MSSA confusion is difficult to clear).The other possible side to this,as the land is leased from the Council (I believe), there is the added issue of Beauracratic involvement where the I's and the T's have to be crossed /dotted and tied up in knots to cover any and every possible situation that could remotely happen (and I mean remote in the extreme).
As for Auckland being unhappy with rapid fire ,you can put that down to muppets who couldn't hit a barn from the inside .But can manage to hit target frames .i.e there are a lot of shooters who go there who really don't have a clue what they are doing . So unfortunately the lowest common denominator makes the rules.