Thread: Taking firearms to Queensland? Ins and outs

Hey Guys

We have been giving a bit of thought to spreading our wings and having a look at Queensland as a move for our careers and our kids futures. And no, Auckland is not an option!

So just starting to do a bit of research, obviously the firearm laws are a lot mor prohibitive than ours but was wondering if anyone had any experience in taking their A-Cat rifles and shotguns (bolt, lever and double barrel, no semis) over with them?

Would be good to understand the pitfalls and get first hand experience.

Is it worth it or better to sell here and rebuy over there through their licensing process?
Downside is I have 3 heirloom firearms that have been handed down from my grandfather and I am not willing to part with, so those will have to either be left with my brother in law for safe keeping, or be taken with.
The rest I am really happy with and ideally would rather take but then they can be replaced.

Cheers, appreciate any feedback!


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I intended to go thru there licencing process when I was living there but it was pretty painful.

If just for a hunting trip or comp it is easy as.

Not sure on moving firearms permanently but if it is like anything else there you will have a few hoops to jump thru.

You also need a reason to own and iirc a letter from a landowner of a certain size to say you have permission to hunt on their property.

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It's a long drawn out hoop jumping pain in the arse.

Mate of mine (an aussie) who'd been in NZ for about 8 years moved back home a bit over a year ago. His Aussie FAL had lapsed so he left his rifles here in NZ until he regained a FAL over there. That took best part of a year. Then had a big run around with other permits to bring them in etc. It's a total mind fuck for firearms owners over there, for that reason alone, I'd never consider living there.

He went for his first hunt in may since big there, drove 14 hours into Victoria to find some public land that you'd allowed to hunt on.

You won't need guns over there mate.

Or spend the money on importing and fal over there, and spend it on going on a guided hunt etc

Originally Posted by Spudattack

Hey Guys

We have been giving a bit of thought to spreading our wings and having a look at Queensland as a move for our careers and our kids futures.

We’re considering the same thing. I don’t have any useful info as we haven’t got serious about it yet. Would you keep us posted on how it goes?

Cheers guys, so from what I can gather, the easiest would be to take all the accessories (scopes, rings, fancy stocks etc.) sell the rifles and the rebuy once we are sorted that side.

Might leave the .308 here for trips back.

Cheers guys


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Originally Posted by MightyBoosh

We’re considering the same thing. I don’t have any useful info as we haven’t got serious about it yet. Would you keep us posted on how it goes?

No worries, where are you guys thinking of going?

We are looking at Brisbane as the only really viable option for career progression, otherwise we will find ourselves in a similar position to where we are now.


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Originally Posted by Spudattack

Cheers guys, so from what I can gather, the easiest would be to take all the accessories (scopes, rings, fancy stocks etc.) sell the rifles and the rebuy once we are sorted that side.

Might leave the .308 here for trips back.

Cheers guys


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Be very,very careful about which accessories you intend taking. I could tell you about a .22 silencer, some .303 empty cases and a toy BB gun...but I won't, it still hurts 15 years later.
My advice would be to take up boating...guns are extremely taboo in that place. Perhaps stay here and enjoy the last of gun ownership.

Originally Posted by outlander

Be very,very careful about which accessories you intend taking. I could tell you about a .22 silencer, some .303 empty cases and a toy BB gun...but I won't, it still hurts 15 years later.
My advice would be to take up boating...guns are extremely taboo in that place. Perhaps stay here and enjoy the last of gun ownership.

the last my ass.

Originally Posted by Spudattack

No worries, where are you guys thinking of going?

We are looking at Brisbane as the only really viable option for career progression, otherwise we will find ourselves in a similar position to where we are now.


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I did 14 yrs there about 4 in qld,If you are going to live in brisbane or surrounding areas kiss your hunting goodbye.Very very long drives to get somewhere decent to hunt. 1-1200km not uncommon.Gun laws suck arse there and I held most of the endorsements there..Shooting roos and pest work is very boring night time shooting mostly.Sambar is ok but very long drives again.

Originally Posted by Spudattack

No worries, where are you guys thinking of going?

We are looking at Brisbane as the only really viable option for career progression, otherwise we will find ourselves in a similar position to where we are now.

Similar situation. It's open ended, I'll wait for the right job and the planets to align etc. No rush, but I think it will happen at some point.

Originally Posted by outlander

Be very,very careful about which accessories you intend taking. I could tell you about a .22 silencer, some .303 empty cases and a toy BB gun...but I won't, it still hurts 15 years later.
My advice would be to take up boating...guns are extremely taboo in that place. Perhaps stay here and enjoy the last of gun ownership.

Cheers for the warning, so brass is a no no without import permits etc?


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Originally Posted by Markgibsonr25

I did 14 yrs there about 4 in qld,If you are going to live in brisbane or surrounding areas kiss your hunting goodbye.Very very long drives to get somewhere decent to hunt. 1-1200km not uncommon.Gun laws suck arse there and I held most of the endorsements there..Shooting roos and pest work is very boring night time shooting mostly.Sambar is ok but very long drives again.

Yeah, I see there is no shooting of feral animals in state forests in QLD, would need to drive to NSW for that.
Doesn’t seem too far, but then I don’t know the area at all.

It may mean I leave them all here then and pack my hunting in with trips back here.

Cheers for that!


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Originally Posted by Spudattack

Cheers for the warning, so brass is a no no without import permits etc?


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It would appear so. Customs confiscated all empty .223 and .303 brass, photographed , labelled and cataloged it all.
To add insult to injury, I thought silencers were as legal there as they are here. Wrong. And then...in a past life I was a cop who found a home made handgun in a ceiling once. I chucked the pipe barrel away,so all that remained was a very inoperative wood and tin object. As a memento I threw it into a tool chest, where it remained for a decade or so, during which time we immigrated to NZ. Well, I believe it has pride of place in the Queensland museum of dangerous recovered stuff. As my wife signed the documentation, it was by the grace of the Chief Customs man that she avoided time in the stockade. Lesson learned was that the rules here do not pertain in Queensland and customs have not an ounce of humor, anywhere...

Australistan the great south pacific prison/police state.