Thread: Gun Culture In New Zealand

NZ allows the ownership of any firearm (shotguns, rifles, pistols, machine guns, artillery) subject to having the appropriate license endorsement. Only the 'A' license (shotguns and rifles) is available as of right, the other endorsements are subject to more stringent conditions of security and bona fide intent. These endorsements are; 'B' - pistol club member, 'C' - collector (covers pistols and MG's), 'D' - dealer's license (subject to its own set of regulations), 'E' - military style semi-autos, 'F' - license to carry all types for business purposes (not self-defence). No licence is required for air guns over the age of 18, and genuine antiques are exempt from any license. Firearms licenses may be issued at 16 years of age. Pistols on a 'B' license can only be used on a recognised range, pistols and MG's on a 'C' license may not be fired (other than with blanks at a recognised theatrical event), Military style semi-autos on an 'E' license may be used for any legitimate purpose (target, hunting, pest control). There is no self-defence carry or hunting permitted with pistols. In short, not as open as Alaska but still quite reasonable in comparison with the rest of the World. Roughly 6% of the population have firearms licenses, with an estimated 1.5 million firearms for a population of 4.5 million people.