Thread: Safe Requirements and Licence Questions

Hey all,

I am doing my firearms licence test in two weeks and have one question about that and one about the safe.

Licence test question: I have been studying up and doing the quiz on the Police website, I have scored low a few times as the test asks about bullet travel and specific firearm questions. Am I expected to know the distance all calibre bullets can/will travel? I was under the impression that the test was only on the Arms code and 7 main rules.

Safe Question: I am going to purchase a safe that has two compartments for firearms and ammo. Reading the Police guidelines it states that the cabinet should be fixed to two surfaces not that it must. I don’t want to skimp on security but I also need to understand what the rules are. Must I bolt it to the floor and wall?

Cheers

You can’t store the ammo in the same safe

You are best go and have a talk to your local Arms officer because ever area seems to have different rules. You also got to think of like this. Do i put in couple extra screws at a cost of less then $5 that will make it harder for lowlife to steal my pride and joy.
Also dont go buying a cheap piece of shit safe you can pry the door open.
I would check also to see what new rules are in the pipe line regards to safes in the future.

Good luck with your licence

Others with more experience will chime in I'm sure, but the Arms Officer who did my last inspection, looked carefully for / checked that the safe was fixed with 4 bolts (using the 4 holes already drilled into the (Kilwell) safe), into two (concrete) surfaces at right angles to each other.

Originally Posted by MSL

You can’t store the ammo in the same safe

This is a question i have ask the local cop and he went and ask the question came back and said it was ok.
the police need to get there shit togeather and write one set of rules and stick by them . nice and clear rules

the test is mostly common sense and no you wont be asked about distances that the projectile will travel. but it wouldnt hurt to know.
if you are only going to own one or two guns get a floor mount horizontal safe and just bolt it down into a wardrobe. if its a concrete floor use "merlin screws" or if you are going to use dynabolts drill the holes extra long so if you remove the safe you can hammer the threads back to floor level

Thanks for all of the replies. So safe and ammo combo is a big no no!. I will get a lock box for ammo and store it in another room. I might be overthinking it but I just want to be as safe as I possibly can. Are there any brands of safe I should avoid? is it safe to assume that a firearms safe that is sold in New Zealand meets our safety standards?

I have a safe with theo box inside it with a seperate key, that spot holds mags and bolts and I have ammo in a metal toolbox screwed to the floor in another location

Originally Posted by ipv

Hey all,

I am doing my firearms licence test in two weeks and have one question about that and one about the safe.

Licence test question: I have been studying up and doing the quiz on the Police website, I have scored low a few times as the test asks about bullet travel and specific firearm questions. Am I expected to know the distance all calibre bullets can/will travel? I was under the impression that the test was only on the Arms code and 7 main rules.

Safe Question: I am going to purchase a safe that has two compartments for firearms and ammo. Reading the Police guidelines it states that the cabinet should be fixed to two surfaces not that it must. I don’t want to skimp on security but I also need to understand what the rules are. Must I bolt it to the floor and wall?

Cheers

I had my wooden gun case in my garage at a previous house. I had to bolt it to the concrete floor and the wall.

Originally Posted by MSL

You can’t store the ammo in the same safe

You can if it's in the separate lockup that most have. You can also store ammo together with your firearms if your firearms have been made inoperable. There is also no requirement have the gun cabinet (they're not safes) to be secured to two surfaces. Obviously though you should make your gun cabinet or rack or safe as difficult as possible to remove.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

You can if it's in the separate lockup that most have. You can also store ammo together with your firearms if your firearms have been made inoperable.

I’ve been told it’s not allowed on several occasions during inspections. So depends who you get I guess. I have separate storage anyway so doesn’t affect me.

Originally Posted by MSL

I’ve been told it’s not allowed on several occasions during inspections. So depends who you get I guess. I have separate storage anyway so doesn’t affect me.

That's an example of the vetting officer or AO not knowing the law.

I also think it's high time that the security requirements are updated to be more specific. Currently there is too much room for individual interpretation.

Originally Posted by bigbear

This is a question i have ask the local cop and he went and ask the question came back and said it was ok.
the police need to get there shit togeather and write one set of rules and stick by them . nice and clear rules

Most cops know bugger all about firearms, other than what they need to for the basics. You need to read up legislation and the arms code in full. Definitely don't just rely on a random cops word. Especially now with all the clamping down and heat on firearms licencing etc...

Originally Posted by muzza

The law as it stands as present says you must store firearms and ammo "seperately". If you can do that then you will be fine

Separately as in side-by-side safes (obviously with different keys) be OK d'you think?

As already mentioned, it is confusing, and many Police and 'inspectors' put their own interpretation on things. My take on it, is that E-cat rules are often mistakenly applied; ie steel-safe (rather than a "stout-cabinet"), bolted-down (E-cat requirement) but not a stdd requirement..and it goes on. It makes 'personal-sense' to make it as hard as possible (within reason), to make it as time-consuming and difficult, for someone to steal your firearms. The more it (theft) happens, the stricter the laws will become, so 'we', as a community, have the power to affect things. And I think you should have at least a basic idea about the range of rim-fire and center-fire ,though not each exact caliber . Join a club...it will come to this eventually anyway, there're heaps of knowledgeable/helpfull people there.