Thread: Firearm licencing

Originally Posted by Kopua Cowboy

Great news for burglars and Mitre10, we will all go and buy a separate small safe to keep bolts in and any burglar can get in via the key pad or lock hole with a rusty nail and a half eaten banana. The only increase in security is making the baddie play hide and seek for an extra 20 seconds.

That's not the point of it. The point of it is an embuggerance to you so you give up your license and do something else

Originally Posted by Danger Mouse

That's not the point of it. The point of it is an embuggerance to you so you give up your license and do something else

Exactly.................make it soooo dfficult you give up

Originally Posted by Danger Mouse

That's not the point of it. The point of it is an embuggerance to you so you give up your license and do something else

Or the opposite - make some dig their toes in..

Originally Posted by Danger Mouse

That's not the point of it. The point of it is an embuggerance to you so you give up your license and do something else

So if they are to handle your firearms, will they also be licensed? Because they should be!

Originally Posted by Maca49

So if they are to handle your firearms, will they also be licensed? Because they should be!

NZ Police and Military are exempt when handling firearms in the course of their work, that includes Police civilian employees.

Originally Posted by Kopua Cowboy

Great news for burglars and Mitre10, we will all go and buy a separate small safe to keep bolts in and any burglar can get in via the key pad or lock hole with a rusty nail and a half eaten banana. The only increase in security is making the baddie play hide and seek for an extra 20 seconds.

besides the gun safe we have 2 small safes in the house. ones for passports etc and the other for jewellery. about a month back the jewellery safe wouldnt open by the keypad. no issues i though i have the backup key.
it didnt work !
10 minutes later with no power tools i was in to it.
the best security of all ( and i have been in the alarm industry off and on for 25 years) is not letting people know what you own

I applied for a first time License December 2020, Will be a 9 month wait by the time I do the course in September 21.

What was interesting is I emailed the FAO a couple weeks ago about the wait time, I then received a confirmation letter the next day that was dated a couple months back.. wtf

Also is anyone able to tell me if the "practical training" after the test is a 1 on 1 or a group activity? cheers

Originally Posted by CovertHunter

I applied for a first time License December 2020, Will be a 9 month wait by the time I do the course in September 21.

What was interesting is I emailed the FAO a couple weeks ago about the wait time, I then received a confirmation letter the next day that was dated a couple months back.. wtf

Also is anyone able to tell me if the "practical training" after the test is a 1 on 1 or a group activity? cheers

Bad news for you but it's probably going to be much longer than a 9 month wait, after the test you still have to wait until the AO gets in touch for the safe inspection and interview. In my case that was 4 months after I did the test. Then you'll have to wait after that for them to tell you the outcome. And then you'll have to wait more to get the actual licence card in the mail.

The test itself is harder that I expected, they get everyone to sit it right at the beginning and you can only get 2 questions out of 30 wrong, except for the first 7 or 8 questions where you can't get any wrong. If you fail this test you'll be able to resit it with the alternate version at the end of the course. If you fail this then that's it. Don't underestimate the test, just under half the group I was with failed both attempts (although the instructor did say this was the most he had ever seen fail, maybe the group I was in was particularly bad). If I hadn't studied the whole arms code and relied on the online modules I would have failed it.

The practical training is probably the easiest part of the day. They split everyone into groups of 4 - 5 and you take turns practicing moving bolt action and semi auto (deactivated) .22s through the various states (load, action, instant, unload) and saying what state the firearm is in out loud. The course I did had no functioning pump actions but I believe they use these as well. The instructor walks around observing and if you visibly have no idea, are pointing firearms in an unsafe direction, or generally not inspiring confidence he may make notes and notify the police of his thoughts. How I found this out was that one lady in the group I was with was terrifyingly incompetent to the point that most people noticed and / or remarked on it. I asked the instructor after the course what happens in these cases as she technically did pass the theory test.

Originally Posted by Fatberg

Bad news for you but it's probably going to be much longer than a 9 month wait, after the test you still have to wait until the AO gets in touch for the safe inspection and interview. In my case that was 4 months after I did the test. Then you'll have to wait after that for them to tell you the outcome. And then you'll have to wait more to get the actual licence card in the mail.

The test itself is harder that I expected, they get everyone to sit it right at the beginning and you can only get 2 questions out of 30 wrong, except for the first 7 or 8 questions where you can't get any wrong. If you fail this test you'll be able to resit it with the alternate version at the end of the course. If you fail this then that's it. Don't underestimate the test, just under half the group I was with failed both attempts (although the instructor did say this was the most he had ever seen fail, maybe the group I was in was particularly bad). If I hadn't studied the whole arms code and relied on the online modules I would have failed it.

The practical training is probably the easiest part of the day. They split everyone into groups of 4 - 5 and you take turns practicing moving bolt action and semi auto (deactivated) .22s through the various states (load, action, instant, unload) and saying what state the firearm is in out loud. The course I did had no functioning pump actions but I believe they use these as well. The instructor walks around observing and if you visibly have no idea, are pointing firearms in an unsafe direction, or generally not inspiring confidence he may make notes and notify the police of his thoughts. How I found this out was that one lady in the group I was with was terrifyingly incompetent to the point that most people noticed and / or remarked on it. I asked the instructor after the course what happens in these cases as she technically did pass the theory test.

Thanks for that, very helpful, I wasn't sure what to expect and there is no in-depth info about the course other than the description when booking it, cheers

Unfortunately, I think you are right about my license, I'm not expecting it until next year especially after reading other guys' experiences on here. I will be staying on the AO case from now on though.

I gave my friendly AO a gentle reminder yesterday that it is four months since I submitted a renewal application and as yet I have not heard diddly squat from anyone. My license expires in six months so I will be ramping up the frequency of contact shortly as I definitely subscribe to the squeaky wheel theory.

Originally Posted by Rushy

I gave my friendly AO a gentle reminder yesterday that it is four months since I submitted a renewal application and as yet I have not heard diddly squat from anyone. My license expires in six months so I will be ramping up the frequency of contact shortly as I definitely subscribe to the squeaky wheel theory.

Same Rushy, I handed my application in a couple of months ago, mine expires in March......will contact them.....

Originally Posted by Rushy

I gave my friendly AO a gentle reminder yesterday that it is four months since I submitted a renewal application and as yet I have not heard diddly squat from anyone. My license expires in six months so I will be ramping up the frequency of contact shortly as I definitely subscribe to the squeaky wheel theory.

Good luck cuz,

Mine took 11 months and 10 days, from my interview in late February, to it appearing in my letter box. These people are beyond useless.
After six months they provided me with an email to cover me in case I was stopped on the road or for purchases etc. Up until then they wouldn’t do anything.

Turn time in Christchurch, 5-6 weeks.......

B

Originally Posted by Rushy

I gave my friendly AO a gentle reminder yesterday that it is four months since I submitted a renewal application and as yet I have not heard diddly squat from anyone. My license expires in six months so I will be ramping up the frequency of contact shortly as I definitely subscribe to the squeaky wheel theory.

They are overloaded in Otago, did my interview on boxing day because they had a free slot.

Originally Posted by Rushy

I gave my friendly AO a gentle reminder yesterday that it is four months since I submitted a renewal application and as yet I have not heard diddly squat from anyone. My license expires in six months so I will be ramping up the frequency of contact shortly as I definitely subscribe to the squeaky wheel theory.

@Rushy who do you contact to get the AO name?

Manukau Police station have an AO stationed there, call him/her?

Police website has a list of AO contacts & districts https://www.police.govt.nz/advice-se...ontact-details