Thread: NZ Police Press release

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Sights on imported airguns and military style firearms in new gun laws | New Zealand Police

Sights on imported airguns and military style firearms in new gun laws
Friday, 6 December 2013 - 2:22pm
National News

Police welcome new laws coming into effect next week that place import restrictions on some airguns and clarify the definition of military style semi-automatic firearms.

The Arms (Military Style Semi-automatic Firearms and Import Controls) Amendment Act was passed in 2012 and comes into effect on 11 December 2013.

It creates a new category of airgun – the restricted airgun. A restricted airgun is an airgun (with or without any of its attachments) that either:

has the appearance of being a pistol, restricted weapon, or military style semi-automatic firearm (MSSA), or;
is designed for use in airsoft or paintball sports and has the appearance of being a firearm capable of full automatic fire.

From Wednesday next week (11 December), anyone importing restricted airguns will require an import permit from Police. Police will need to be satisfied that there are special reasons for allowing them to be imported into New Zealand before they issue a permit.

Inspector Joe Green, Police Manager for Arms Control, says Police welcomes the amendment, which will help to address the proliferation of airguns that look like real pistols, restricted weapons and military style firearms. "This includes air soft guns which many people commonly think of as toys – although they are anything but," he says.

"Police have attended many incidents where these so-called 'toys' have been used to commit violent crime, or have been used to intimidate people, sometimes causing serious injury."

The law change also modifies the type of pistol grip that will make a semi-automatic rifle a MSSA.

From next week, some formerly A-category semi-automatic firearms will become MSSAs because of their free-standing pistol grip.

"What this means is that come 11 December, affected individuals need to either remove the grip and replace it with a stock of the appropriate A-category type; dispose of the weapon to a person with a Police permit to procure; or apply to Police for an endorsement permitting them to own that particular MSSA. Police are allowing firearms owners a lead in period (until 11 June 2014) to act," Mr Green says.

Police has communicated the upcoming changes with gun shop owners, gun clubs, hunting organisations and other interest groups.

ENDS

Police media contact: Ross Henderson, ph 04 470 7316 or 021 192 2919.

More information for firearms owners:

Military style semi-automatic (MSSA) firearms pamphlet (PDF, 2.2MB)

Application for an “E” Endorsement (Military Style Semi-automatic Firearm – s.30B Arms Act 1983) - POL 67H (PDF, 104.05 KB)

Application to Make Endorsement Specific for a Military Style Semi-automatic Firearm - POL 67X (PDF, 97.54 KB)


Further background: New Zealand's arms control regime

The New Zealand arms control regime is centred on the licensing of individuals as fit and proper persons to possess firearms.

Those who wish to possess pistols, restricted weapons or military style semi automatic firearms (MSSAs) may apply for an endorsement on their firearms licence. In order to have the endorsement granted, they must demonstrate that they are both fit and proper and have cause to possess that firearm. The issuing of any such endorsement is subject to any direction from the Commissioner of Police.

Pistols, restricted weapons and MSSAs may only be sold or supplied to a person holding a permit to procure issued by a member of Police. Individuals are required to confirm having taken possession of these firearms where such a permit has been issued. Police use information from the permit process to record the details of the pistol, restricted weapon or MSSA against the person’s firearms licence.

As at May 2013, there were 237,684 registered firearms license holders in New Zealand. Of these, 13,743 held special endorsements relating to 51,834 firearms. Included in the special endorsement category are various collectors, target pistol and MSSA owners, as well as restricted firearms dealers.
Special reason criteria to import a pistol, restricted weapon, MSSA, or part thereof (from 11 December 2013)

Under s.18 of the Arms Act 1983 (the Act), before an application for a permit to import a pistol, military style semi-automatic firearm (MSSA) or restricted weapon can be granted, the Commissioner of Police must "first be satisfied there are special reasons why the pistol, military-style semi-automatic firearm or parts… should be allowed into New Zealand".

The words "special reason" are wide, comprehensive and flexible, meaning a broad range of matters may be taken into account. A special reason is a reason which sets it apart from the usual reasons which might be offered in such cases. Circumstances which in one case would be special reasons, in another case might not be such. Each application will be considered on its merits.

The case for a special reason is put by the applicant in writing with appropriate detail. Because the special reason is required as to why the item should be allowed into New Zealand, the application should also address the reasons why the item needs to be brought into the country and whether the same item is already available in New Zealand.

Subject to the Arms Act 1983, Arms Regulations 1992, and that an individual holds a firearms licence bearing the requisite endorsement, the accompanying table sets out examples of some reasons Police consider within the ambit of 'special reasons' for the purposes of s.18 of the Act.
Examples of some reasons Police consider within the ambit of "special reasons" for the purposes of s.18 Arms Act 1983

NOTE: In addition, for all applications, need to demonstrate the item is not readily available in New Zealand.

Restricted airgun

(no firearms licence required other than by dealer)


Possible special reason for import

Restricted airgun


The individual applying for the permit:

seeks to possess the restricted airgun as part of a collection, and demonstrates that it fits with and enhances an existing collection, or
participates in an identifiable shooting discipline or sport at an incorporated sports club with rules encouraging safe and legal use of firearms/airguns and a range certified for the shooting activity and intends to use the restricted airgun in an event at that sports club,

or
wishes to use the restricted airgun in a capacity equivalent to that described in section 29(2)(e) of the Arms Act 1983 ('theatrical purposes'), or
wishes to replace an unsafe or unserviceable restricted airgun, or
requires the restricted airgun for occupational purposes, or
the individual applying for the permit to import demonstrates the special significance of that particular restricted airgun as an heirloom or memento, or
a dealer needs to import restricted airguns for the purposes of maintaining a stock of restricted airguns used for an identifiable shooting discipline or sport, or
a dealer is importing the restricted airgun as agent for an individual who has a special reason for importing that item, or
a dealer wishes to replace an unsafe or unserviceable restricted airgun.

I note the new "special reasons" for the import of the new "restricted airguns" seem to want things restricted to shooting ranges only.

Oh how this country has changed. Sadly, I don't think for the better. There is nothing (never has been anything) to fear in a firearm (sporting or military). There is everything (always has been) to fear in people who lack the training, the discipline or the soundness of mind to use them safely.

As the local cop said, in his station about two cops like and used firearms, the rest were shit scared of them. There's the change, it's called education, but we get paranoid police

This the same drongo on the Graf boys dvd saying rifles do not need scopes. Enuff said.

This is the beginning of the end. New Zealand has had sensible gun laws for far to long now. The uneducated minority and do- gooders will influence law change until it becomes just like Australia and beyond...

Cause we'd hate to take people that legitimately own and use all types and classes of firearms and have them decide the rules, because they'd all be bias. Instead we use law makers who in theory think they know all, but think firearms kill people

I cut my teeth on airguns as a lil lad. Under supervision and with a boot to collect my bum if I was stupid. Its a pitty many of the young to be may miss out on a great educational tool due to needing a special reason. As many basic airguns are now designed with plastic and will look like a semi etc so they will be restricted and need a special reason to import.

The airsoft replica's are the items being used to hold up dairys etc by idiots. These idiots dont relise that the Police dont know they are holding a replica and so will respond with 9mm or 223. I guess the idiots will learn very soon once the lead starts flying.

Again fools ruin it for the majority.

Littledog, the 'idiots' won't learn soon or later. What will happen is that once they do get shot at (if ever), the retaliation will be with illegally imported auto weapons. This holds true in many countries.
Guns don't kill, people do though. The erosion of the ability for law abiding people to make normal sane decisions is the issue here. Certainly not the outlawing of a 30 round magazine,a free standing hand grip on either an airgun or AK 47.

Crime is always the excuse used for a clamp down

Slightly different view here (haha, big surprise). Wonder how many of the "outraged" folks on here have had firearms (including extremely realistic looking replica/toys) pointed at them...

I've had, and believe me its a pretty sobering experience if you dont know whether you'll be going home to your family at the end of a shift.

I dislike toy guns with a passion, and have no problem with them being restricted. IMHO toy firearms teach kids/teenagers exactly the wrong lessons about firearms safety.

I'm far from being outraged that replica firearms are banned. What riles me though, is that a wayward element use them in crimes. As mentioned earlier it all comes down to education,discipline and proper parenting. We all had toy cap guns as kids and it never turned any of us 60's kids into raving bloody lunatics with a gun.

If we don't voice a logical opinion each time the law is changed with regard firearms, eventually we will be denied ownership completely and wonder why it all happened.

I guess I qualify as been on the receiving end of guns,knives,grenades etc. In a previous life I was a soldier and a policeman in the darkest Africa. Never pretty.

Originally Posted by misfire

This is the beginning of the end.

Sounds outraged to me

Originally Posted by misfire

We all had toy cap guns as kids and it never turned any of us 60's kids into raving bloody lunatics with a gun.

Like it or not, we are no longer living in that era, times have changed... Back in the day you could get onto an airliner with a pistol tucked in your belt, and light up a smoke

Originally Posted by misfire

If we don't voice a logical opinion each time the law is changed with regard firearms, eventually we will be denied ownership completely and wonder why it all happened.

I'd rather see informed comment about specific sections of new legislation. Some of it is good, some of it is bad. A knee-jerk negative reaction against ANY firearms legislation just does not make any sense to me. If I undferstand your last post correctly (the bit about replica restrictions), you and I are probably on the same page as far as that particular part of the law is concerned.

The reality is that laws (in very general terms) reflect the likes and dislikes of the majority of the population. The numbers mentioned in that press release tell the REAL story. 240K license holders = 5% of population.

14K endorsement holders = 6% of license holders, or 0.003% of population.

ebf you are correct with your math and what a sad reflection that is on the change in our society over my life time. In my youth (50's& 60's) there was a rifle (generally a shotgun .22 or 303 in every master bedroom wardrobe that I knew. My father's, uncles, grandfathers, neighbours and friends. Children were familiar with firearms, learned about their practical use (providing food for the. Family table) and used them (in my case shooting rabbits and rats). As a representative percentage of the population it surely had to be far greater than the current 5%. The thing that concerns me the most about the (clear to me) decline is that 95 in every 100 people I meet have little or no experience of the place that firearms have in our history as a nation and our cultural background / way of life as a people.

I may be alone in this concern but in a future over populated world where clean water becomes a highly sort after resource that wars will likely be waged over, it worries me that New Zealand society may have completely lost the ability to bear arms in defence of its resources.

Thank you for enlightening me. The percentages appear to add up, I must be a total idiot, outraged and living in the past (in very general terms).
My apologies.

Originally Posted by Rushy

I may be alone in this concern but in a future over populated world where clean water becomes a highly sort after resource that wars will likely be waged over, it worries me that New Zealand society may have completely lost the ability to bear arms in defence of its resources.

Sounding like spawn of Jane Fonda and Genghis Khan there Rushy, but I hear ya