****DISCLAIMER: All those reading in the free world, skip this post. Australians of the NSW persuasion READ****
Just a heads up for any potential shooters considering a modern tactical rifle in New South Wales, Australia. The Firearms Registry is currently deliberating over the ban of Desert Tech rifles. It will most likely affect the purchase of new firearms first, used firearms traded within state lines may be targeted next. I am currently fighting with them as they are refusing to provide my dealer with a rego number so I can take possession of my newest rifle, a Desert Tech SRS in 243Win. If the rifle had not been purchased interstate, I could have strolled in with my PTA and this would not have come up. But due to it being a QLD purchase, my dealer is required to lodge an application with the registry to have my specific rifle brought into the NSW system.
To conduct this ban they will be using Subsection 7 of Schedule 1 of the Firearms Act 1996 to reject my PTA. It states that a firearm is prohibited if it:
"Substantially duplicates in appearance (regardless of calibre or manner of operation) a firearm referred to in item 1, 5 or 6."
Subsection 1, 5 and 6 all refer to fully automatic and self loading firearms used for military purposes. In other words it looks scary so they've devised a handy little catch-all section to ban whatever they want.
ACT have already used identical legislation to ours, and I do mean identical even down to the wording and section/schedule number, to ban a Barret MRAD (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-26/canberra-firearm-laws-gun-refused-over-appearance/7786604). NSW will be next. If you are a New South Welshman and you're reading this, and you have a spare permit to acquire that you've been on the fence about using for a Desert Tech. DO NOT DELAY, find and acquire a DT of NSW origin and buy it, otherwise you're about to miss out as they will block further import into the state.
I am currently going through this. I stood meters away from my firearms dealer the other day as they were instructed by a registry official to use their mobile phone to take pictures of my rifle to send to the registry. It has nothing to do with length, manner of operation or anything else, only that the rifle APPEARS similar to a semi automatic.
Just a heads up for any potential shooters considering a modern tactical rifle in New South Wales, Australia. The Firearms Registry is currently deliberating over the ban of Desert Tech rifles. It will most likely affect the purchase of new firearms first, used firearms traded within state lines may be targeted next. I am currently fighting with them as they are refusing to provide my dealer with a rego number so I can take possession of my newest rifle, a Desert Tech SRS in 243Win. If the rifle had not been purchased interstate, I could have strolled in with my PTA and this would not have come up. But due to it being a QLD purchase, my dealer is required to lodge an application with the registry to have my specific rifle brought into the NSW system.
To conduct this ban they will be using Subsection 7 of Schedule 1 of the Firearms Act 1996 to reject my PTA. It states that a firearm is prohibited if it:
"Substantially duplicates in appearance (regardless of calibre or manner of operation) a firearm referred to in item 1, 5 or 6."
Subsection 1, 5 and 6 all refer to fully automatic and self loading firearms used for military purposes. In other words it looks scary so they've devised a handy little catch-all section to ban whatever they want.
ACT have already used identical legislation to ours, and I do mean identical even down to the wording and section/schedule number, to ban a Barret MRAD (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-26/canberra-firearm-laws-gun-refused-over-appearance/7786604). NSW will be next. If you are a New South Welshman and you're reading this, and you have a spare permit to acquire that you've been on the fence about using for a Desert Tech. DO NOT DELAY, find and acquire a DT of NSW origin and buy it, otherwise you're about to miss out as they will block further import into the state.
I am currently going through this. I stood meters away from my firearms dealer the other day as they were instructed by a registry official to use their mobile phone to take pictures of my rifle to send to the registry. It has nothing to do with length, manner of operation or anything else, only that the rifle APPEARS similar to a semi automatic.