My hello rant

[CroC]

Hi all!

First time poster, long time reader.

Thought I'd finally join the paintball discussion as I'm finally going to dive in to get geared up to play Paintball on a more "regular" basis.

First of all, great forum, informative and concise. Well done Bill et. al. :yes:

I've been doing a lot of research and "using the search feature" to look up what needs to be done in regards to getting setup for Paintballing on this forum and others.

i.e. Registering for a Firearms license, getting a letter of support from a local registered Paintballing venue, even looked into the Customs websites, WA Police FAQ's, and even viewed the B709 form.

I'm coming to the conclusion, that for a relatively "weekend" paintballer like myself, to be more regular, I need to jump through a few legal hoops in order to do what I enjoy.

I'm in Perth (Hi all PB'ers from Sandgroperland :bigparty: ) and I think that to import stuff from US may not be viable, especially if I'm just starting out. As cheap as it may be, I think I might be in for more headaches than I could possibly hope to deal with.

Spoke at lengths with one northern WA operator today regarding this and he advises me that it's probably not worth my while. (Thanks Jim of Xtreme Leisure!) Just get the local stores to help you get the gear from say, an Australian Paintball Pro shop like Action Paintball or Pro Paintball Shop and many others of the like.

I tend to agree. Support the local businesses! I'd rather talk with a human being that lives in this country that'll give me some decent advice than to be communicating with someone a million miles away via my computer screen.

Anyhow, I hear that in Perth, and maybe around Oz(?) that the police aren't taking any more Firearms licence applications at the moment? Is this true? So what am I to do? Wait or still get the application form in and still wait some more? It's amazing how restricted we are in this sunburnt land in terms of what we can do for recreation's sake? :(

I was reading up on the discussion regarding E-Grips and how one person reckons it's ok and the next thinks they're not and the differences between say a Tippmann E-Grip and a Response Grip. How ludicrous is that situation? (I won't go into it. Use the Search Engine!)

I just hope that one day the laws will be a little more relaxed for us Paintballers. Afterall, we're just in it for a bit of RR. Big fun toys for big boys and girls.

Anyway, I'll be sure to ask you all many more questions, like what markers and gear to get, at a later date once I get my papers in to the relevant authorities.

Anyhow, thanks for reading all of my rant. See you 'round!

CroC

:D

[ghostrider]

Welcome croc. Im sure you can start applying for a gun license at the moment as you will need to wait the mandatory 21 days. Hopefully the BS with the police is over then. :thumbsup:

[TIMMAH]

markers and pb gear are like cars. there is always someone who likes em and someone who doesnt. turn up to training days and have a look. shoot a couple.

[Albatross]

Welcome and good luck Croc. I am about 4-6 months ahead of you as far as getting into the sport, and though getting started can be a bit of a drag (though we have it a bit easier here in Qld than you do), as long as you give the Man what he wants as far as paperwork and your legal responsibilities, you should be ok:thumbsup: . And it is worth it, especially if you can find a good group of players to tag along with and learn from (and hopefully shoot in the face every once in a while) - hope the spec ops boys appreciate the plug.
Surprised Logan hasn't hit this thread, as he is a fairly vocal proponent for all types of paintball in WA. I'm sure he would have plenty of encouraging things to say as well. Hope the lords of governmental efficiency are with you :rofl:

[Hornet Driver]

Hey Croc, welcome mate.

As an addendum to what Albatross said regarding Logan, look through the members' list and check out some of your state's local ballers. They are always going to be your best source of valid advice for anything you may have to ask if it is outside the bounds of general advice and chatter.

Check out the location of all of the members who post in the threads you are reading. Use the PM function dude and hit your locals up for advice, particularly when it comes to licensing concerns. If there is one thing I have learnt in my time in this kick-ass sport so far it is that not only will you come across difference in procedures from state to state, but usually there is a fair amount of difference in procedure within the state you live in, depending on where you go to try to get licensed. On this issue I would say; make sure you know all the ins and outs before you approach your local copper to submit your forms. Usually, you'll be leading them through the process, not the other way around.

Post up mate. This is the place for it. :evil