Australian Customs factsheets [Archive]

The Camo Kid

21-12-2008, 08:09 PM

ok i was looking through the australian customs website, just doing some research into what is actually involved in importation of paintball markers and stumbled across these information sheets.

I would strongly urge all players to buy locally, from licensed paintball shops for equipment, markers and accessories which are already available within Australia......mainly because it it easier and certain paintball markers have been banned due to some individual trying to save some money and importing them themselves.

however i thought i would post up this information for those who are trying to get in some equipment, which would be legal here in Australia but isnt carried by existing pro shops

Importing of Paintball Marker Fact Sheet (http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/ImportingPaintballMarkers.pdf)

Importation of Category A firearms Fact Sheet (http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/ImportingCatA-BFirearms.pdf)

Importation of firearms parts and accessories factsheet (http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/ImportingFirearmPartsAccess.pdf)

State weapons licensing branch contact sheet (http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/FirearmsWeaponsContacts.pdf)

JSC_Liason_neo

21-12-2008, 09:43 PM

I 2nd that, it took me 4 months to get approval for all the paperwork for my Phantom
also
you need Department of Defense approval

bubba

21-12-2008, 10:51 PM

Anyone notice the words about paintball pistols in the first factsheet? O_o

HeDsHoTz

21-12-2008, 11:38 PM

Trapper

22-12-2008, 12:27 AM

you wouldn't get shut down for a tac 8 as it resembles a perfectly legal semi auto pistol, the problem with pistols has been and will always be that nobody is rated to use them on a field and the legalities of owning a pistol of any sort these days. This is the reason there needs to be a seperate licence for paintball altogether away from regular firearms

PR4ETORIAN

11-10-2009, 10:08 PM

You mean the fact that it only restricts the importation of markers resembling automatic pistols, and therefore markers resembling semi-automatic pistols should be allowed through?

Yeah I noticed. But i'm sure they'd shut you down real quick if you tried to get permission for a tac8.

Dont forget that in that legislation it also states any marker that looks like it could be a real firearm is not to be permitted also.
:armed:

Hornet Driver

11-10-2009, 10:56 PM

Ladies and gents, not to disparage the work that Richard has put in here, but if you are in any way unsure, ask the closest established PAINTBALL dealer/field/shop to you for their advice first!

These people have working relationships with Customs and are usually up to speed as it is part of their business' survival to be so.

Read the sheets, accept that they're going to be dubious, and that very indecision should automatically have you erring on the side of caution. :thumbsup:

dono

26-10-2009, 07:38 PM

so what if the pistol was a different colour?

and being in NSW what if you have a Cat H licence as well?

And does anyone know what needs to be done to get paintball into its own classification?

I know that seems all a bit too much, but it wasnt long ago that the paintball community managed to get 16 as the approved age in NSW. So do we need to get some politician invovled, or is it more of the atterney generals job.

Hornet Driver

26-10-2009, 08:18 PM

so what if the pistol was a different colour?

and being in NSW what if you have a Cat H licence as well? - if I'm not mistaken - and please correct me if I'm wrong - the location where you intend to shoot the Cat H firearm must be licenced to allow you to shoot Cat H firearms.

And does anyone know what needs to be done to get paintball into its own classification? - In QLD, we have the PB1 classification. Not sure of the equivalent in NSW.

I know that seems all a bit too much, but it wasnt long ago that the paintball community managed to get 16 as the approved age in NSW. So do we need to get some politician invovled, or is it more of the attorney generals job.

The entire sport would need an overhaul I believe...

National standardization - of everything. You name it, standardize it.
Proper paintball-specific firearms training, so that we weren't lumbered in with the Cat A classification, and subject to the same rules
Training on high-pressure air safety and use, and similar training for liquid CO2 (and perhaps N2 if we ever intend to use it)
Add your suggestion here...

We would need to build a good business case to prove that there is enough interest in the sport, and the potential to generate enough interest from the general public to warrant administration of Paintball as a separate entity.
Also you would have to convince the ruling powers in every state and territory that Paintball is safe. Try doing that is Tasmania.

We could go on for ever. There is nothing stopping us drawing up a game plan, based on advice from the relevant department, but as soon as that department is run by a different government, then all those rules go out the window and just when you've got your shite together and you go to the relevant department, they'll say..."Sorry, you were given incorrect information by the previous administration..."

Sorry to be a pessimist kids, but I can't call it any other way than how I see it. :cry:

dono

26-10-2009, 08:28 PM

The entire sport would need an overhaul I believe...

National standardization - of everything. You name it, standardize it.
Proper paintball-specific firearms training, so that we weren't lumbered in with the Cat A classification, and subject to the same rules
Training on high-pressure air safety and use, and similar training for liquid CO2 (and perhaps N2 if we ever intend to use it)
Add your suggestion here...

We would need to build a good business case to prove that there is enough interest in the sport, and the potential to generate enough interest from the general public to warrant administration of Paintball as a separate entity.
Also you would have to convince the ruling powers in every state and territory that Paintball is safe. Try doing that is Tasmania.

We could go on for ever. There is nothing stopping us drawing up a game plan, based on advice from the relevant department, but as soon as that department is run by a different government, then all those rules go out the window and just when you've got your shite together and you go to the relevant department, they'll say..."Sorry, you were given incorrect information by the previous administration..."

Sorry to be a pessimist kids, but I can't call it any other way than how I see it. :cry:

I have to say that i do agree with all of this. but at some stage we need to start something. you mentioned that you have PB1 in QLD, is that a seperate cat for you guys?

obviously i have noticed that most states are coming together, but what is required for someone to do something about this. I would think that most of the paintball community now days would have to be massive now. more people have played the sport and dont think there is anything wrong with it. certainly even the police force aren't as notorious as there were before. (I havent heard many stories over the years).

Most of that would have to come from the professional nature of the current paintball owners, adhering to the current laws.

Does anyone have a legal back ground and knows what is required

Wiked8

27-10-2009, 10:53 PM

When ever i speak to my local plod, they are of the opinion that Paintball is definately over scrutinised, they are more worried about illegal guns , pistols and military weapons that are turning up all over the country lately, then our little paint throwing toys.

SwAmP tHiNg

28-10-2009, 07:49 AM

Taco005

08-02-2010, 04:08 PM

I know this is an old thread but has any thing changed in the laws since this thread was posted?

And has anyone recently tryed to change the laws?

I mean i don't see a problem with the replica paint guns to be honest (I'm shore some one will find something wrong with that statement) but i mean what if we did what they do to air soft and safety tapped the barrels? and just make it if its fired with out that on then you get in trouble and for the [ pistols you could make the top slider blue (ive seen theses online) that would let you know its not real.and make it as said before a separate license to own these the importing of REAL guns of this nature would still be illegal, Because i can see were the problems with that would occur...

so any information on the laws and if someone is going to try and change the laws i would be all for it

Hornet Driver

08-02-2010, 06:21 PM

Taco, think about why there are laws prohibiting importing something that LOOKS - key word there - LOOKS like a real gun...

We aren't talking about the operation of the thing.
It is an issue of it looking real enough to get your local servo attendant crapping his/her dacks if you are stupid enough to shove it in their face.

Firearm laws aren't there solely for the purpose of regulating us.
They're there for the protection of the public.

The pistols you've seen with blue slides fire simmunition.
These rounds are the same size and calibre as the real ammunition, but fly at a significantly reduced velocity.
However, as an example, a Glock simmunition firearm fires the rounds at a muzzle velocity of approximately 450 fps.
That is still able to do significant damage.

The fact that the colour blue is universally recognized as the colour to indicate something as inert is not a fact that is known by Joe Blow down the street.

As for something being safety (I'm guessing you meant...) taped, the whole idea is that modification of a firearm, or part of a firearm isn't easy without significant modification.
Putting tape around something doesn't really qualify as "significant modification" in my mind.
If it did, then half the cars in my neighbourhood would need modification plates from Queensland Transport. :hammer:

And sorry dude; I have no idea if there's been modifications to the fact sheets.
Not to take the piss in any way, shape or form, but would you mind having a look at this on the net and reporting back what the most up-to-date versions of the relevant regulations are so that if there is differences, we can ensure we update this?

dono

08-02-2010, 11:27 PM

Its interesting how we look at things and how the public sees things. I was reading the other day that 90% of hold-ups and firearms related crimes are from illegal firearms.

This is also due to people having more gun theft, and then those being used in crimes. statistics that I was reading have also indicated that people are alot more diligent with there lockup procedures since 2001. which has also decrease the number of firearms related crimes.

This all being said, until there is more uniformity in our laws across Aus, and Paintball having its own Firearms Classification, then alot of the things we want wont be available. I for one would love to get a Tiberius T9 Elite, as do alot of others, but this isnt going to happen all that quickly. I am all for having paintball markers licensed, as I do know that there are still alot of really stupid people out there.

That being said I still think that if people are going to go to the lengths of robbing someone, then they will get something for real, as im sure they would be cheaper or they would just use a knife.

In saying all that though, its interesting to see that we havent had any paintball related crimes here. And there have been no incidents in Aus that I know of that caused any major problems for Paintball. The only issue that really stands at this stage, is one: public opinion and two: old laws that need to be re-addressed.

Most cases its people reading something and how they interrupt that information. Unless you want to get a job in the firearms registry and make changes from there, then at this stage its no use.

Last point here I promise. It will greatly depend on what state you are in. Have a look at the current laws for your state, and as Hornet always says, ask your local Paintball Pro Shop for there info. They deal with Firearms and Customs all the time. Here is an example of firearms laws, Qld has a minimum length for firearms (75cm) and Nsw doesnt.

Here is a question for you though, can a pistol or rifle look anything other than a pistol or rifle? A gun will always look like another gun, unless it is full military.

Hornet I never noticed the link you have at the bottom of your sig, but thats gold

wadesty

09-02-2010, 12:06 AM

I have a hopper stuck in customs right now!....thats right a hopper!

HeDsHoTz

09-02-2010, 12:16 AM

Most hoppers will require a b709 to pass Customs.

Wiked8

09-02-2010, 01:16 AM

"Cant have a car type stock becuase it can be fitted to a realM4/16!",bugger didnt know Target had them back in stock again.:lol:

( that was the statement i got from Customs the other day when i relinquished my TM15 A5 stock sigh):cry:

Hornet Driver

09-02-2010, 10:14 AM

Dono, there is paintball-related crime.
We've got a section in Bill's purely for theft of markers.

I also remember one field having their shopfront hit by a drive-by style attack.

Yes, it's a drive-by with markers on a Paintball field, but nonetheless, it is an attack with a firearm.
I take your point that firearms that fire bullets or shells will always be taken far more seriously by the constabulary, as should be the case.
If we want to move towards uniformity of laws for all states, then there are two steps I believe we should be taking right now:

Legalisation of Paintball in Tasmania, and this is already being worked on quite heavily, and
Starting the conversation right now with participants in all states about coming up with one set of laws, negotiated amongst ourselves, that are a good fit for every state.

If we can get this second point going, then I firmly believe that winning over the last remaining state - Tasmania - will be much easier as they will see themselves as being behind the times; a very valid argument to influence those in government in Tasmania.

But...we are straying off topic here.
I will raise this point elsewhere...

Edit: Dono: glad you like my sig. mate.

Hornet Driver

09-02-2010, 10:16 AM

I have a hopper stuck in customs right now!....thats right a hopper!

Sorry to double-post kids, but...

Wadesty, consider that a B709A is needed to import any part of a firearm that is integral to the operation of the firearm.
A hopper is, for all intents and purposes, a magazine, as it holds the "ammunition" for our "firearms".

Why did you import yourself mate? Wasn't there a local option available?

rubixcube

09-02-2010, 10:35 AM

Last time I checked The Queensland Weapons Categories Regulation 1997 (http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/legisltn/current/w/weaponscatr97.pdf) state:

Category R weapons
Each of the following is a category R weapon—
(a) a machine gun or submachine gun that is fully automatic
in its operation and actuated by energy developed when
it is being fired or has multiple revolving barrels, and
any replica or facsimile of a machine gun or submachine
gun that is not a toy;

If your marker bears too close of a resemblance to a machine, or submachine gun (a.k.a. assault rifle) it can/will be classed as a category R firearm. If you don't have the appropriate license, you will be charged, fined, possibly imprisoned and you will lose it. The only way that this will change, is if paintball markers are declassified, and are classed as toys. In the U.K. the laws were eased with regards to markers, and how they looked. Basically you can own whatever you want. The U.K. Home Office handles statistics on gun crime, and it shows that crimes involving paintball markers were up significantly after they eased the laws. Although logic dictates that criminals would prefer to use a real gun in a crime, in reality criminals are basically lazy and will use whatever is handy. If that happens to be a marker that bears a very close resemblance to an m4/m16/ak47, pistol, then they will use that.

In conclusion, I very much doubt that the laws here will be eased to any great extent in the near future. Regardless that the vast majority of paintball marker owners are conscientious, the law-makers will not see a need to change the laws to ease these restrictions, as the changes that many are seeking are in fact only superficial, or cosmetic. We can still play paintball without these changes.

Taco005

09-02-2010, 10:13 PM

I see your point that was just idea to show there not real guns. but what if the guns were sill pressurized at the same limit now of a max 300psi (i think) but had a permanent part that showed it wasn't a real gun i.e. the blue sliders or orange barrels or something similar as for the laws to import Paint Markers are:

That link is for customs from here web site that was updated on 10 september 2009

http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/ImportingSoftAirBB.pdf

there was also a link for importing BB guns don they do more damage then a paint gun and don't they all look like real guns?

http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/ImportingSoftAirBB.pdf

Any Extra info on this will be helpful I'm sorry if i may have drifted off topic

wadesty

09-02-2010, 10:27 PM

Sorry to double-post kids, but...

Wadesty, consider that a B709A is needed to import any part of a firearm that is integral to the operation of the firearm.
A hopper is, for all intents and purposes, a magazine, as it holds the "ammunition" for our "firearms".

Why did you import yourself mate? Wasn't there a local option available?

got heaps of gear from US befor xmas when the dollar was the shit! the hopper was the iceing LD 2010 rotor very cheep!:clap: the tast went sour when it did'nt arive on time and found it was held in customs, hopefully will be geting B709A from police this week then get my very late crissy prezz:bigparty:brought a hopper from US years ago it was not a problem! to be continued,,,,,

Hornet Driver

09-02-2010, 10:51 PM

Fair enough mate.

The lack of consistency around importation of anything Paintball is so rife now that I honestly don't think the saving is worth the hassle.

See how you feel after your hopper ordeal is through, whether that be in a positive or a negative way.
I hope all goes well for you mate.

Taco, I see your point about having something on a firearm to inform the general public that it's not "real", but honestly, you're depending on every member of the general public knowing what that detail is, or some sort of public education program to inform them of this detail.

Ultimately, I have to say that if you don't like having to jump through the hoops to get the licence, to wait the cooling off period before you purchase your first firearm, and then having the restriction on what you can purchase, then you don't want to play the sport bad enough.
I firmly believe that the way that those hoops filter out the dickheads is not only effective, but good for the sport.

By the way, it is damn easy to over-chrone a marker.
Sheeit, I've seen 98s and Pro Carbs shoot 400 fps easily.

I once had a bit of a competition with a fellow ref as to see how quick we could chrone an Inferno; I think we got up to about 420 before it started rapid firing... :D

rubixcube

10-02-2010, 12:00 AM

A paintball marker can do quite a bit of damage when handled improperly. If chrono'd too high a paintball marker can break skin (as can a b.b. gun). If eye protection is not used, or is faulty, it will destroy an eye even at normal operating muzzle velocities. I personally have seen a person who was temporarily blinded when a paintball hit them on the eyebrow. This person was very lucky to not lose their eye.

The classification of firearms falls under the purview of the Attorney General's Office. For more detailed information it might be wise to write to them and ask. We can speculate, and give our interpretation as to why a law/classification was given, or what it means, but only the Attorney General's office will be able to give you the official answer. When an official ruling is required, that ruling will come from that office. If you are truly curious, I would suggest contacting your State's (or Federal) Attorney General's Office and asking them your questions. Once you have received your answer, please let us know what they said, as I for one would be very curious to read what they have to say on the matter.:thumbsup:

Since a paintball marker is a firearm, we must obey all of the applicable laws and regulations. The way I see things, the only way to ease regulations will be to have them classed as toys. I don't believe that this will happen, and I'm glad that it won't be. The hoops that we must go through, help keep the nit-wits, and fools from owning paintball markers. True it doesn't offer us the freedom that the Yanks have when it comes to 'tarting' up a marker, but it's a trade-off I'm willing to live with. As I mentioned in my previous post, mil-sim add-ons are cosmetic and superficial in nature. I realise that true mil-sim does enhance some people's gaming experience, however the game can still be played without it.

I once had a bit of a competition with a fellow ref as to see how quick we could chrono an Inferno; I think we got up to about 420 before it started rapid firing...

I do believe it also started to spray a nice fine mist out of the barrel too.:lol::evil:armed:

Taco005

10-02-2010, 07:46 AM

Yer i see you points in your arguments I'm more then happy to use the guns that we are aloud to have but it just seems to me such a narrow field to choose from and but i do see your point id rather be playing with a bunch of guys who wont take it to far because they have a replica gun. Thanks for clearing that up but i still don't understand the customs sheet dose that mean i can import a fully auto marker? or burst?

Hornet Driver

10-02-2010, 09:09 AM

No on both counts Taco.

Any fully automatic firearm is illegal, whether it be a marker or an assult rifle.
Burst fire weapons - from memory - are the same.

You may sometimes see markers that have such burst fire modes on them, but believe me when I say to you that they are ILLEGAL!
Ramping modes, burst fire modes etc. etc. are illegal, and if you know someone who has a marker that has such a mode on it, you have a responsibility to not only yourself, but all of us in this sport in Australia to make it clear to them that they are breaking the law.

There are those that will keep nice and quiet about this point, and of those people you should be most wary.

dono

10-02-2010, 12:00 PM

Here is an interesting one about Customs that I have just come across.

They have the ability to decide how to classify every paintball marker that comes into the country. Nsw firearms laws say that by definition anything that shoots an article known as a paintball, is a paintball marker. However if customs believe a particular marker is either an assault rifle or pistol then that is how it is it will be classified. even though it is still a paintball marker and behaves like one. In the case of a pistol, they dont even have a class, as they are a high calibre (0.68) and to be perfectly honest I dont think they would even exist. Basically they can classify anything the way they want to, even if it means deliberately making it fall under another category.

Also when I mentioned paintball crimes, I wasnt really talking about theft, it was more about the drive-by thing someone mentioned, and stupid stuff like that.

Also someone made a point about the UK relaxing their laws for paintball and crimes have gone up. from what it was stated, they went from being a firearm to being a toy. I totally think we need paintball to still be a firearm and still make it so you have to jump through the hoops. What I dont understand is how, the law abiding paintball person shouldnt be allowed to have whatever paintball setup they like and still have it registered. We are not running around in the middle of the city playing our games. We are on paintball fields, playing the game we love. I for one an not about to go around doing something stupid or in the wrong manner, as im sure all of us wouldnt.

rubixcube

11-02-2010, 08:41 AM

To HD QFT :thumbsup::respekt:

To Dono that's right Customs (& the AG) can decide to classify things the way they want to. It usually comes from either a query from the police, or someone tries to import something that Customs/Police isn't sure should be let in.

We are not running around in the middle of the city playing our games. We are on paintball fields, playing the game we love. I for one an not about to go around doing something stupid or in the wrong manner, as im sure all of us wouldnt.

Thankfully you are correct in this. However it must be said that the more people that get markers, the higher the probability that some nit-wit decides after 1 too many wobblypops (:beer:), or Bundy's that their neighbourhood park might make a damn fine sup-air/bushball field ... or that the neighbours cat/dog/etc is pissing them off just that little bit too much and ...:armed: or they've watched youtube once too often about the stupid idiots and then think that a drive-by, or that they should try shooting an apple off the top of their mates head (without proper eye protection as well) would be a super fun idea ...:no: Unfortunately the U.K. found this out the hard way.:thumbsdow

To Taco if you are looking for a marker, I would strongly suggest that you look to buy from a dealer here in Australia. Not only will you get it quicker, but you also help keep Australians in a job, and save yourself the major hassle of trying to understand bureaucratese, and legal gobbledegook. One last thing, as Dono pointed out, the AG and Customs can change things without consultation. These changes will affect the rest of us in the paintballing community adversely.

Thanks to all of the players in the paintball community who do the right thing, and follow the laws. :thumbsup::respekt:

dono

12-02-2010, 07:16 PM

hey guys further information just received from Customs about Importing Paintball Pistols. Before flaming me about this please just read, I understand some people dont like them, but here is.

A Senior customers agent is looking into some statements, about how they process these items. According to NSW firearms, they dont have an issue with paintball pistols, as in our firearms laws state, that anything that shoots an article known as a paintball, is a paintball marker.

However Customs dictate this as in my previous post, and decide that it falls under the Cat H high calibre. However such a category does not exist for anything over .50, except for paintballs. So in saying that there is no category that they can place them in, except for the paintball class that we already have.

Basically because there is no pistol category that exists for that calibre, they cannot be classified as a pistol. which means they are still a paintball marker. NSW firearms have also stated something along these lines, and although Customs can dictate how they classify them, they cannot create a class that doesnt exist. For them to be illegal right now they can only be classified as a paintball marker, which falls under our licenses in NSW.

With all that said, the question was asked how they are an issue when being used for the correct purpose and being registered in the correct way. As even a person can still own a real pistol through the correct licenses. Now im not in anyway a legal person, but I know that there are some that are looking at this very thing and finding a way in which we can get all our laws the same.

I did also want to ask the question, if we (the paintball community) were to get someone with a legal background to try a push a change. wouldnt that get us what we wanted faster?

Hornet Driver

12-02-2010, 07:58 PM

Good work on following that through Dono. Well done for that.

I see your point about uniformity, and for pushing a change.
However, I ask you to consider the following issues;

Firstly, as we are indeed trying to push for uniformity you need to consider that as N.S.W. doesn't have the ruling that a marker needs to be at least 750 mm minimum length, if pistol legalization were to come through in N.S.W. it would be moving us further away from national uniformity.
I can only speak for Queensland insofar as that we have this minimum length issue. I'm not sure if it is in place in other states/territories, but if we are looking at uniformity for all states/territories, it seems logical to think that any national standard is going to err on the side of caution and demand that either there be a minimum length of a marker, or that pistols are an absolute no no.

Also, consider that Customs is federal.
The one line that you must be wary not to blur is the line between Customs
and State Firearms.

Customs enforce federal law.

If N.S.W. Firearms doesn't have a problem with pistols, then that is fantastic for them; they can sleep soundly at night knowing they're paying lip service to the needs/wants of the Paintball community, all the while knowing they're not going to have to worry about Paintball pistols because the federal boys will not allow them in.

Now, as crazy Randy has said above, any Paintball marker can still render a human being permanently disabled/deformed if used incorrectly (ref. YouTube dickheads shooting at each other with no facial protection) and a Paintball pistol is no different. In fact, to Joe Blow general public they are infinitely more dangerous because you can sneak right up to someone and put it against their eye socket without them having any prior warning that you are wielding a firearm.

If you will, please consider that the reason that in Queensland we have a minimum length restriction on markers is that if they are at least 750 mm long, they are not considered concealable.
Even though N.S.W. doesn't have such a restriction, regular paintball markers still fall under Category A/B, which, by definition, is a longarm.
Pistols will always be considered concealable, because they are.

Keep it simple; if it looks like a pistol, shoots like a pistol, and can be hidden like a pistol, then Customs will always consider it a pistol.
The caliber isn't going to enter into it - at least as far as I can fathom - and you're always going to have to have a Category H licence, and only be allowed to shoot it on a range that is approved for shooting Category H firearms.
Most, if not all Paintball fields are going to be licenced to shoot Category H firearms on them because it's going to take a little more than a couple of layers of netting to stop a pistol round.

rubixcube

13-02-2010, 08:48 AM

Good work Dono. :thumbsup: A very interesting reply by Customs, and the Police. Just wondering, did you email, or did you speak to them, because it does make a difference. If you spoke to them, then it is one person's opinion, and it's basically unofficial. They can change their minds to suit whatever they decide to do in the future. If the reply was emailed, then that's a bit different, because it can be considered a semi-official response.

If it was an emailed response from the Attorney General (both Federal and State) then I would be more optimistic that these items would be allowed into the country. I say this because the AG is the final say. In their reply to you, they mention that these pistols don't really fall into a class, so they most likely would send a query to the AG for a final ruling should someone try to import one. That could take awhile, and could end up costing some money. Especially if they decide that they are prohibited.

If you check out the firearms regulations page (http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Firearmsregulation_Firearmsregulation) of the Australian Attorney General's Office you'll find a line that most likely will be the main stopping point.

The key elements of Australia’s regulatory controls on firearms are:

* prohibitions on fully and semi automatic long arms, with their use restricted primarily to military, police or government purposes;
* prohibitions on sporting shooters possessing, owning, using, purchasing or importing high powered, concealable handguns;

As you mentioned in your reply they don't have a class for high calibre handguns. I think the reason for this is that they may be prohibited. Although a paintball marker isn't high powered, it is in a calibre that is. Splitting hairs I know, but that's what lawyers and bureaucrats get paid to do . :hammer:

As Hornet mentioned, it would not be allowed here in Qld due to our length restrictions here. This might have a bearing on how any possible ruling would come down from the AG.

Oh one last thing. The reason that I constantly bring up the AG, is because that office has the final say. You've done some great due-diligence, :respekt: and checked with all of the "lower" authorities, but when push comes to shove, they will run home to mummy and ask the AG for the final word.

mmacdonald

19-10-2010, 11:42 PM

I'm heading into Melbourne in January, I have a feeling that I shouldn't even bother trying to get my Phenom in :\. I'm guessing that even breaking it down and mailing it would be a bad move :\.

mmacdonald

19-10-2010, 11:59 PM

SwAmP tHiNg

20-10-2010, 09:23 AM

Still, not to be offensive, but living in a country where a 10 year old can carry a souped up phenom or TM7 or whatever into an unregulated park and fire off at 30bpm all these precautions and arguments just seem silly. Most likely I will take my 10 year old nephew out in a couple weeks once I get the X-Board mod for my Phenom, upgrade my cyclone, and put the 8" Lapco with Apex tip on, and 70ci Ninja CF tank, and let him go wild with it set at 35bpm just to see how the thing does, and to let him have fun for about 3 seconds until the hopper runs out :\. It's paintball :\. Oh well, I've been in Aus, and I still love it, lol. Just seems kind of silly to me is all.

okay, now what would happen in your part of the world if you had to add in some booze, a few mates, a little more booze, a pick up truck, and then a wanton urge to do a "drive by" for fun?? would the rest of your community take kindly to that??

still, just a question, and not to be offensive

DWI

21-10-2010, 11:47 PM

Even though N.S.W. doesn't have such a restriction, regular paintball markers still fall under Category A/B, which, by definition, is a longarm.
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Regular paintball markers dont really fall under the A/B category. Im a "paintball permit" holder in NSW.
A paintball permit is a paintball licence here in NSW. Its called a permit because its not officially a licence(although the difference between a firearm licence and a paintball permit are basically nonexistent). BUT the paintball permit here is a bit of a joke. To get your paintball permit you must call the firearms registry and ask them to send out the paperwork. then do the firearms safety course (which I think is a joke because you do the same test as a firearms licence holder ie: dont point a gun/marker at anyone.) I have had a firearms licence since I was 16 (junior permit then full licence when I turned 18) and paintball permit for almost 5 years now.
and these licences/permits are COMPLETELY separate. The paintball permit is actually a prohibited weapons permit-category paintball
The storage regulaions are also different. an A+B category safe will be adequate for a pump action paintball marker, but semi auto must be in a C+D category safe. its funny, because my pump action .308 is legal (and registered) and can sit in an old school brownbuilt locker (old crappy school locker) BUT my Etek3, PMR and A5s MUST be in a safe that is harder to break into than fort knox. maybe a little off topic, but there you go