Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hi everyone :greetings-waveyellow:, I am soon to inherit my grandfathers SMLE MK3 . As I currently don't have a gun licence I am wondering how I go about it as I want to keep the gun in the family as it has a few stories to tell.
I know I need a gun safe too keep it in but that's about as far as my knowledge goes.
I'm not interested in starting an argument about gun laws in Australia so please keep your opinions of them to yourself :hand:
Moderators. Please remove if not allowed, I understand :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Are you wanting to use it? If so you need a club or property to use it on.
If you don't (don't need ammo) then you might be able to apply for an heirloom licence. Have to check with the laws in your state. Call licencing and ask.
Not sure if you need to deactivate it with the heirloom law or not.
I would hate to have to wreck my grandfathers .22 by welding it up.

I could tell you a funny story but i better not. If you breach your license make sure you do actually breach() before destroying guns.....

Thanks for the reply Warra, I do want to use it, even if its just putting a few rounds through it every year. I would hate to weld it up and make it a wall hanger.
I have a property that I cut firewood on and the owner is ok with me doing target practice as long as I don't accidentally shoot a cow.
Would that help me?

If you dont have a criminal record there should be zero reason to knock you back.

Got any family or really good mates with a license? For one firearm that your not going to use regularly might be easier to register it thru someone else and keep it at their house in their safe.

If it’s anything like SA you will have to do a course then wait weeks for your license then wait weeks for registration etc. Reckon it was about 8 months from me putting in my application for a license to having my first gun in the safe and that was about 5 years ago.

No, you have to need it as part of running the farm

You will need to join a club most likely

Alot of my mates, granted NSW laws apply, have rifles to shoot ferrals on properties.
Family farms, mates farms friends of the family properties...
No club membership required, no annual shoot minimum attendance, just a letter from the property owner stating that they will let you shoot on their land.
Property owner have to specify what vermin they get on their property and sign the application form but pigs are prety common and some will take a 308 and keep running so a 303 will be fine.
In NSW at least.

SA you can just say target practice and don’t have to be in a club.

Handguns and semi automatic is different.

Would be nice if there were federal rules and licensing so it was all the same. Would make moving state easier.

I was under the impression QLD were not as strict on licensing as the other states?

I last looked a while ago, had a fresh look, you can do the letter from landholder bit and do a safety course, but the property has to be of sufficient size (40+ acres) and you have to specify pest species that need control

Now that I think about it, it was handguns I was looking at a while ago

Just go do your license mate. If it's anything like it is here you'll piss it in. To be honest it was too easy, I can't believe they give gun licenses out so easily. But that's beside the point.

Yes it will probably take months to get it all done but atleast it's all legal and you won't have to worry about anything.

Had a SMLE when I was in Albany ,they do a particular field shooting with them unmodified ofcorse at the rifle club,targets are army training type,and I just used ta leave it in the club strongroom ,as boxes at home can be costly and then the odd inspection would piss me off,a 303 is a high power ta me and needs respect.I rec calling a few local rifle clubs and talking to them first.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Plumby wrote:Thanks for the reply Warra, I do want to use it, even if its just putting a few rounds through it every year. I would hate to weld it up and make it a wall hanger.
I have a property that I cut firewood on and the owner is ok with me doing target practice as long as I don't accidentally shoot a cow.
Would that help me?

If that property is over 40 acres, that’s perfect. He will just have to sign some paperwork to say you shoot there recreationally.
I think it’s about $180 for the firearms course that goes for a day. I renewed mine last year for 10 years at $380, but you’ll have the option of less years for less $$$. Then, once you have your license, it’s about $35 for a permit to aquire & what ever your local gun shop charges for brokerage.
It’s a bit of mucking around, but worth it in the end & easy to keep.
Hope that helps

Listo wrote:

Plumby wrote:Thanks for the reply Warra, I do want to use it, even if its just putting a few rounds through it every year. I would hate to weld it up and make it a wall hanger.
I have a property that I cut firewood on and the owner is ok with me doing target practice as long as I don't accidentally shoot a cow.
Would that help me?

If that property is over 40 acres, that’s perfect. He will just have to sign some paperwork to say you shoot there recreationally.
I think it’s about $180 for the firearms course that goes for a day. I renewed mine last year for 10 years at $380, but you’ll have the option of less years for less $$$. Then, once you have your license, it’s about $35 for a permit to aquire & what ever your local gun shop charges for brokerage.
It’s a bit of mucking around, but worth it in the end & easy to keep.
Hope that helps

Very helpful man, thanks heaps to you and the other people who commented. I'm booked in for the next gun safety course in town so hopefully not much longer.

Just be aware..if the property owner sells up and you lose access to the property, your genuine reason to possess a firearm disappears aswell..ssaa or another organisation is a failsafe option..