Information Sheets and Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I get a shooters licence and which categories do I need
2. How do I go about buying a gun now that I have my licence
3. How do I sell my gun to a friend or someone I know
4. How do I obtain or dispose of a gun left to me by a deceased relative
5. Where can I store my guns and what safe storage do I require to keep my guns at home
6. How do my children join the sport and at what age can they get a Minors Permit
7. Where can I store my gun if I am going overseas or don’t have proper safe storage at home
8. I want to sell my guns what options do I have
9. The police have confiscated my firearms how do I retrieve them to sell off or pass to a friend
10. How do I purchase a gun from another state
11. What do I need to bring to have my gun repaired or to buy spare parts
12. How do I and How often should I clean my gun
13. How Do I Sight in my gun after fitting a scope etc
14. How do I clean and run in a new barrel
if you have any other questions not listed here that you think would be of use to the general comunity feel free to let us know and we will add it to the list.
HOW DO I GET A SHOOTERS LICENCE AND WHICH CATEGORIES DO I NEED
First thing you need to decide is what you are going to be using the firearms for and this will tell you what type of licences you need to apply for.
If you are going to be getting multiple types of licences eg. pistol and rifle it will work out cheaper if you do it all at once instead of one at a time.
LICENCE CATEGORY TYPES
A) a class licence covers you if you are going to shoot air rifles , rim fire rifles (.17 .22 or .22magnum – lever action , pump action , bolt action rifles – does not include self loading or semi auto rifles , The ammunition type is denoted by the primer mechanism being a part of the case which is struck on the outside edge of the rim) and shotgun (410 , 12 , 16 , 20 gauge etc not including self loading or pump action) or combination gun of rim fire/shotgun.
B) b class licence covers you if you are going to shoot centerfire rifles (basically anything from 22 hornet and bigger in calibre – denoted by the ammunition having a removable primer in the centre of the case not on the rim) and muzzle loading rifles (black powder and ball shooting rifle types) and or shotgun / centerfire combination guns
C) c class licence covers the following types of prohibited firearms
self-loading rim fire rifles with magazine capacity of no more than 10 rounds
self-loading shotguns with magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds
pump action shotguns with magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds
People who under certain circumstances may be able to obtain this type of licence are for example primary producers who can show genuine reason or need.
D) d class licence covers the following types of prohibited firearms
any of the firearms covered under a c class licence
self-loading centerfire rifles of less than 5 rounds
self-loading rim fire rifles with a magazine capacity of more than 10 rounds
self-loading shotguns with a magazine capacity of less than 5 rounds
pump action shotguns with a magazine capacity of less than 5 rounds
People who under certain circumstances may be able to obtain this type of licence are for example Professional Shooters and some primary producers who can show genuine reason or need .
H) h class licence covers handguns.
for the average target / club shooter this means
single shot or air pistols of a barrel length no less than100mm
revolvers and single shot pistols of a barrel length no less than 100mm and of a calibre of no greater than .38 of an inch
semi automatic pistols of a barrel length no less than 120mm and of a calibre of no greater than .38 of an inch and having a magazine capacity no greater than 10
high calibre permit is avail for (ISU) Silhouette shooters and Western action for calibres above .38 and no greater magazine capacity of 10 rounds upon proof of need for the specific sport and having held a full handgun licence for 12 months.
NB. sporting / target pistol shooters are required to shoot a minimum of 6 times per year in there main/1st calibre or class.
if you shoot another class with the same calibre firearm or a 2nd or 3rd calibre of pistol you will be required to shoot a minimum of 4 times per year per class/calibre.
most clubs will want you to shoot a minimum of 12 times per year anyway.
Security
for prohibited revolvers and semi automatic pistols of less than the above mention lengths
for greater magazine capacities than 10 and also higher calibre than .38 of an inch , at the moment up to around .40 cal is the limit.
obviously this requires the appropriate training and licensing as well as high security storage facilities.
other types of licences available include
commissioners permit
collectors
ammunition collectors
club armourer
dealer
theatrical
For more information regaurding these categories please contact
NSW Police Firearms Registry
Locked Bag 1
Murwillimbah NSW 2484
1300 362 562
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/services/firearms
DIRECTIONS FOR OBTAINING A A/B CLASS LICENCE
(This is what most shooters will require)
if you require licence for any of the special classes mentioned above please contact the nsw firearms registry on 1300 362 562
1) ring the NSW Firearms Registry on 1300 362 562and ask them to send you out a licence application.
2) you need to find a firearms safety testing officer such as ourselves or other dealers and or clubs.
As part of your test, you will need to complete a multiple choice test as before and also you must complete a practicle test
on safe handling.
3)while you waiting for your papers to arrive you should read the following publications available at the police website.
all the information required to pass the multiple choice part of the test is in these documents.
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/services/firearms
firearms users guide
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/133133/Firearms_Users_Guide.pdf
introduction to firearms
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/133200/fact_sheet_introduction_to_firearms.pdf
4) Once your aplication arrives you can sit the firearms safety awareness exam – this should cost around the $100 mark
and will take a couple of hours.
shorter if you have read all the documents and taken it all in.
longer if you not read anything at all.
price is the same for pensioners , juniors etc
Once you complete the test you will be given a certificate to say you have completed the test/course.
other info also available at
http://www.nswshooting.com.au/
and
http://www.firearmtraining.com.au/
5) fill in your licence Application and send it to
NSW Firearms Registry,
Locked Bag 1,
Murwillumbah
NSW 2484
along with a copy of your passed safety awareness certificate
making sure that
A) you tick the appropriate licence types in this case A + B
B) if you are applying as a recreational hunter you need to send in either a stat dec from a land owner giving you permission to shoot on his/her property or a copy of your hunting club membership which you will need to join and attend 2 times a year to maintain your licence and membership status.
there is now a place on the licence app for the land owner to sign off.
ps. if you do not maintain you minumum attendances or dont pay your membership each year for hunting clubs, then you loose you genuine reason to shoot and therefore your licence will be revoked!
C) if you are shooting target only and not recreational hunting – eg shotgun, bench rest rifles, military or cowboy shoots – you will need to join a club and a copy of that membership be sent along with your application – you will be required to attend at least 4 club meets a year to hold your licence some clubs will require you to attend more.
most people will join the SSAA and they only require the minimum attendance each year.
D) if you intend to shoot both at a club and recreational hunting then you will need both !
please note if you apply for recreational hunting you will still be able to go to a rifle range for the purpose of sighting in your gun, but you will not be able to shoot in club or sanctioned events and competitions.
also if you apply only for target shooting this will not cover you for recreation hunting on private property.
6) Now you must wait (there’s a 28 day cooling off period) generally around 6-8 weeks while the paperwork is processed and a background check is done on you to make sure you don’t have a criminal record etc.
7) A letter arrives asking your to go to the RTA to get your photo licences made up at this point you will have to pay for your new licence.
i think current costs is $200 for 5 years.
please note
if you have not received a reply by the 8 weeks period you should contact the firearms registry by phone and find out what’s happening.
all documents you send back and forth to the registry should be via registered post this way if anything goes missing you can trace where it
all went wrong.
OBTAINING a H class licence for pistol target shooting
requires once again the same sort of procedure
except you require a club membership and are subject to a further probationary period and restrictions.
please contact your local pistol club for more info , most are friendly and will help you with
all the paperwork required.
this is the best way seeing you need to join a club
(please note you can only have a pistol for target shooting – you are not allowed to have a pistol for hunting or personal protection)
1)ring the registry and ask them to send you a handgun licence application.
2)join a pistol club -find one you like and that shoots the sort of things your interested in.
3)make an appointment to do the firearms safety test with your club.
4)when your paperwork arrives you can sit the test and do you practical pistol handling course.
5)you then must complete 3 club shoots under instruction from your club,
6)at this point the club will give you a letter saying that you are a financial member and that you have completed your 3 shoots and passed the firearms safety awareness test along with a pab26 form (certificate to accompany an application for licence)
you now need to fill in the licence application form and send it into the NSW Firearms Registry along with the above mentioned.
7)again you now wait for 28 day cooling off period and when your application is approved you will be sent to the RTA to get your licence and photo taken
note your first 12 months will be under a probationary licence, in this time you can only shoot at your local club.
you can not buy your own firearm until you have held your P licence for 6 months.
at that time you can only buy either a rimfire or a centerfire.
after 12 months you can buy whatever you like and shoot at other clubs.
please note if you have not received a reply by the 8 weeks period you should contact the firearms registry by phone and find out what’s happening.
all other licences please contact the firearms registry for further info.
NSW Police Firearms Registry
Locked Bag 1
Murwillimbah NSW 2484
1300 362 562
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/services/firearms
HOW TO BUY A GUN ONCE YOU HAVE A LICENCE
ok so you’ve got your licence and you want to buy a gun
1)head to your local gun shop and ask for a PTA form
(permission to acquire form).
you can also get this sent buy ringing the nsw registry or via request from the web site.
There is now 1 form for handguns and another for rifles so make sure you get the correct ones.
if you are wanting to buy multiple firearms then you need 1 form for each firearm you wish to acquire.
if purchasing handguns you must also get a PAB26 (certificate to accompany an application for permit to acquire)
this is filled out by you club secretary.
2) you must cross out with and X the one category that your applying for so if you intend to buy a Rim fire .22 you choose for example A2
once you have the form approved you can only buy a rim fire rifle you cannot buy a centerfire etc etc.
so make sure you choose the correct category to apply for , you cant change it after issue, youve lost your $$$$ !!
3) Good reason to acquire a firearm
this is what you put on your licence , if you only had a licence for target shooting and you no longer make your attendances then you loose your good reason to own a firearm, you might think hey im hunting with it now, this is not the case unless you have rec hunting added to your licence.
4) send the form to the firearms registry along with $30 payment per each form – do not send cash
there’s is a 28 day cooling off period before the application is even looked at, this applies to your first firearms purchase of that type , rifles and pistols are different types, after you allready own a rifle the 28 day cooling off period is dropped for all subsiquent ptas of that type.
most applications are sent back within 6 – 8 weeks – if after 8 weeks your application hasn’t been returned then again contact the registry by phone to find out what’s happening with it.
once you have your approved PTA FORM you have 90 days to find and purchase a firearm (fitting the category you applied for).
if you purchase/order a new firearm for example and it doesn’t arrive before your 90 days is up then get your local gun shop to ring the registry and help you get an extension on the PTA.
NB: you must do this before the permit expires not after
also they will not extend a PTA without good reason or because you haven’t found anything yet.
and this can only be done by the dealer you have the order with and only once!!
if your new guns are to be kept at home you must have proper SAFE STORAGE facilities installed in your house.
and yes the minute you have a gun registered in your name you are scheduled for a RANDOM safe storage inspection by the police and if you fail to meet the standards you will loose your licence and your guns.
you can find more info on safe storage and what you need here.
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/services/firearms/safe_storage
skip to section on safe storage
HOW DO I SELL MY GUN TO A FRIEND OR SOMEONE I KNOW
The practice of private sale of firearms in NSW is now non existent.
All transactions must take place thru a dealer.
This means that you the owner/seller will need to come down to a dealer such as ourselves with your registration papers and the firearm in question
The buyer will be required to come down at the same time with his current PTA form or forms in the correct categories.
We can then do the appropriate paperwork for you and send it in to the NSW Firearms Registry.
Fees do apply per gun for this service.
At the time of writing this faq we charge $20.00 per firearm.
check the price before you come it may change over time.
( other dealers may charge more. )
HOW DO I OBTAIN OR DISPOSE OF A GUN LEFT TO ME BY A DECEASED RELATIVE
Always double check this info with the firearms registry as things change.
Currently i believe the firearms registry allows 6 months grace for the firearms of a deceased estate to be sorted out (collected sold , passed to a family member etc)
this is extended to the executor of the estate
1)1st thing to consider is storage – can you or someone you know legally store the firearms.
often people do not have the facilities or the correct license yet.
If you need somewhere to store the firearms we offer this service at a rate of $25 per month per gun
2nd thing is, Are the guns registered ?
if they are not you cannot legally store these firearms , you are going to need to have the guns identified and registered by a dealer, this service also incurs a fee – ask your local dealer.
2)If you wish to dispose of the guns you can sell them to your local dealer or have him sell them on consignment like we do.
if the guns are of no value and you wish to just give them away again this can be done at your dealer – (at least then the spare parts stay in circulation for others ) or hand in at the police station to be destroyed.
either way you will need copies of the registration papers to proceed.
the executor must sign them and attach a copy of proof of his power as executor and or copy of the will or death certificate etc etc.
N.B. you must be licensed to have these firearms in your possession and the firearms must be registered even to dispose of them.
Please read the other FAQs on selling options.
3)If you wish to acquire the firearms you will require a PTA form for each firearm and the transfer must be witness by a Dealer this means you will have to bring in the firearms , your license and your PTA form. ( and a letter from the executor of the estate or a copy of the will or death certificate etc if applicable.
This also presumes that the guns are registered etc – otherwise include fees for identification and registration and possibly storage whilst you wait for your paperwork to be processed by the firearms Registry.
In all cases you will need the registration papers if not you will have to get disposal forms from the registry and have the executor of the estate sign them.
WHERE CAN I STORE MY GUNS AND WHAT SAFE STORAGE DO I REQUIRE TO KEEP GUNS AT HOME
Places your guns can be stored
1)buy and install the appropriate gun safe for the firearms you own.
(note all people who have access to the safe (a set of keys) must be licenced for all guns contained in the safe – you may not have access to anything that your not licensed for , also wives parents girlfriends etc may not have a spare set of keys if they are not licensed to use everything in the safe)
(the police often will try to come to your house for an inspection earlier than booked, they then ask who ever is there, we are in a hurry can you just show us the safe and we can get it over with quickly.
your wife thinking shes doing the right thing finds the keys!!
thats it youve lost everything!!
no one but you should have access to your firearms safe , tell you friends and family to instruct police they will have to wait till you come home as you dont know where the keys are.
2)store them in a licenced friends gun safe with the applicable level safe (registry needs to be notified within 7 days)
note: if your storing a pistol and your friends only has an A,B safe you can not store them with him)
also if he does not hold a pistol license he cannot store them.
3)store them at your pistol or rifle club if they offer this service (registry needs to be notified within 7 days)
4)store them at a dealer if they offer the service – we offer a long term storage service at $25 per gun per month (registry to be notified)
this is for long term storage only where you need to store your guns for a few months or longer whilst you move house for example or go on a holiday.
all storage for longer than 7 days now has to be notified
Once you have a firearm or firearms Registered in your name you must notify the Firearms Registry of where they are being kept at all times.
If there status changes you must notify them within 7 days
(Once a firearm is registered in your name it is presumed that you have safe storage and they are being stored at your address unless otherwise notified , this means you will be contacted by the local police to come inspect your safe and firearms etc are safely stored)
If your storage does not meet the requirements you will likely loose your license and your guns.
SAFE STORAGE GUIDELINES
========================
Firstly when choosing a gun safe you must consider what guns you are storing.
if you have only class A and B rifles, shotguns, air rifles etc the standard A,B safe is what you need these come in various sizes usually from 4 – 10 rifles. Some will offer a separate ammo locker.
if you have hand guns you will require one that also includes a class H separate locker for the pistols or a separate pistol safe
note pistol safes are required to be made of thicker steel. you can not use a AB that has an ammo locker and use that to store a pistol in whilst they may look a little similar the steel thickness is not great enough to meet the laws requirements.
if you have semi auto or pump action that fit into the class C and D category then again you require a class C safe , the whole safe being made of heavier gauge steel.
If you are found to have the wrong safe for the firearms you are storing you will loose your license and guns
STORING AMMUNITION
====================
loose ammunition may not be stored in the safe or near your rifle – this includes reloading components
(this means if you leave 1 empty or loaded case in the safe you could loose your license)
the same goes for having ammunition lying around your house not in a safe place
All ammunition must be kept in a separate locked container
options for this are:
1)buy something like a fishing tackle box that is lockable with either a combination or a pad lock
note this may be kept in a cupboard etc out of plain sight or inside the safe if you have room.
the box must be kept locked at all times.
2)if you have a separate ammo compartment in your safe then it must have a seperate key from the one use to open the main lock up.
this is ok although most of these are fairly small and unlless you have just one gun youll probably have far more ammo than you can fit into the box.
3)a lockable cupboard or brownbuilt locker type arrangement
INSTALLING THE GUN SAFE
=======================
The govt has supplied a set of guidelines to follow for this
unfortunately many police stations develop there own set of rules as to what they would like to see
the easiest option is to attach the safe with 2 x Dyna bolts to the floor and 2 x Dyna bolts to the wall.
then everyone’s happy and you don’t need to go about getting your guns and license back from the police and offcourse the court costs.
NB if you safe weighs more than 150kg empty it is not required to be bolted to the wall and floor.
if you are not bolting your safe that weighs over 150kg empty to the floor or wall you should have written proof to this fact as the police will not take your word for it.
more info on safe storage can be found at
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/services/firearms/safe_storage
HOW DO MY CHILDREN JOIN THE SPORT AND AT WHAT AGE CAN THEY GET A MINORS PERMIT
Rather like you can get your L plates for driving you can obtain a minors permit to shoot under the supervision of an adult licensed shooter.
Children can apply for these licenses at age 12 until they turn 18 when they can apply for the standard license.
NB: Minors must shoot under the supervisions of a licensed adult at all times !
Minors may not purchase and or have a firearm registered in there name.
Minors may not purchase ammunition.
.
1) ring the NSW Firearms Registry on 1300 362 562 and ask them to send you out a (minors permit) licence application.
2) you need to find a firearms safety testing officer such as ourselves or other dealers and or clubs.
make a booking with tester.
as part of your test you need to complete a multiple choice test as before and also you must complete a practical test
on safe handling (this is why you require an exemption to handle a firearm).
3)while you waiting for your papers to arrive you should read the following publications available at the police website.
all the information required to pass the multiple choice part of the test is in these documents.
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/services/firearms
firearms users guide
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/133133/Firearms_Users_Guide.pdf
introduction to firearms
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/133200/fact_sheet_introduction_to_firearms.pdf
4) Once your aplication arrives you can sit the firearms safety awareness exam – this should cost around the $100 mark
and will take a couple of hours.
shorter if you have read all the documents and taken it all in.
longer if you not read anything at all.
price is the same for pensioners , juniors etc
Once you complete the test you will be given a certificate to say you have completed the test/course.
other info also available at
http://www.nswshooting.com.au/
and
http://www.firearmtraining.com.au/
5) fill in your licence Application and send it to
NSW Firearms Registry,
Locked Bag 1,
Murwillumbah
NSW 2484
along with your passed safety awareness certificate
same as with getting the normal licence you will need to get a Stat Dec filled out to shoot vermin etc or recreational huntingand if your doing target shooting club membership needs to be sent in also.
for further description of this please read here.
there’s a 28 day cooling of period to wait as per usual and with any luck you’ll have a response from the registry in 6-8 weeks at this point you will have to pay for your new licence click here for the current costs.
WHERE CAN I STORE MY GUNS IF I GO OVERSEAS OR DON’T HAVE PROPER SAFE STORAGE AT HOME
you have a couple of options here
1)
if you have a friend who has approved safe storage and a licence of the same class as your firearms, you may store your firearms with him.
if you have pistols etc. he must also have the required class of pistol licence and level of safe to store the pistols.
the registry must be notified of any changes of safe storage within 7 days.
2)
we can store your guns and ammo for you – we charge $25 per gun per month for this service currently (at the time of writing this faq)
ring and check prices can change along with insurance rate hikes.
in both cases if you are going to be overseas for a prolonged period of time you may wish to notify the police and registry of the location that they will be stored at.
Beware that your firearms are not stored beyond the expiry of your licence as they become technically unregistered, if this happens your friend would be storing unregistered firearms and therefore putting himself at risk.
Dealers can store for you under these circumstances.
I WANT TO SELL MY GUNS WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE
1) Sell to someone you know possibly a friend of a friend or a club member
to do this you will need your registration papers the gun , and the buyer needs a current P.T.A. form in the correct categorie for each gun.
you then both come to a dealer and we can do all the paperwork for you at a small cost.
this is probably the best way to get as much money as possible back for your firearm.
ps. all transactions must be done by a dealer, there is no such thing as private sale any longer.
2) Place the firearm in the shop on consignment – you can nominate the price or go on our recommendation of what its worth.
the firearm will eventually get added to the website along with our own stock (when we get time to do updates) as well as be seen in the shop.
when the gun is sold the government takes 10% for GST and then shop take 20% commission.
this way you will get a higher value back for your firearm, however there is no guarantee of how long it will take to sell, it could be a few days or it could be several years.
this depends on how desirable the firearm is and ofcourse the price thats trying to be achieved.
you will need to bring in your signed registration papers with the gun.
3) Sell to a dealer such as ourselves – yes we buy and sell 2nd hand and new Firearms
keep in mind we are here to make a living and therefore the prices we offer are not as high as the above mentioned methods but you walk away with money on the day.
for this you will need to bring you registration papers with you and the gun.
prices can not be given on what somethings worth without physicaly sighting it.
THE POLICE HAVE CONFISCATED MY FIREARMS HOW DO I RETRIEVE THEM TO SELL OFF OR PASS TO A FRIEND
I in situations such as being convicted of Assault , Drink Driving , Failing to safely store your firearms or having an AVO out against you can result in you loosing your shooters license and the confiscation of your firearms.
If this happens to you its likely you will want to either pass your guns onto a family member , friend , sell them to a shop or have a shop such as us sell them on consignment.
please note. none of this can be done till the police say that the firearms may be released.
If you have to go to court it is strongly advised that you ask your solicitor to ask for permission for the guns to be picked up by a dealer such as ourselves for the purpose of being resold to recoup costs.
we can as dealers act on your behalf to pickup firearms from police lock up.
naturally we charge for this service – if its a local police station the fee could be around $50 if its further away then it depends on the amount of time spent travelling etc.
ring to enquire further
at this point you can :
1) have a friend or family member acquire the guns – they are required to supply a PTA form same as they would to buy any other gun
For this the buyer will need to pay for a PTA – Registration and Storage Costs per rifle and the pickup fee.
2)Sell the guns outright to a shop – if your after money quickly this could be an option – bare in mind that dealers will likely offer reduced price as they need to make money on it when they resell.
For this you need only pay the pickup fee.
3)Have a shop sell them on consignment – the rifles can be put on display in the shop and on the website in an attempt to sell them on consignment for you.
It may be possible to get back more money for them this way if they are quality firearms , there’s no guarantee on how fast things sell though – they could sell in 1 week or in many years.
For this you will need to pay the pickup fee
then 10% GST is taken by the government and then 20% commission by the shop when the firearm is sold.
Things we will need from you:
1)any documents related to the firearms
that is – registration papers , disposal forms , manuals, bolts and magazines – a list of what’s to be picked up.
2)miscelaneous receipt number – this is the number issued by the police which helps them locate your firearms – if you don’t have this number when you ring to arrange and appointment with the police they often wont make an appointment.
this number will be on a copy of the paper of what they have confiscated from you.
3)court statements – stating that you have acquired permission for your dealer to pick up the guns in your name for purpose of resale.
4)a signed written note that states you give permission to us to collect and sell the guns and ammunition on your behalf.
for further info contact your local dealer.
HOW DO I PURCHASE A GUN FROM ANOTHER STATE
You may purchase a gun from another state but all transactions must be done through a dealer and will require registering in the new state on arrival for which there will be a fee charged.
ask each dealer prices differ , most firearms on average cost about $50, the price can go up if it is particularly long and or the insurance value is high.
1)Purchasing from a Dealer in another state
you may purchase from the dealer and arrange for him to dispose of it and send it to a dealer like ourselves
on arrival we will register the firearm in NSW which you will have to pay a fee for and will take a few days
we charge $50 for all out of state transactions (at the time of wrting this faq)
we include 2 months storage in this charge as first time buyers may have to wait for a pta to arrive.
you will require a current PTA form of the correct category for the firearm you are purchasing to give to your NSW dealer.
NB. if the gun is to sit in our storage for longer than 2 months then storage fees will be charged so get your PTAs in early.
2)Purchasing from a friend or acquaintance from another state
the gun will have to be taken to a dealer in that state who will acquire it and then send and dispose of the firearm to a dealer like ourselves in NSW.
on arrival we will register the firearm in NSW which you will have to pay a fee for and will take a few days.
you will require a current PTA for the firearm you are purchasing to give to your NSW dealer
NB. if the gun is to sit in our storage for longer than 2 months then storage fees will be charged so get your PTAs in early.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING IN TO HAVE MY GUN REPAIRED OR TO BUY SPARE PARTS
SPARE PARTS
——————–
buy law we are required to write a receipt with your license details for all spare parts sold that are not apart of a repair done by us.
you may only purchase spare parts covered by your license type
eg. you may not buy parts for a pistol if you have an AB license that covers shotguns air rifles and rimfires.
you may not purchase prohibited weapons parts without the correct licence.
REPAIRS AND STORAGE
———————————–
1)
If your bringing your gun in for storage or repair we are required by law to check and document your licence and registration papers.
If you don’t bring your registration papers in we can’t book the firearm into and back out of our possession without this info , so get in the habit of bringing it with you to the shop.
2)
Bring in as much info as possible regarding the repair of the fault
eg – if you having feeding problems , jams , ejecting etc bring in some of the effected ammunition
accuracy problems – bring in targets etc
this can help particularly with intermittent problems that may be hard to reproduce in testing
3)
If you require the gun to be tested – we need the bolt or other parts required to make the gun complete to test fire.
IN ALL INSTANCES BRING THE WHOLE GUN
leaving something behind often causes you to make more visits than necessary
HOW DO I AND HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CLEAN MY GUN
NORMAL CLEANING
Use good quality rods ,brushes and jags and remove any burrs that may scratch the bore
Use lint free linen or cotton patches – do not use synthetic materials
Use only bronze or nylon brushes – stainless brushes are far to abrasive.
A bore guide may be used for target shooters who wish to ensure the least amount of damage possible by guiding
the rod – this is not as important for field shooters.
We recommend the use of brands like tetra, hoppes an g69 range of solvents, lubricants and cleaning gear.
there are also many other great products on the market.
Q) How often should you clean ?
A) As often as practically possible.
for a field shooter this means at the end of each days shooting
for a target shooter this means every 10-15 shots or after each round or after each match shot.
note: keeping your bore consistently clean is essential to maintaining accuracy
GENERAL CLEANING PROCEDURE
1)use a copper or powder solvent on wet patches or bronze brush.
the first thing you want to remove is powder residue , carbon and some lead.
2)then run dry patches through until you remove all the impurities
3)then use a copper solvent and a bronze brush to scrub the bore.
do this while the barrel is still warm if possible.
leave the solvent in the barrel for no longer than 15 mins at a time (dont leave it in a hot barrel)
strong solvent can damage or frost you barrels finish.
4)then run dry patches through to clean the bore again of all impurities.
Always clean your barrel from the chamber end and push out the muzzle and remove patches.
when cleaning with a brush use complete strokes from one end of the bore to the other and out before returning the stroke.
If you clean regularly 10-20 strokes will be enough.
If you have fired of allot of ammo over a day or 2 you may let the solvent sit for 15 mins and give a further scrub before dry patching.
keep solvents and oils off the stock and bedding material as well as optical equipment.
When you have finished shooting the rifle for the day clean using the normal routine and then add the additional step
of running a wet patch of gun oil or use a wool mop with gun oil to coat the barrel for storage.
never cap or plug the barrel for storage and store your firearms in your safe so they can breath – do not rap them up in plastic or keep them in bags that will draw moisture.
also foam type inserts of bags and boxes are often broken down by solvents and oils leaving an awful mess.
add some silica gel packs to you safe to help draw moisture away from the metal.
Remember that you must now run a dry patch through the barrel before you start shooting again next time.
you should make this a habit to check there are no obstructions and that the barrel is clean anyways.
NEW BARREL CLEANING AND RUNNING IN
Every effort has been made to supply and fit your new barrel to the highest possible standards so you should exercise an equal effort in the cleaning and maintenance of your firearm.
New barrels should be properly run in to ensure that all manufacturing residues is removed and that the best possible finish is achieved and maintained.
Use good quality rods ,brushes and jags.
Use lint free linen or cotton patches – do not use synthetic materials
Use only bronze, fibre, bristle, cotton or nylon brushes – stainless brushes are far to abrasive for new high quality barrels.
A bore guide may be used but must be kept clean.
Many shooters ensure the least amount of damage to throat and chamber by the use of a bore guide.
It is also useful in minimising spillage of solvents and oils into stock and bedding.
It is is not an essential tool for field shooters.
We recommend the use of brands like Tetra, Hoppes an G96 range of solvents, lubricants and cleaning gear.
there are also many other great products on the market.
To run in a new barrel:
Step1) Clean the barrel with a copper and nitro solvent swab, and nylon or fibre bristle brush to break up the residue,
leave the solvent in the barrel for no longer than 10 mins at a time, then run a few tight dry patches through to remove the solvent and impurities.
If patches show dark colour repeat the process.
When tight dry patches are clean proceed to fire rifle.
Fire one shot only and then run a wet patch of copper solvent followed by several dry patches till clean as before.
Do this while the barrel is still hot and then allow the barrel to cool before taking more shots.
Do this for you first 5 to 10 shots.
Step2) Fire 3 shot group.
Clean thoroughly with a copper and nitro solvent swab and brush and dry patches till they come out clean as before.
Then wet a patch with solvent and swab again followed by the usual tight dry patches till clean.
Do this while the barrel is still hot and then allow the barrel to cool before proceeding .
Repeat firing 3 shot groups about 10 times.
Step3) Fire 5 shot group. Clean thoroughly with a copper and nitro solvent swab and brush and then run tight dry patches through.
barrel as with 3 shot groups.
Then wet a patch with solvent and swab again followed by the usual tight dry patches till clean.
Do this while the barrel is still hot and then allow the barrel to cool before proceeding
Fire about 5 groups of 5 shots repeating cleaning after each group.
After this your barrel should clean easily and perform at its best.
You should clean your barrel as often as practical.
For a field shooter this might be at the end of each day.
For a fussy target shooters this is usually after every group or 5 or 10 shots or course of fire.
Some useful tips:
Always push a tight, clean, dry patch through barrel immediately before firing to ensure its clean an has no obstructions.
Clean your barrel from the chamber end and push out the muzzle if possible. Muzzle loaders, leaver actions and some others are not practical to clean from the chamber end.
When cleaning with a brush use complete strokes from one end of the bore to the other and out before returning the stroke. If you clean regularly 10-20 strokes will usually be enough.
If you have fired of allot of ammo over a day or 2 you may let the solvent sit for 15 mins and give a further scrub before tight dry patching. Do not leave solvent in the bore for extended periods like over night or more.
Keep solvents and oils off the stock and bedding material as well as optical equipment. When you have finished shooting the rifle for the day clean using the normal routine and then add the additional step
of running a lightly oiled patch of good quality gun oil ( or use a wool mop with gun oil ) through barrel to coat the bore for storage.
Never cap or plug the barrel for storage and store your firearms in your safe so that there is reasonable circulation of air and your firearm can breath.
Do not rap them up in plastic or keep them in bags that will sweat.
Foam and sponge type inserts of bags and boxes are often broken down by solvents and oils leaving an awful mess.
Silica gel packs in your safe help to draw moisture away from the firearms.
REMEMBER ALWAYS run a dry patch through the barrel before you start shooting.
Make this a habit to check there are no obstructions on the barrel and that the bore is clean and dry and not obstructed in any way.
HOW DO I SIGHT IN MY GUN AFTER FITTING A NEW SCOPE ETC
1)Collinate – if you have a colinater, shot saver, bore sight etc start with this
make sure your boresite is on a level plane with the centre of the scope.
and adjust the scope accordingly to bring it inline with the bore site.
note: this saves you a few shots and ensures your basically pointing in the right direction to start the process.
this does not mean the gun is sighted in and will now hit what you want.
2)set up a large target lets say 1 meter x 1 meter at about 25 meters
draw a cross on it with a thick marker – do not use target dots or circle type targets or a small target
its much easier to focus and hold on a large cross and if you miss you want to see where you are missing.
if you dont see a hit you cant make adjustments!
get as best an aim as possible to eliminate all human error
this means set up a table , use sand bags pillow and bench rests and anything else you have.
take as long as you like and take good accurate shots
if you have a variable power scope turn it down to 4 or 6 power – shooting on higher powers will only make your job harder at this point.
3)at this range of 25 meter take a minimum of 3-5 shots
draw a circle around your shots – this is called your grouping
mark the centre of the grouping – this will be your approximate point of impact.
now you can adjust 1 direction at a time
say you are low and right start by adjusting your shots back to the left, make adjustment and reshoot a group.
When your happy your on line for windage then repeat this and adjust for elevation till you reach centre.
4)now patch your target and move it out to 50 meters
note the further you move the target away the greater a small correction is noticed.
so if you were dead on at 25 meter when you shoot at 50 meters you will notice that your not spot on as you thought.
you will also be higher or lower.
repeat the process of shooting a3 or 5 shot group and then make adjustments.
5)patch your target and move to 100 meters and then 150 or 200 meters and repeat.
This will depend on your rifle, calibre, how and what you shoot and the distances involved, you will need to site in for the most optimum distance for your aplication.
if you shoot for hunting for example you will probably shoot distance between 100 – 300 meters so sighting in at 200
is the best compromise.
if you shoot long distances you will need to work your way up little by little – most rifles zeroed at 100 meters will not hit a 1 meter square target at 400 meters due to bullet drop and wind.
you may also find many scopes do not have enough elevation to site in past 400 – 500 meter in which case you will need to have ramped mounts made or buy a quality scope for that purpose.
also be aware that a gun sited in for long distance will shoot very very high at short distances.
Final note about ammunition
when you find a load that shoots good tight groups for you and you site your rifle in with it.
regardless of wether your talking about reloads or factory ammo – stick to it !!
all ammunition shoots a different point of impact.
that means if you shoot a perfect 1 inch group with winchester ammo and you switch to say pmc
you may find it shoots a group that is 1 or 2 inches to the side or high.
all ammo is different and hence the different point of impact.
if you change ammo you may need to fine tune.