VICTORIA

1.       Is it a requirement that an ammunition collector in your state/territory be a member of a cartridge collecting association such as the Australian Cartridge Collectors Association (ACCA) or the International Ammunition Association (IAA)?

(1)  An ammunition collector must be a member of an organisation of firearm or ammunition collectors approved by the Chief Commissioner and supply evidence of that membership at the time of application.

2.       Which section of your state/territory Firearms Act refers to collecting, selling, buying or trading ammunition? (It is likely there is more than one section or sub-section.)

(2)  The key sections are as follows:

Section 3 Firearms Act 1996 Definition of cartridge ammunition

Section 28 Firearms Act 1996 Issue of firearms ammunition collectors licence

Section 29 Firearms Act 1996 General discretion of Chief Commissioner to refuse a firearms ammunition licence

Section 30 Firearms Act 1996 Conditions applying to a firearms ammunition collectors licence

Section 124 Firearms Act 1996 Possession of cartridge ammunition

Section 125 Firearms Act 1996 Disposal of cartridge ammunition to unauthorised persons

Section 126 (4) Firearms Act 1996 Safekeeping of firearms and cartridge ammunition while being carried or used

3.   Could you provide me a photocopy of the relevant section/s in your Firearms Act dealing with collecting, selling, buying, trading or anything else to do with ammunition? (Or, if your Firearms Act is available on the internet, could you please provide me the web address?)

(3)   See: http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au       Select ‘F’ for Firearms Act 1996          

4.   If an ammunition collector in your state/territory needs information from their Firearms Registry regarding collecting, selling, buying or trading ammunition, who is the best person (the most conversant member in your section in that area of the legislation) they could speak with and their contact number?  

(4)   They are to contact the general enquiry line (1300 651 645) and follow the prompts or visit www.police.vic.gov.au for more information.

5.   What is the situation in your state/territory regarding collecting, selling, buying or trading ammunition in the following situations:

      a)  someone with a Shooters Licence?

b)     someone with a Firearms Dealers Licence?

c)      someone who does not have a shooters or dealers licence - they do not own any firearms and collect ammunition only?

(5) a. If a person wishes to collect ammunition they must hold a Firearms Ammunition Collectors Licence. Any ammunition kept in a collection must not be disposed of except to another person who is the holder of a firearms ammunition collectors licence; or to a licensed firearms dealer; or through the agency of a licensed firearms dealer.

b.   An explosives licence is required from Worksafe Victoria when selling, trading or reloading ammunition as per the Dangerous Goods Act 1985. However, Firearms dealers licensed under the Firearms Act 1996 do not require an additional licence to sell cartridge ammunition.

c. If a person wishes to collect ammunition only, they must hold a Firearms Ammunition Collectors Licence.                     

6.    In the case of (a) above, is the ammunition they can collect, sell, buy or trade dependent solely on which category of firearms their licence allows? For example if they are only registered as owning .22LR rimfire firearms, is .22LR rimfire ammunition the only ammunition they can collect? If this is so, what does a collector then need to do to ensure they can collect, buy, sell or trade other ammunition such as shotgun or centrefire cartridges in your state/territory?

(6)  Yes under section 124(2) the holder of a firearms (user) licence can only possess ammunition appropriate to the category of firearms on that licence.  The most appropriate course of action for a person to collect ammunition outside their user licence, would be to obtain an ammunition collectors licence as this does not apply to a person that collects ammunition and holds a Firearms Ammunition Collectors Licence.

7.         Does your state/territory legislation have any special or unusual requirements for individuals that collect, sell, buy or trade ammunition? For example in Tasmania, someone selling or supplying ammunition to another person must ensure they are the holder of a licence for a firearm which takes that ammunition, OR has other authorisation from the Police Commissioner to do so. In addition the seller must see the authority of the buyer to ensure he can legally possess it. I expect this probably applies in other jurisdictions.

(7)  Section 56 places a requirement on an ammunition collectors licence holder to obtain a permit to display their ammunition.

Section 124(1) restricts possession of cartridge ammunition to licence holders, holders of explosive licences under the Dangerous Goods Act, and persons exempt from the licensing requirements eg police.

Section 125 regulates the disposal of cartridge ammunition to licence holders, holders of explosive licences under the Dangerous Goods Act, and persons exempt from the licensing requirements eg police.

However, Firearms dealers licensed under the Firearms Act 1996 do not require an additional licence to sell cartridge ammunition.

8.    What are the storage requirements for ammunition in your state/territory? In other words, how much security is required?

(8)  Section 121 and Schedule 4 of the Act regulate how ammunition is to be stored. The ammunition must be stored in a receptacle—

(a)    which is constructed of hard wood or steel that is not easily penetrable; and

(b)   which, if it weighs less than 150 kilograms when it is empty, must be fixed to the frame of the floor or the wall of the premises where the ammunition is kept in such a manner that it is not easily removable; and

            (c)     which, when any ammunition is stored in it, is locked with a lock made of sturdy construction.

9.    Are any limits imposed on collectors as to what quantity of ammunition they can collect?

(9)  Not by the Firearms Act.  The Dangerous Goods Act places a requirement for a medium level magazine once more than 40,000 cartridges are stored at any premises.

10.  Are ammunition components such as bullets, primers, percussion caps, propellant, empty cartridge cases and so on regarded as ammunition in your state/territory and therefore subject to the same storage requirements? (ie a requirement they all be securely locked away?)

(10) No, separate ammunition components do not fall within the definition of cartridge ammunition and therefore do not have to comply with the storage requirements in the Firearms Act.

11.  What are your laws regarding transporting ammunition?  This refers to both transporting it intrastate re security issues, and transporting it interstate.

(11) Section 126(4) of the Firearms Act 1996 requires that a person who is carrying or using cartridge ammunition must ensure that the cartridge ammunition is carried and used in a manner that is secure and is not dangerous and must take reasonable precautions to ensure that the cartridge ammunition is not lost of stolen. 

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