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Thread: Air Rifle

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    75

    Default Air Rifle

    Whilst packing i discovered our air rifle. Has anyone taken a air rifle or similar into NZ. I presume that it falls outside of usual fire arm regulations for importation. I ask because a mate of mine had a real problem taking his in the boot of his car on a channel ferry.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    http://www.police.govt.nz/service/fi...fosheet02.html You're okay to import it.

    I can see there would be a whole big difference between something arriving in the country packed with your belongings in hold luggage or container, and it being found in a car boot where you could access it while crossing a national boundary.

  3. #3
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    Feb 2010
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    Default

    excellent thanks. Yeah guess you are right about the car boot thing. It just made my mate laugh that UK police were treating his air rifle like it was a high powered semi automatic weapon. All he did was ask someone about taking it through customs and next thing he was being like an arms dealer by UK customs

  4. #4
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    Jul 2008
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    We had an air rifle and a .22 Winchester in our container; I just told the police and they collected the .22 when we opened the container and kept it for me until I had arranged a licence. They were not interested in the air rifle at all.

  5. #5
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    Feb 2010
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    Thanks Myles. I should say that the air rifle is not mine but the 13 year old boy uses it for target practice (under strict supervision of course!)

  6. #6
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    Oct 2009
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    Auckland
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mylesdw View Post
    We had an air rifle and a .22 Winchester in our container; I just told the police and they collected the .22 when we opened the container and kept it for me until I had arranged a licence. They were not interested in the air rifle at all.
    So does that mean you can import firearms pending a licence?

    All mine are on the legal list, but I have been unable to find out how to bring them. I was under the impression I would have to leave them in the US then buy new ones while there.

    But if I they will hold on to them until I am licenced that would be great.

  7. #7
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    I looked into this in depth when I moved to NZ from the US as I wanted to bring my hunting rifle with me.

    I found that you can import one and they will confiscate it until you arrange a license. Technically under the rules you have 3 months to obtain the license. If you do not have the license by then, the police reserve the right to permanently confiscate the firearm. In reality, I think that they give you time to arrange the license but it is a risk as you might run into someone who follows the rule book to the letter. The license process can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months to complete depending on the location and the number of applications they have to work through when you apply.

    The police discourage the previous example. The NZ police state on their website that they want immigrants to leave firearms in their home country, move to NZ and obtain a license, and then either import them or bring them back on a future visit to their home country. I also called and spoke to the police prior to moving and they stated the same.

    I figured it was best to follow the stated position of the police.
    Last edited by TJH; 11th May 2010 at 02:18 PM.

  8. #8
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    When you say "...you can import one and they will confiscate it until you arrange a license....", do you mean "one" only or some number?

    Leaving them for a later import wouldn't be so bad. I could leave them with in-laws.

  9. #9
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    Sorry for the confusion. I do not think there is a number limit although you might get some attention if you imported 20 at once.

    Once you have a license it is pretty easy to bring one back with you on the plane to NZ on a visit back to the old country.

  10. #10
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    Oct 2009
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    Auckland
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    Default

    Excellent. Thanks for the info. I had looked it up, but always saw conflicting info.

    [Sorry for hijacking the thread too]

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