From: SSAA, [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.ssaa.org.au/vanstonedealer.html ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT INFORMATION FOR FIREARMS' DEALERS Amendments to the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 18 August 2000 Introduction The Government is concerned about the current level at which handguns are emerging in crime and the illicit trade in these types of firearm. In order to reduce risks of the diversion of legitimately imported handguns to the black market and thereby improve community safety, stronger controls on the importation of handguns have beenintroduced. The new controls do not affect the current arrangemnts for ownership of handguns in australia, which are administered by the States and Territories. Importation of Handguns The amendments to the Regulations require the australian Customs Service (Customs) to store any handguns imported for dealer stock into australia until they have been sold to an end-user authorised by State/Territory police - in much the same fashion as occurs with Category C firearms sold to primary producers. This new arrangement will applly to all handguns (including those complete handguns in a disassembled or unassembled state) coming into the country from Friday 18 August 2000, even if they were ordered some time ago. Transitional arrangements are made in the Regulations which enable the new requirements to be met within 28 days after importation of any articles which are ordered, or brought into the country, before 2 September 2000. Importation for demonstration/testing purposes While dealers will no longer be permitted to improt handguns to hold on their own premises as stock pending a sale, they will be permitted to import and hold a small nuomber of handguns for the purposes of testing or demonstration to prospective customers. This provision has also been extended to category C (semi-automatic) firearms. Dealers will be permitted to import and hold up to 10 newly imported handguns and 5 newly imported Category C firearms as demonstration/testing stock, provided only one of each model of any firearm is held. This stock must not be made available for sale, but must be owned and possessed by the dealer, and destroyed by police or exported once it is no longer required or if further demonstration/testing stock is required. Dealers who wish to hold such items for demonstration/testing stock must directly import the items for their own use. Firearms which are imported under the 'official purposes test' for demonstration to, or testing by, governments are not counted as demonstration/testing stock. Transitional exemption for Olympic Games The new regime does not apply to handguns which are to be used by an importer to compete in either the Sydney 200 Olympic Games or Paralympic Games or an associated event. Further information on Procedures For information on Customs procedures for handgun importation it I\s recommended that you contact you nearest Australian Custom Service office. -- It appears that soon the only people able to shoot will be members of the Olympic team. I think these regulations are unlawful, because how can the Customs power extend to the private possession of sales samples? In 20 years time when the dealer sells a pump-action shotgun he had as a sales sample to a customer that will be a customs offence! Barmy. Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
