Firearms Act 1996

In this Act –

air pistol means a pistol that propels, or is capable of propelling, a projectile by means of compressed gas or air;

air rifle means a firearm that propels, or is capable of propelling, a projectile by means of compressed gas or air;

ammunition means – anything consisting of a cartridge case fitted with a primer and a projectile; or anything consisting of a cartridge case fitted with primer material and containing both a propelling charge and a projectile; or any blankfire cartridge, airgun pellet, training cartridge or gas cartridge; or any explosive component of ammunition; or paintball pellets as defined in section 99B; or any other prescribed article;

approved means approved by the Commissioner;

approved firearms safety course means an accredited course relating to the safe possession and use of firearms as approved by the Commissioner;

barrel length means – in the case of a revolver, the distance from the muzzle of the barrel to the breach end immediately in front of the cylinder; and in any other case, the distance from the muzzle of the barrel to the point of the breach face (which includes the chamber);

Category A firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 14;

Category B firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 15;

Category C firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 16;

Category D firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 17;

Category H firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 18;

certificate of registration means the certificate of registration referred to in section 78;

Commissioner means the Commissioner of Police;

corresponding, in relation to a licence, means a licence in force under a law of another State or Territory that, in the opinion of the Commissioner, corresponds to a licence under this Act;

deal, in relation to a firearm, means to – manufacture, buy or sell firearms and firearm parts; or possess firearms and firearm parts for the purpose of sale, transfer, storage or testing; or possess firearm parts for the purpose of manufacturing firearms; or possess firearms and firearm parts for the purpose of repair in the ordinary course of business; or sell ammunition;

dealings record means a record kept under section 89;

employment, with a firearms dealer, includes engagement under a contract for services;

ex-military means originally designed or intended for, but never in or no longer in, military use;

family violence order means a family violence order within the meaning of the Family Violence Act 2004;

firearm means – a gun or other weapon that is capable of propelling anything wholly or partly by means of an explosive; and a blankfire firearm; and an air rifle; and an air pistol; and an imitation firearm; and any other prescribed thing; and any thing that would be a firearm under paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) if it did not have something missing from it or a defect or obstruction in it – but does not include any device declared by the regulations not to be a firearm;

firearm heirlooms licence means the licence referred to in section 21;

firearm part means a barrel, breech, trigger mechanism, operating mechanism or magazine;

firearm sound suppressor means any implement designed to suppress the sound caused by the discharge of a firearm, whether or not the implement forms part of the firearm or can be attached to, or removed from, the firearm;

firearms dealer means a person who, in carrying on a business, deals in firearms;

firearms dealer employee licence means a licence referred to in section 19A;

firearms dealer licence means a licence referred to in section 19;

firearms licence means any firearms licence referred to in Division 2 of Part 2;

firearms museum licence means a licence referred to in section 20;

firearms prohibition order means an order in force under Part 8;

genuine reason means a genuine reason as referred to in section 37;

heirloom firearm means a firearm inherited by a person from the grandparent, parent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt of that person;

imitation firearm means an article, other than a toy firearm, of any material or colour that – is a copy or reproduction of a firearm or has the appearance of a firearm; and could reasonably be mistaken for a firearm;

interim family violence order means an interim family violence order within the meaning of the Family Violence Act 2004;

interim restraint order means – an interim restraint order as defined in Part XA of the Justices Act 1959; and any other interim order or decision under an Act or law of a place other than Tasmania that is prescribed for the purposes of this definition;

licence means any licence in force under this Act;

licensed means licensed under this Act;

licensee means the holder of a licence;

manufacture means – any process of which the intended outcome is the creation of a firearm, firearm sound suppressor, ordnance or firearm part including, but not limited to, a barrel, slide, frame, receiver or bolt body; or in relation to a firearm that has been rendered incapable of being fired, making that firearm capable of being fired;

militaria firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 21A;

minor means a person under the age of 18 years;

minor's permit means a permit in force under Division 2 of Part 3;

ordnance means – a bazooka, rocket launcher or prescribed weapon that, although not a firearm within the meaning of this Act, is designed to be capable of – being carried and used manually; and firing a projectile by non-explosive means such as a propellant; and a shell, rocket or other projectile that – is designed to be fired by a weapon referred to in paragraph (a); and has not been permanently rendered inert; and a tank, cannon or other similar military vehicle capable of discharging a missile or other projectile;

particular purpose means a purpose established under Division 6 of Part 2 as being a genuine reason for possessing or using a firearm;

permit means a permit in force under Division 1 of Part 3;

pistol means a firearm that – is reasonably capable of being raised and fired by one hand; and has an overall length not exceeding 65cm;

police family violence order means a police family violence order within the meaning of the Family Violence Act 2004;

police officer means a member of the Police Service established under section 4 of the Police Service Act 2003;

possession includes custody or control;

prohibited firearm means a firearm specified in Schedule 1;

prohibited pistol means a pistol prescribed as a prohibited pistol in the regulations;

register means the register of firearms referred to in section 83;

registered means registered under this Act;

registrant means a person in whose name a firearm is registered under Part 4;

restraint order means – a restraint order and an interstate restraint order as defined in Part XA of the Justices Act 1959; and any other order or decision under an Act or law of a place other than Tasmania that is prescribed for the purposes of this definition;

security agent has the same meaning as in the Security and Investigations Agents Act 2002;

security guard has the same meaning as in the Security and Investigations Agents Act 2002;

sell includes – dispose of for valuable consideration; and barter; and dispose of to an agent for sale on consignment; and offer or attempt to sell; and receive or have in possession for sale; and expose for sale; and send or deliver for sale; and cause or permit to be sold, as offered or exposed for sale; and dispose of by way of raffle, lottery or other game of chance;

toy firearm includes an item of any material or colour that – has the appearance of a firearm; and is marketed to, or commonly used by, persons as something that may be used in play; and could reasonably be mistaken for a firearm;

use, in relation to a firearm or toy firearm, means – fire the firearm or toy firearm; or hold it so as to cause a reasonable belief that it will be fired, whether or not it is capable of being fired.