Firearms Safety Awareness

1 HANDBOOKONFIREARMSSAFETYAWARENESSFIREARM SSAFETYAWARENESSNSW POLICEThis handbook has been prepared for the NSW Government by theFirearms Safety Awareness Council and NSW Policeon behalf of the NSW Shooting Shooting Association:Member:NSW Olympic CouncilAustralian Commonwealth Games Association (NSW)Australian Shooting AssociationFirearm Safety Awareness Council LtdTelephone: (02) 9486 3077 Fax: (02) 9486 3497 Email: : Handbook on Firearms Safety AwarenessSubject: Firearms Safety AwarenessCommand responsible: Firearms RegistryAvailable to: UnrestrictedPublication date: June 2002 Version: OneReview date: June 2004 Publication number: 0000071 ISBN: I 876320 14 11 HANDBOOK ON Firearms Safety AWARENESSTABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTSF oreword from the Commissioner of Police2 Message from the Chairman, Firearms Safety Awareness Council3 Organisation - NSW Shooting Association4 Introduction to Firearms5 Applying for a Licence8 Overview of NSW State Firearms Laws12 Firearms Safety Information15 Basic Law Knowledge Information20 Notes222 HANDBOOK ON Firearms Safety AWARENESSCOMMISSIONER S OFFICEL evel 18 Police Headquarters14-24 College StreetDarlinghurst NSW 2010Ph: 9339 5011 / 55011Fx.

2 9339 5471 / 55471 Dear Shooter,The New South Wales Government has given a strong commitment to the control offirearms as part of an agreed national approach thereby ensuring that firearmpossession and use, remain a privilege conditional on the overriding need for , it is intended that those persons who are licensed to possess firearmsare made aware of their responsibilities in the areas of lawful use and safe handlingbefore obtaining a Firearms New South Wales Shooting Association, by way of its subsidiary, the FirearmsSafety Awareness Council, has been approved to conduct Firearms Safety trainingcourses for handbook, prepared by the Council, will give you an insight into the responsibleand safe use of your longarms licence application will be considered, you will be required toundertake a Safety and law knowledge multiple choice test which is similar to thatgiven when a person applies for a learner s permit to drive a motor vehicle.

3 ThisHandbook will assist you in that the community s sake, I implore you ensure the Safety and security of yourfirearms, and to shoot safely and sincerely,K E MoroneyCommissioner of PoliceDear Citizen,Welcome to this Handbook about the safe use of has been prepared by people who have had long experience with Firearms in every fieldof use. They are active competition and recreational shooters who know how to be safe,for their own sake, and for the sake of those around suggest that you read through the Handbook carefully several times, so that its messagesbecome very familiar to you. You may also want to talk to your friends about it. They will beinterested in what you tell them and may want to get their own copy to read and to obtaina , your ownership and use of Firearms carries with it your responsibility to best wishes,Charles Copeman,Chairman,NSW Firearms Safety Awareness Council Limited3 HANDBOOK ON Firearms Safety AWARENESSNEW SOUTH WALES Firearms Safety Awareness COUNCIL LIMITEDa wholly owned subsidiary of the New South Wales Shooting Association LimitedPO Box 393, Terrey Hills NSW 2084 Tel: (02) 9486 3077 Fax: (02) 9486 3497 Email: Web.

4 051 891 724 ABN 24 051 891 7244 HANDBOOK ON Firearms Safety AWARENESSNEW SOUTH WALES SHOOTING ASSOCIATIONNEW SOUTH WALESSHOOTING ASSOCIATIONFIREARMS SAFETYAWARENESS COUNCILClay TargetClubsPistolClubsAntique ArmsCollectorsAir RifleClubsMuzzle LoadingClubsSporting ShootersBranchesSmallbore RifleClubsField and GameBranchesRifleClubsHuntingClubsMember :NSW Olympic CouncilAustralian CommonwealthGames AssociationAustralian Shooting AssociationINTRODUCTION TO FIREARMSINTRODUCTION TO FIREARMSINTRODUCTION TO FIREARMSINTRODUCTION TO FIREARMSINTRODUCTION TO FIREARMSF irearms fall into three broad types and are readily can be either revolvers or pistols. In the main, handguns are owned by membersof target pistol clubs and are used for competitive purposes.

5 Shooters joining pistol clubsare required to undergo specialised training in the safe handling and use of handgunsand to undergo a period of probation, usually in the region of three months, followingwhich they are required to attend regularly at programmed shoots. During the probationperiod, new shooters have the opportunity to seek expert advice from senior members asto the type and make of the most suitable firearm for their rifle is a shoulder firearm that fires a solid or composite projectile of bore diameter. Theterm rifle is derived from the grooves or rifling inside the barrel that are designed toimpart a stabilising spin to the of the wide range in type and calibre of rifles available on the market, shootersare advised to seek the expert advice of Firearms dealers or members of recognised shootingclubs prior to making a decision to shotgun is a smoothbore shoulder fired gun that normally is used to fire cartridgescontaining a number of small round pellets, the size and number of which can be variedaccording to the application required.

6 Shotguns may also fire a single projectile of borediameter (solid shot) or a wide variety of specialised ammunition. They are most efficientat ranges under 50 are four basic gauge (the most popular) shooters should seek advice on the type of shotgun most suited to their needs andtype of cartridges most appropriate, either for game or is an enormous variety of commercially available Firearms and firearm action following are some of the most common action ACTION TYPESB reak Open Action. The break open action is the most common action of shotguns. Thebarrel is released by a lever and, in opening, normally ejects automatically any cartridgein the chamber. A live cartridge can then be inserted into the chamber.

7 The gun is thenclosed and cocked ready to air rifles operate in a similar fashion. The breaking open of the barrel enables thepellet to be inserted. The action of closing the barrel ensures that the air rifle is ready ON Firearms Safety AWARENESSBolt Action. The bolt action is most commonly found in rifles, although it is availablewith some shotguns. It is a simple and trouble-free action. The action is unlocked bylifting the bolt handle and pulling it back. A cartridge is fed into the chamber by pushingthe bolt forward. The bolt handle is then turned downwards, locking the bolt and cartridgein place. A firing pin is usually cocked by the movement of the bolt or bolt handle. Whenthe trigger is squeezed, the firing pin is released to fire the cartridge.

8 The empty cartridgecase is then ejected by lifting the bolt handle and pulling the bolt Action. This type of action was made famous in American western movies andtelevision programs. The lever action works on the same basic principle as the bolt action,except that a lever is pushed down to unlock the bolt and move it backwards. Thismovement also cocks the action. When the lever is pulled upwards again, it feeds acartridge into the chamber and locks, ready to be fired by squeezing the trigger. After thecartridge is fired, the empty case is ejected by pushing the lever Action. The pump action is found in rifles and shotguns. It is similar to the leveraction, but a pump slide on the fore-end is pulled backwards to open the action and cockit.

9 When the slide is pushed forward the action feeds a fresh cartridge into the chamber,locks and is ready to Semi Automatic or Self Loading Action, operates in the same way as the abovefirearms, except that ejection and loading of the cartridge is carried out automatically bythe force of either the recoil or by gas pressure. Thus, the firearm is loaded and ready tobe fired each time the trigger is firearm TYPESM uzzle Loading FirearmsMuzzle loading Firearms may be rifles, pistols or shotguns. The term muzzle loader describesthe way that a firearm is loaded, namely through the muzzle of a firearm that has thechamber or barrel closed at the other is poured into the barrel and a lead ball or bullet is put into the barrel on top of small hole is at the closed end, usually at the side, just above the trigger.

10 Though thishole, a flame enters the barrel and ignites the powder charge behind the powder shooters usually fire replicas of the original Firearms . A black powder firearmcan be as lethal as a modern firearm , but their loading and firing is more complex andrequires more are working models of original Firearms made of suitable materials and cansafely be fired with the correct FirearmsAmongst collectors it is well accepted that antique Firearms should never be fired. Theyare valuable and may be damaged by firing, and sometimes antique Firearms may be inpoor condition and therefore antique firearm is normally suitable only for display, or as a collector s item, or becauseit is an heirloom or has some other special of some of the more common action types in longarms ON Firearms Safety AWARENESS7 HANDBOOK ON Firearms Safety AWARENESSAPPLYING FOR A LICENCEAPPLYING FOR A LICENCEAPPLYING FOR A LICENCEAPPLYING FOR A LICENCEAPPLYING FOR A LICENCEThis section deals with new applications for longarms Licence Categories A,B, C and a new applicant for a licence in Category A, B, C or D, you are required to.