Obtaining a licence and pistols

The sport of competitive handgun shooting exists only within a police-approved clubs. Gun laws are a state-based, but in essence the following may be taken as the general rule across our nation. Below is a summary of this document.

Club membership

A person should attend and join a club.

Then undertake formal safety training in the safe use of firearms.

Then complete six months probation within the club. Ongoing instruction about the club rules and firearm safety occurs within this time.

License application

After joining contact the NSW Police Firearms Registry on 1300 362 562 they will send a target pistol licence application. The P561 (application for personal firearms license or P637 minor's application) and a P660 (Genuine Reason Sport/target shooting) form is required.

You will then receive a Probationary Pistol Licence (PPL). After you receive a PPL, you can purchase ammunition but not a pistol until after 12 months. You cannot posses a pistol unless on club grounds and under supervision.

After 12 months and from a licensed firearm dealer you can select a handgun. You may acquire no more than two pistols, any one of which is:
* A centrefire pistol, or
* A rimfire pistol with a calibre of no more than .22 inch, or
* An air pistol with a calibre of no more than .177 inch, or
* A black powder pistol.

When the details of the selected firearm are known, they are submitted back to the police on an Approval to Purchase form, which is checked by police as to the correct details of the firearm, the current owner (seller) and that the person submitting the approval request is, in fact, in possession of a current firearm license.

Initial Pistol Purchase

Request a PTA for, submit and wait 28 days for this process to take place. If the PTA is approved, then a PTA is issued which is valid for 90 days. The applicant is notified in writing and they can then collect the handgun from the dealer upon producing their current firearm license and the Approval to Purchase form approved by the police.

The applicant then has 14 days to take the firearm to the nearest police station to where they live and register the firearm in their own name. After payment of the fee, the applicant can then only use the handgun at an approved range for an approved event within the approved club.

Ongoing ownership, further pistols and sales

The handgun cannot be used for any other purpose other than target shooting at the pistol club

The club member must attend at least four club events a year to retain club membership and endorsement for a handgun category of their firearm license. The clubs are bound to advise the registry if a member has not completed those events.

The handgun owner is under a legal requirement to store the firearm under security arrangements defined under the Act and regulations.

If the club member wishes to purchase another handgun, then they must go through the same process of approval to purchase, club endorsement, registration and secure storage regime. If the club member wishes to sell a handgun, then it can only be sold to another licensed person (after the purchaser obtains an approval to purchase) or to a licensed firearm dealer.