The ACT has become the first Australian jurisdiction to pass laws restricting ownership of controversial Adler A110 lever-action shotgun with more than five round magazine capacity.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Legislation was passed in the legislative assembly today to reclassify lever action shotguns, after the laws were introduced in March this year.
It means the ACT has become the first jurisdiction to legislate new restrictions on such guns after a commitment was made by all government to do so at a COAG meeting last December.
The Canberra Times has previously reported there were as many as 40 Adler A110 five-shot lever action shotguns registered to ACT owners.
The changes, Police Minister Mick Gentleman said, would shift lever action shotguns with a magazine capacity of up to five rounds and more than five rounds from category A to B and D, respectively.
It follows a national controversy about the shotguns and the federal government in 2015 temporarily outlawing all lever action shotguns with magazine capacity of more than five rounds, given law enforcement concerns about a potential shipment of the Adler A110 shotguns with seven-round magazines.
Mr Gentleman said it was important that the laws in place kept pace with "innovation to adequately regulate firearms".
"Category B licences are restricted to farmers and people with a specific need for using the firearm, such as recreational hunters or pest controllers," he said.
"Pump action shotguns and self-loading shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than five rounds are already Category D firearms."
Firearms in category D in the ACT are subject to the most stringent controls and available only to professional shooters and those primary producers who can prove a genuine need for such guns.
