Making your Firearm Permanently Inoperable

General Information

A licensed armourer is the only person who is authorised to render a firearm permanently inoperable, or inspect a firearm already rendered permanently inoperable and provide documentation confirming this.

What does an armourer do?

An armourer is the only person approved to certify a firearm, including rendering it permanently inoperable. To obtain a Certificate of a firearm/weapon being permanently inoperable you must present your firearm to the armourer to be rendered permanently inoperable or to be inspected and confirmed as permanently inoperable.

Permanently Inoperable

Making a firearm permanently inoperable means the firearm has been permanently altered in a prescribed manner to ensure that a projectile can no longer be fired from that firearm.  A licensed armourer or a person specially approved by the Commissioner of Police are the only persons authorised to render and or certify your firearm permanently inoperable.  Section 7 of the Weapons Act 1990 provides information in relation to how a firearm is made permanently inoperable.

A licensed armourer will provide you with a copy of Form 31 – Certificate of a firearm/weapon being permanently inoperable completed, for a firearm/weapon. You must forward this form to the Weapons Licensing Branch for the updating of the records.

Form 31 – Certificate of a firearm/weapon being permanently inoperable

Form 31 – Certificate of a firearm/weapon being permanently inoperable will be provided by the armourer once:

(a) A firearm has been rendered permanently inoperable; or
(b) A firearm has been inspected and confirmed permanent inoperable,

in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Weapons Regulation 1996.

What proof do I need to provide

You will need to provide a copy of Form 31 - Certificate of a firearm/weapon being permanently inoperable to the Weapons Licensing Branch or on demand from a police officer.

Making your firearm permanently inoperable

A firearm is not taken to be permanently inoperable unless a licensed armourer or a person approved by the commissioner certifies, in the approved form, that the firearm is incapable of being discharged.

To render a firearm permanently inoperable:

• If the firing pin can be removed as a separate item: the pin must be removed and the end of the pin hole nearest the chamber must be closed with weld;
• If the firing pin cannot be removed as a separate item: the pin must be ground or cut so that it cannot strike a round of ammunition in the chamber;
• The chamber must be made incapable of taking a round of ammunition by welding a steel insert into the end of the chamber or welding a steel rod vertically across the chamber.
• The firing mechanism must be immobilised by welding its internal components together and to the trigger.

Alternate approval by an Authorised Officer

An authorised officer may, on written application, give the applicant written approval to make a particular firearm or type of firearm incapable of being discharged, in a stated way.

If you wish to apply for alternate approval, please submit a letter in writing to the Authorised Officer, Weapons Licensing Branch detailing what methods that would be used to render the firearm permanently inoperable.