Thread: Firearms Storage

Can anyone direct me to where storage requirements are spelled out as to what is and isn’t acceptable.
All I’ve found so far is .

“ You are required by law to have a safe and secure place to store your firearms at your premises. Store firearms and ammunition separately, out of the reach of children, out of view and in a secure room, rack or cabinet approved by your Arms Officer. “

There must be a more definitive set of rules and regulations than that , I must be looking in the wrong places .

Does your storage have to be made of metal ?

We will be doing renovations soon and I would like to have a built in cabinet made for my rifles instead of my current gunsafe .

I know years ago it was acceptable to have a locked cupboard etc , but I’ve had a metal safe for years and have not kept up with what’s acceptable and what’s not in regards to non metal storage.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

All the info is on the new website. Here's the pdf

https://www.firearmssafetyauthority....e-guidance.pdf

Originally Posted by Coop

All the info is on the new website. Here's the pdf

https://www.firearmssafetyauthority....e-guidance.pdf

Cheers, that’s what I was looking for

Reading that, it seems a sturdy cabinet over 16mm wall thickness is permitted.
Does anyone have recent experience of building a wooden one and had it pass inspection?

I had a wooden one rejected in 2016 that was double skinned on all faces 18mm MDF. Good luck getting a non metal one past them.

Originally Posted by Woody

Reading that, it seems a sturdy cabinet over 16mm wall thickness is permitted.
Does anyone have recent experience of building a wooden one and had it pass inspection?

That would be more in line for the 'rooms of stout construction' inbuilt into a house or garage with greater than 16mm structural ply on the walls over 65mmx65mmx5mm unaltered mesh for chainsaw resistance. You are correct, the old MDF strong boxes are a historic thing now. Not resistant enough to crowbar and similar lever attacks.

On reading some of the regs I laughed at the storage of a firearm in the ceiling of a house.

Don't the powers of be know that wire cable is real easy to cut using a tomahawk or sharp cold chisel and hammer.

Originally Posted by Gamehunter

On reading some of the regs I laughed at the storage of a firearm in the ceiling of a house.

Don't the powers of be know that wire cable is real easy to cut using a tomahawk or sharp cold chisel and hammer.

Most NZ houses can be torn down using an axe, and broken into with a spoon...

got to remain realistic...

I| have an overflow safe made of 18mm MDF that is an approved A category safe, but it is sandwiched between a wall and a 6mm steel safe, is double locked and has a double thickness door.

"Overflow Safe"... Is that a thing? Sounds like one of those nature hates a vacuum situations to me!

Originally Posted by No.3

"Overflow Safe"... Is that a thing? Sounds like one of those nature hates a vacuum situations to me!

I get offered things all the time and naturally I buy them if the price is right, so I get an 'overflow' from time to time.

Ahhhhhh - selling... I guess people do that huh?

Last time the arms officer was at my place he told me they are no longer accepting wooden safes. Apparently safes have to resist an attack from hand tools, and they now consider a battery powered saw to be a hand tool. No mention of battery powered grinders though....

If you're building something in then I imagine a concrete base, concrete top and concrete poured block walls would be more than sufficient for a cat A licence.

Originally Posted by Fatberg

Last time the arms officer was at my place he told me they are no longer accepting wooden safes. Apparently safes have to resist an attack from hand tools, and they now consider a battery powered saw to be a hand tool. No mention of battery powered grinders though....

If you're building something in then I imagine a concrete base, concrete top and concrete poured block walls would be more than sufficient for a cat A licence.

Considering it's considered suitable for a room of stout construction, it would be interesting to see if they would approve of a dual layer of 18mm ply with a section of the compliant 65x65x5mm unaltered mesh sandwiched in the middle. That means it's resistant against attack by saws and the like (unless the crims were lucky enough to flog one with one of those new fangled screeching chop anything blades)...

Originally Posted by Fatberg

Last time the arms officer was at my place he told me they are no longer accepting wooden safes. Apparently safes have to resist an attack from hand tools, and they now consider a battery powered saw to be a hand tool.

There's the problem.
The arms officer was putting his (or his superiors) interpretation on something.
The requirements are quite clearly spelled out here https://www.firearmssafetyauthority....e-guidance.pdf , and a wooden cabinet, constructed to the guideline is there for all to see. Go to page seven (7) section 2.2.6.
Until or unless police change their document there really is no wriggle room.