Thread: Vehicle transport catch-22

Being new to New Zealand firearms laws I'm looking to get some further clarity on traveling with a firearm.

I am looking to get input from board members on how one negotiates the issue of firearms in vehicles, and having to deal with them over the course of a long trip.

For example, lets say I'm taking a long trip around New Zealand. I don't know anyone in other areas so can't leave my rifle with them along the way. Some of the trip will be in areas that I would like to legally hunt small game on public land. At the same time, I will be traveling through some cities and areas where A) staying within eyesight of my car isn't possible and B) taking my firearm out of the car (cased or not) will cause public disruption. In other cases, I may choose to go walking in areas that it is illegal to discharge a firearm, so carrying a firearm (cased or not) would be heavily frowned upon, if not outright considered an offense.

- Is it expected that you just can't take a firearm with you if you can't keep it glued to you 24/7? That seems a bit ridiculous.
- Is it the case that in effect the arms act permits for leaving a firearm securely locked in the boot in a locked case, provided it isn't done as a matter of regular storage?
- Would removing the bolt in addition to securely locking the firearm change the situation?

For context to why I'm asking: in Canada the law permits a firearm to be stored in a vehicle (any container that can not be opened without the use of tools is considered a suitable firearms container), so it was never something I had to think about. Add to that a permanently mounted steel box in the boot and it's more secure than in the house.

The arms act reference to vehicles:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regul...25_se&p=1&sr=1

The police firearms manual states " “Unattended” means that the licence holder is not within or on the vehicle, or does not have the vehicle under continuous observation". I do not however see this clarification in the arms act itself, so it does not apparently have any legal weight. IE it is an interpretation and best practice endorsed by the police, but not written in law.

I'm not out to rattle anyone's cage, I just want to understand what is actually the law, what is functionally enforced (where different, more or less than the letter of the law), and what is the status quo. Whatever the case I don't want to end up like the guy that had guns pointed at him for legally transporting a cased rifle ( https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/ne....post.82658872 )