r/Ausguns 2d ago

Legality of Snap Caps Legislation- Queensland

Thinking about buying some Snap Caps for a few firearms that my family members own. Was wondering whether or not I needed a license to purchase them or if I could just walk in and buy them off the shelf.

Further, what exactly is the legality behind Snap Caps? Are the treated the same as live munitions or are the classified under something else?

Regards, A firearms newbie.

2 Upvotes

10

u/No_Laughing Queensland 2d ago

No explosive primers or propellant powder so you don't need a license to purchase or possess them.

Some gun stores will ask to see you license for purchases anyway though, more often for handgun related purchases such as grips, cleavers certainly do.

2

u/VladimirMakarov141 2d ago

Appreciate the information and quick reply. I'll swing by my local when I get a chance and see how far I can get.

2

u/sneakypigeon22 1d ago

Bloody hell ain't that the truth! Cleavers wants to see your licence for everything they sell. If they had a soda machine in the shop, it would require a licence to purchase a coke. Drives me nuts.

1

u/cvnthxle NSW 2d ago

My local shops have them on regular shelves with cases and projectiles. If it's not behind the counter, you don't need a license to purchase is a general rule.

3

u/xlr8_87 2d ago

Not necessarily true, but in most cases yes. One of the stores i frequent has centrefire ammo behind the counter but rimfire ammo on shelves accessible by anyone entering.

Snap caps 100% do not require any sort of license to purchase

6

u/cvnthxle NSW 2d ago

Allowing someone the opportunity to shoplift live ammunition sounds like negligent business, that store owner/manager sounds fucking retarded.

2

u/xlr8_87 2d ago

Actually come to think of it, bulk centrefire isn't behind the counter either.

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u/cvnthxle NSW 2d ago

Are you sure it's live ammunition and not just projectiles? Having them on shelf like that for anyone to access would have to be illegal in all states, any shop I've been in has had them behind the counter in 4 different states.

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u/xlr8_87 2d ago

100% sure. On both accounts. This is in Melb. And another shop I go to has bulk centrefire in front of the counter too. Maybe it's a state based rule?

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u/cvnthxle NSW 2d ago

I've been to 4 shops in Vic and they're all behind counter, really feels like they're doing something illegal at the store you're mentioning.

3

u/xlr8_87 2d ago

Clayton Firearms is the first one with all rimfire and bulk centrefire ammo accessible. O'Reillys has bulk centrefire accessible. I am 100% positive on both of these. Haven't been to many others so can't comment on them

1

u/That_Gopnik Queensland 2d ago

May well be one of those places like cleavers that they lock you in and watch you like a hungry lion

1

u/TheOtherLeft_au 1d ago

Sounds like HPGS. Locked front door and the staff are all on elevated positions

1

u/unripenedfruit Victoria 1d ago

I've been to a store in Vic where the bulk ammo in buckets was in front of the counter.

Not like you can slip that into your pocket and walk out

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u/bullant8547 1d ago

Cleavers often have boxes of 1000 rounds of centerfire ammo stacked high in the aisles. It's truly not a problem, you aren't getting out of the store with it without paying (and showing your license).

1

u/Darththorn Victoria 1d ago

They told me they were just pieces of plastic and I was allowed to buy them even before I had a licence, safe or gun.

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u/AussieAK NSW 1d ago

Unless you’re in WA you’re all good

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u/glitchhog Western Australia 1d ago

WA sucks, but you don't need a license to buy snap caps, replica firearms, deactivated actual firearms, or pepper spray. It's not all fucked here... just mostly so.

1

u/AussieAK NSW 1d ago

The reason I said WA is that even spent ammo or cases are ammo, so a fuckwit cop with a “generous” interpretation of that may consider these as “cases”.

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u/glitchhog Western Australia 1d ago

True. I often forget spent brass is considered ammunition here, because it's such a stupid law.

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u/404NotFounded 1d ago

So in all honesty, what the hell am I meant to do with my stack of spent brass? I was holding onto it in case I ran into someone that wanted to reload it but now I have a ridiculous amount. It’s scrap metal at this point but also somehow illegal?! Should I take it to a metal recycler or cop shop or dealer?

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u/zyrorl 1d ago

Snap caps legally require absolutely nothing to buy. You could just 3d print your own snapcaps, they're not ammunition.

1

u/Notapearing 2d ago

The only issue with them is that you aren't meant to handle a firearm without a licence, even if the snap caps are perfectly legal. So they're a bit useless in that regard.

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u/VladimirMakarov141 2d ago

not for me to handle or use, just for a "gift" so when cleaning the firearms, they can "dry fire" them without any issues

1

u/Notapearing 2d ago

Yeah, definitely no issues then.