NZ LICENSED SHOOTERS BEING JERKED ABOUT:

Generally I am fairly patient, peaceful and slow to anger ...

I postal bid and "won" a collectors antique black-powder single shot percussion pistol at an un-named auction.

Not This One - But Any One?

Now - I'm not going to tell you about the several lots of mixed 'two-two' ammunition that I also won at this auction .. only to be told that I won't be getting these at the bargain prices or any other bid price - as the paperwork involved is now SO extensive and complicated to courier ammunition as to render the process un-viable.

- See? - I'm not going to tell you about that.

This "FABLE" relates only to one firearm. - I threw out a bid of $200 for this muzzle loading single shot - more out of curiosity than for any heartfelt need - but my bid on this unseen novelty was the highest .. so it was knocked-down to my postal bid from over the water to the South Island.

In due time I was mailed an invoice for $269.00 total including 'Buyers Premium' & Couriers /Packaging fee - with a letter detailing the latest police procedure and Couriers system that was for carriage ONLY DEALER TO DEALER. - I had to specify on a form which Firearms Dealer in my area was approved by the Courier

..so I phoned that COURIER's nearest depot (a two hour drive away) and was informed that B*******'s was the approved Dealer. - So next I rang B********'s to confirm that I wanted to have a firearm couriered to them by 'F*****y's Courier' and I needed to quote their Dealer's License number on the form for the police .. well once they sorted-out that their license had NOT in fact expired - I confirmed that I'd have the pistol delivered to them: "OH NO - WE ARE ONLY LICENSED FOR 'A' Category firearms" !!

- Pointing-out that this particular gun was not listed as needing an endorsed license didn't help much so we agreed that they would call me back later.

I sought further direction by 'phoning my district Firearms Officer who is a top man to deal with ..

He thought that there were other "approved" dealerships around but that didn't help me as it had to be a dealer "approved" by this particular Courier who was contracted to this Auction House. - So I asked (that's another mistake eh) did any of this matter and did he need to confirm this 'movement' anyway as it was an exempt "antique" .. so says he "Read me the description" .. then he declares that this was not in his estimation an exempt antique collectible & that I needed to go back to the Auctioneers and get them to sort-out what category the pistol belonged ('B' or 'C') - Register it and start again.

So - I couldn't own it as a non shooting antique (too new?) and I couldn't own it as a target shooting 'B' Cat. - because the three inch barrel is too truncated - but I might have it as a non-shooting 'C' Cat. once it had been registered by the auctioneers & a serial number added to it's action.

So back on the phone to the Auctioneers who said something like "F*CK ME - I've got to go to my local Firearms Office tomorrow anyway as I've got five lots of PROHIBITED FIREARMS that I need to enter in the "BUY-BACK SCHEME" but Police are refusing to accept them from me as they insist that the original owner only can do this ... which is difficult because three of the lots are from DECEASED ESTATES and the original owners have permanently departed this strange country."

My lovely auctioneer suggests that I FORGET IT and we'll nullify the transaction for some future time in a saner world.

.. The "Approved Dealer" hasn't rung me back either ..

Marty K.
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