How to join Ipswich Pistol Club

Ipswich Pistol Club welcomes new members!

Please read the information below - it's a long read but sets out the answers to almost all questions you may have about joining a pistol club.

Membership fees for our club for the 2012/13 financial year are:

• $330 - full adult membership
• $130 - associate membership (partner/spouse)
• $50   - Junior membership

The above fees include:

• All membership dues
• All range attendance fees
• All targets/patches etc
• Third Party Public Liability Insurance
• Affiliation with Pistol Shooting Qld / Pistol Australia
• Personal Accident Insurance
• Use of club firearms under supervision of our licensed instructors and senior members until you gain your own licence and firearm

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Secretary / Treasurer at secretary@ipswichpistolclub.com

Steps to Becoming a Licensed Pistol Shooter

Step 1 
Unlicensed Persons only

• Obtain the form "Application for statement of eligibility to join an approved pistol shooting club" (form QP515) from your local police station or you can download the form from the Qld Police Website (or from the link above). Complete this form and return to your local Police Station for approval.  If approved, you will receive a declaration to be presented to your prefered approved pistol club.  Remember this declaration will only last for 3 months.

• You will also be required to provide two character reference letters with your application to your preferred pistol club.  (From persons knowing the applicant for more than 2 years)

• Provide a declaration to the club stating that you are a current member of another approved shooting club or are not a current member of another approved shooting club.

Licensed Persons

• Persons with an existing licence (eg Category A & B) are not required to submit the form QP 515, but will need 2 character references and declaration of other shooting club memberships as above.

Step 2

• Apply for membership of your preferred Club. (Download a Membership Application for Ipswich Pistol Club from the link above).

Step 3

• Complete a recognised approved Weapons Safety Course (to gain knowledge of safety practices for the use, storage and maintenance of a firearm). Applicants having an A or B licence will only need to do the legislation and Category H components. (Ipswich Pistol Club has licensed Firearms Instructors who can provide approved Weapons Safety Course training for Categories A, B, C, D and H)

• Receive your Statement of Attainment from the training organisation (usually QAPSA). 

• Compete in at least 3 competition shoots at your club within six months of membership with the club.  You must complete a Form 33 every time you shoot to be able to fire a concealable firearm during this period and be supervised one on one, by an appointed range officer.

Step 4

• Apply for a concealable firearms licence:
  You will need to complete and provide the police with:

  • Form 1:  Application for a licence

  • Form 30:  Proof of identity declaration

  • A copy of your Statement of Attainment from your Weapons Safety Course (which has an expiry date of 12 months)

  • Form QP 518(A):   A current declaration by the representative of your approved pistol club stating that you, the applicant, are a financial member of the club, that you have been a member of the pistol club for the 6 month period immediately before the declaration is made and that you have participated in at least 3 handgun shooting competitions during that 6 months

  • Your participation record

  • Proof of residence: eg rates notice or electricity bill
    
    Ensure that forms show that the applicant became a member after obtaining their Eligibility Statement.

Step 5

• Once you have your licence, you can then:

  • Complete a Form 28 (Application for Permit to Acquire) stating the type, action, make, model, barrel length, serial number and calibre of the weapon, and the magazine capacity of the firearm.

  • The person you are obtaining the firearm from must also sign the application for Permit to Acquire, confirming that 'as the registered owner of the below weapon which is held in safekeeping I authorise the sale of the weapon'.

  • With the above application include a letter from the Club, on a Club letterhead, stating the need for the firearm (matches/events/competitions to be shot).

  • Remember: a permit to acquire has an expiry date  of 3 months.

During these steps there will be costs (fees subject to increase by CPI each year) involved with the forms obtained.

For Licensing Fees see: http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/weaponsLicensing/fees.htm

For Queensland Police Forms see:

http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/weaponsLicensing/forms1.htm

For the first twelve months of holding a concealable firearms licence, you are only able to possess 1 (one) air pistol, and 1 (one) of the following – a rim-fire pistol (.22) (this calibre will enable you to shoot all ISSF matches), or – a centre-fire pistol (up to .38 inch), or – a black-powder pistol.

A holder of a concealable firearms licence, who is a member of an approved shooting club, must not possess:

• a weapon with a calibre of more than .38 inch;

• a weapon that is semi automatic and has a barrel length of less than 120mm unless it has an overall length of at least 250mm measured parallel to the barrel;

• a weapon that is not semi automatic (e.g. revolvers and single shot pistols) and has a barrel length of less than 100mm unless it has an overall length of at least 250mm measured parallel to the barrel;

• a weapon with a magazine with a maximum capacity of more than 10 rounds;

• a weapon designed to be used without a magazine that has a maximum capacity of more than 10 rounds.

However, an authorised officer may authorise the holder of a licence, by an accreditation condition endorsed on the licence, to possess a category H weapon of high calibre more than .38 inch but not more than .45 inch, if the authorised officer is satisfied that the holder is to participate in an accredited event.

Accredited events are;
a)  a metallic silhouette competition; and
b)  a single-action competition.

The limitations do not apply to category H weapons that are black-powder handguns.

To have a licence endorsed for accreditation condition a Form 4 must be completed.