How to join Ipswich Pistol Club
Ipswich Pistol Club welcomes new members!
Application Process:
You need to do the following:
Download the document Information For New Members and Membership Application Form from this page
In there you will find the application form
In order to apply for membership of a Pistol Club, the Weapons Act 1990 requires you to provide:
- Two character references from people not family who have known you for at least two years
- A copy of either:
-
- A current Qld Weapons Act Licence (both sides)
-
- OR
- A current Qld Police QP0515 Statement of Eligibility
- A declaration about whether or not you are a member of any other shooting organisation
-
- “I <insert full name> declare that I am a member of the following shooting organisations
-
- Club 1 member no expiry date
- Club 2 member no expiry date
- OR
- “I <insert full name> declare that I am not a member of any other shooting organisations”
- Sign it and date it
Our Club also requires:
- A completed Club membership application form (document from our website)
- Payment receipt for one year’s membership subscription $340
-
- Bank details on the membership form
- Please include the payment advice in your single email
Email all of that in one single email to secretary@ipswichpistolclub.com
Without ALL this information, your application will NOT be considered
The above is a requirement of the Qld Weapons Act 1990
Your application will be circulated to the committee for consideration
If the Committee determines to proceed you will be invited to a Committee meeting (usually second Saturday of each month) to meet and greet
In the event the Committee declines your application your membership subscription will be promptly refunded in full
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.
If you are interested in joining the club and you do not currently hold a firearms licence, please read Becoming a Licenced Pistol Shooter in Queensland and fill in the online QP0515 form at https://bit.ly/3aaC34J
You will need ot lodge this application in person at your local Police Station - You will also need to provide 100 points of ID at that time
If you currently hold a Category H firearms licence please download the following documents Info for new members and IPC Orientation Guide and send an email through to the IPC Secretary secretary@ipswichpistolclub.com
The Secretary will reply with the full requirements for a membership applicaiton
Membership fees for our club for the 2021 / 2022 membership year are:
Full member $340
Full member - – Family Discount
(a) 2 family members $460
(b) 3 family members $520
(c) 4 or more family members $560
NB: ‘family members’ means spouses and children living together in a household
Junior member (under 18yrs) $60
Members participating in Club Working Bees receive a credit of $20 per working bee up to a maximum of $80 per membership year.
Our membership year runs from 1 September - 31 August. Fees for those joining during the membership year are pro rated.
The above fees include:
- All membership dues
- All range attendance fees
- All targets/patches etc
- Third Party Public Liability Insurance
- 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 at secretary@ipswichpistolclub.com
Becoming a Licenced Pistol Shooter in Queensland
The following is a summary of the process to
obtain a handgun licence
(Category H) in Queensland. For more details, please refer to the website of the Weapons Licencing Branch of the Queensland Police – http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/weaponslicensing/
3.1 Before you can Join the Club
(a) Unlicensed Persons
Before you can join a pistol club you must first obtain a Statement of Eligibility from Queensland Weapons Licensing. An applicant must complete the form QP515 (which can be obtained from your local police station or can be downloaded the form from the Queensland Police Website -
(http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/weaponsLicensing
The competed form and the documents specified in the form must be submitted to your local Police Station for approval. If approved, you will receive a declaration to be presented to the Club along with your application for membership. Remember this declaration will only last for 3 months.
(b) Licenced
If you already hold a firearms licence other than a category H (eg Category A & B) , you do not need to obtained the Statement of Eligibility, but will need 2 character references and declaration of other shooting club memberships as above.
If you already hold a Category H license, you need only complete the Club’s membership application form.
3.2 Joining the Club
To join the Club you must complete the Club’s membership application (contained in the Information for New Members document above). That application form, together with the Statement of eligibility, and:
(a) two character reference letters with your application to the Club. (From persons knowing the applicant for more than 2 years); and
(b) 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;
must then be submitted to the Club Secretary for consideration by the Club’s Management Committee.
3.3 Probationary Period
By law, you
must be a member of an approved handgun Club for at least 6 months before you are eligible to
apply for a firearms’ licence.
During this 6 month probationary period, the Club requires new members who do not already hold a handgun licence to shoot 6 rimfire (.22 calibre) matches at the Club, before advancing to other match disciplines and/or larger calibres. We have found that this offers new shooters the best opportunity to learn the basics of handgun shooting, safety and operation.
During this period, new members are required to be supervised by a Range Officer when shooting and must complete a Form 33 Register each time they visit the range to shoot.
During the 6 motnh probationary period you must complete a recognized 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 licenced Firearms Instructors who can provide approved Weapons Safety Course training for Categories A, B, C, D and H).
3.4 Applying for Handgun Licence
Applications for a concealable firearms licence (that is, Category H, handguns) is best submitted via the online application system:
http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/weaponsLicensing/
You will need to have ready to submit with your online application:
- Documents proving your residence (eg a rates notice or electricity bill)
- A passport style photograph
- Your Statement of Attainment from your Weapons Safety Course (note , this is valid for 12 months from the date of issue)
- Form QP 518(A), which is a declaration by the Club’s official representative 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
As it is an online application, you will need to have electronic versions (eg scanned copies) of all of these.
3.5 Once you have your Licence
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 rimfire matches, but not IPSC matches), or
- a centre-fire pistol (up to .38 inch), or
- a black-powder pistol
To maintain your handgun licence, you must participate in at
least 6 handgun competitions per year per firearm.
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.
3.6 Acquiring a firearm
Once you have your licence, you are eligible to
purchase a firearm. However, the purchase of firearm requires an additional permit over and above your handgun licence. To purchase a handgun you must apply for a permit to acquire (a “PTA”).
This is best done via the online PTA system: http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/weaponsLicensing/applyOnline/pta/
).
The current fee for a PTA is $37.50.
The PTA will require you to state the type, action, make, model, barrel length, serial number (if known) and calibre of the weapon, and the magazine capacity of the firearm. Once obtained a PTA is valid for 6 months.
The PTA must be accompanied by a letter form the Club endorsing your acquisition of the particular firearm. This letter is obtained from the Club Secretary.
All purchases of firearms must be done through a licensed firearms dealer. Even of you are purchasing the handgun form a private person, the deal must be brokered by a license dealer. The Dealer may charge a fee of up to $11 for brokering the sale.
