The following is the text of the statement from the New Zealand government on what the changes to the country’s gun laws will mean: 1. What semi-automatic firearms will be affected by the ban? The ban will apply to all firearms that are now defined as military-style semi-automatics (MSSAs) and will also include assault rifles. 2. What semi-automatic firearms will not be affected by the ban? There is a balance to be struck between public safety and legitimate use. The changes exclude two general classes of firearms which are commonly used for hunting, pest control, stock management on farms, and duck shooting. Semi-automatic .22 calibre rimfire firearms with a magazine which holds no more than 10 rounds Semi-automatic and pump action shotguns with a non-detachable tubular magazine which holds no more than five rounds 3. What semi-automatic firearms are affected by today’s changes? Two types of firearms are now defined as MSSAs: A semi-automatic firearm capable of being used with a detachable magazine which holds more than five cartridges A semi-automatic shotgun capable of being used with a detachable magazine which holds more than five cartridges 4. What happens to people who have A-Category firearms licences and now, after the changes, own MSSAs? It would normally be an offence for an A-Category licence holder to possess an MSSA, punishable by up to three years in prison or a $4,000 fine. However a transitional period gives time for people to comply with the law, if they take certain steps. The transitional period will be confirmed next month. Firearms owners who unlawfully possess an MSSA now have three options Voluntarily surrender the firearm to police for safe disposal Complete an online form on the police website to arrange for the MSSA to be collected, while details are finalised for compensation under a buy back scheme Sell or gift the firearm to a person who has an E-Category licence and a “permit to procure” the weapon 5. Are the police geared up to receive large numbers of MSSAs? Yes. They will work with the the New Zealand defence force to enable safe storage, transport and destruction of MSSAs. Police are establishing an online form which will make it easier for firearms owners to arrange for Police to collect the MSSAs. The online form will go live over the weekend. It will not be practicable for firearms owners to physically return their weapons to police stations without prior approval. Where extra administrative staff are required they will be hired on fixed-term contracts. 6. Will this lead to stockpiling of semi-automatics? No. The changes take effect immediately. Anyone who now unlawfully has an MSSA, which yesterday was a lawful firearm, needs to take steps to comply with the law. 7. Will some firearms dealers be breaking the law if they have these MSSAs in stock? Some firearms dealers only hold A-category licences. In order to comply with the law, they could sell their stock of semi-automatics to a Category-E licence holder or return them to their supplier. 8. What are the statistics for firearms licences and firearms in circulation in New Zealand? There are 245,000 firearms licences Of these, 7,500 are E-Category licences and 485 are dealer licences There are 13,500 firearms which require the owner to have an E-Category licence, this is effectively the known number of MSSAs before today’s changes The total number of firearms in New Zealand is estimated to be 1.2-1.5m 9. What further issues are being considered? Cabinet will consider further steps on 25 March. These will include measures to: Tighten firearms licensing and penalties Impose greater controls over a range of ammunition Address a number of other issues relevant to special interest groups such as international sports shooters and professional pest controllers, such as DoC. Futureproof the Arms Act to ensure it is able to respond to developments in technology and society 10. How will the buyback work, and who will administer it? Police, the Treasury and other agencies are working through the detail. More information will be available when the legislation is introduced next month. The compensation will be fair and reasonable based on firearm type, average prices and the age of firearms. 11. What is the cost of the buyback likely to be? That is very difficult to judge, given the limited information about the total number of firearms affected by this change. Preliminary advice suggests it could be in the range of $100m-$200m. The buyback will ensure these weapons are taken out of circulation and that we fulfil our obligations under the law.<doc-sep>New Zealand gun owners point out that it is exactly the loophole Tipple brought up — purchasing larger magazines — that enabled the mass shooting. One gun owner who owned several AR-15s but has since given them up said they cost only $1,200 in New Zealand but would cost $25,000 or more in Australia on the black market, because they are effectively banned there.<doc-sep>It took New Zealand just six days to announce an immediate plan to change to the nation’s gun policy after a gunman killed 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch last week. On Thursday, a day after the first victims were laid to rest, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a national ban on all military-style semiautomatic weapons, all high-capacity ammunition magazines and all parts that allow weapons to be modified into the kinds of guns used in last week’s attack. Ms. Ardern is expected to encounter little resistance in Parliament. The new law could be in place as soon as April 11. It is unclear how the weapons ban will be felt in New Zealand, where there are plenty of guns but relatively few murders. Since 2007, gun homicides have been in the single digits every year except in 2009, when there were 11.<doc-sep>Within 24 hours of the Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque shootings, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last Friday vowed that “our gun laws will change.” Less than a week later, on Thursday, Ardern announced sweeping changes to strengthen the country’s gun laws that will be in full effect by mid-April. New Zealand already had much stronger gun laws than the US (as is true for developed nations in general). For one, New Zealand requires a license to buy and own firearms — a standard that only a few states in America have. But New Zealand’s laws still have gaps that have led to some critics describing the country’s laws as “patchy,” particularly when it comes to the registration and regulation of semiautomatic rifles (often known as assault weapons). Among the changes, New Zealand will now ban all military-style semiautomatic and assault rifles, Ardern said. The country will also create a buyback scheme to confiscate the banned weapons, and the prime minister promised steps to ensure there isn’t a rush to buy the prohibited guns before the new law fully takes effect. The plan seems similar to what Australia did in response to a mass shooting in 1996 — changes that have been linked to fewer gun deaths in the subsequent years. “When Australia undertook similar reforms, their approach was to allow for exemptions for farmers upon application, including for pest control and animal welfare,” Ardern said. “We have taken similar action to identify the weapons legitimately required in those areas, and preclude them.” Thursday’s announced changes are the “first tranche” of reforms to New Zealand’s gun laws, Ardern explained. More changes are coming, which will address, among other issues, gaps in the nation’s gun registration laws. Americans who are used to their government reacting to mass shootings with no more than “thoughts and prayers” may be surprised by the swift reaction. It’s partly because the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its sway over the gun control debate is an American phenomenon. But the fast changes are also possible because New Zealand’s parliamentary system makes it possible for the ruling coalition to turn ideas into reality quickly. The result: It took just one mass shooting for New Zealand to move to change its gun laws. In the US, where levels of gun violence are generally much higher, it’s unclear if any changes will ever happen at the federal level — even as the US suffers mass shooting after mass shooting on a nearly daily basis. How New Zealand’s gun laws are changing Before any changes, New Zealand’s gun laws were already far more restrictive than America’s. As the US’s Law Library of Congress explained, New Zealand’s system mainly focuses on licensing, but registration of firearms is not always required. New Zealand has relatively high levels of gun ownership: more than 1.2 million civilian-owned firearms — about one gun for every four people, according to Small Arms Survey, which provides estimates for gun ownership around the world. That puts the country in the top 20 nations in the world for civilian gun ownership, though still far behind the US, which has more than one gun for every person. In New Zealand, people first have to obtain a license to legally purchase, own, and possess a gun. A license applicant is vetted to check for a criminal record, a history of violence, drug and alcohol use, and relationships with potentially dangerous people, among other factors. The applicant also must go through a firearms safety course. That all typically takes months to get through. Once a person makes it through the process, he’s allowed to purchase guns and ammo — although some types of firearms, like handguns and certain semiautomatic rifles, require “endorsements” from police and separate permits to purchase. There are also extra storage and inspection requirements. The licenses have to be renewed every 10 years, and police can revoke a person’s license if that person is believed to no longer be fit for ownership and may pose a threat. Gun sellers are also licensed and regulated by police. Unlike other licensing systems (such as Massachusetts’s), firearms in New Zealand don’t always have to be registered. This can lead to bizarre circumstances in which a gun only has to be slightly modified to no longer require registration. For example, assault weapons only need a slight modification — like being equipped with a lower-capacity magazine — to fall under a less restrictive category that doesn’t require registration, letting some possibly very deadly weapons fall through the cracks. Despite the gap, New Zealand’s gun laws haven’t gone through significant changes since a mass shooting led to reforms in 1992. Amendments passed in 2012 did clarify some of the rules around registered assault weapons, but the changes were largely technical and minor. So the reforms announced by New Zealand’s prime minister will act as the most sweeping changes to the country’s gun laws in decades, closing the loopholes on the registration of assault rifles by banning the guns entirely and confiscating the weapons through a buyback scheme. Future reforms, Ardern said, will also deal with other issues, like gun registration. Even without the changes, New Zealand’s gun laws were already much stricter than the US’s. While New Zealand requires a license, which entails a months-long vetting process, for all gun owners, the US doesn’t necessarily require even a basic background check, because the federal background check law has so many loopholes that there are ways to get around it. America’s weaker gun laws — the weakest in the developed world — are one reason the US has much higher levels of gun violence than other countries. Several studies have found that stricter gun laws are associated with fewer gun deaths, with some of the strongest research linking gun licensing schemes similar to New Zealand’s to significant reductions in gun deaths in Connecticut and Missouri. One breakthrough analysis concluded that the US doesn’t have more crime, generally, than other developed countries, but it does have more lethal crime, like murder — in large part thanks to easy access to firearms. New Zealand, for its part, generally has few gun homicides.<doc-sep>
Send this page to someone via email CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Only a week after attacks on two mosques in New Zealand killed 50 worshippers, the country has banned sales of “military-style” semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. READ MORE: New Zealand PM announces ban on semi-automatic and assault rifles after mosque shooting In the world of politics, it’s a lightning fast response, especially when compared to the deeply contentious, long-running gun control debate in the United States. The suddenness of Thursday’s ban, which came as the dead were being buried, has raised many questions, especially for those not familiar with firearms. Here’s a closer look: What’s being banned? Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that “every semi-automatic weapon used in the terrorist attack last Friday will be banned.” Story continues below advertisement Ardern said a sales ban was effective immediately to prevent stockpiling and would be followed by a complete ban on the weapons after new laws are rushed through. The ban includes any “military-style” semi-automatic guns or shotguns that are capable of being used with a detachable magazine that holds more than five rounds. It also extends to accessories, such as bump stocks, used to convert guns into what the government called “military-style” weapons. WATCH: Thousands of people packed a Dunedin stadium Thursday evening to remember the victims of the Christchurch mosques shootings 1:24 New Zealand shooting: Thousands pack Dunedin stadium in vigil for the fallen New Zealand shooting: Thousands pack Dunedin stadium in vigil for the fallen – Mar 21, 2019 Military-style semi-automatics have been defined under New Zealand law as rifles with magazines exceeding seven shots, or with pistol grips, folding or telescopic butts, bayonet attachments or flash suppressors at the end of the barrel. Many different types of firearms, from pistols to rifles and shotguns, can be semi-automatic. Semi-automatic refers to a firearm’s ability to self-load, not only firing a bullet with each trigger pull, but also reloading and making the firearm capable of firing again. Story continues below advertisement READ MORE: Some New Zealanders voluntarily surrender guns in wake of mosque shooting What’s not being banned? The ban does not include semi-automatic .22 caliber or smaller guns that hold up to 10 rounds or semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns with non-detachable magazines that hold up to five rounds. The guns not banned are commonly used by farmers and hunters. Caliber is the measurement of the diameter of the inside of a gun barrel. A higher caliber firearm uses larger rounds that can do more tissue damage and are more lethal. The government said the police and military would be exempt, as would businesses carrying out professional pest control. Access for international shooting competitions would also be considered. WATCH: New Zealand’s Ardern vows to deny gunman notoriety 3:31 ‘He shall be nameless’: New Zealand’s Ardern vows to deny gunman notoriety ‘He shall be nameless’: New Zealand’s Ardern vows to deny gunman notoriety – Mar 19, 2019 What happens to banned guns? Ardern said people could hand over their guns under an amnesty while officials develop a formal buyback scheme, which could cost up to 200 million New Zealand dollars ($140 million). Story continues below advertisement New Zealand police said on their website that the “transitional period” would allow people to arrange to hand over their unlawful firearms to police without penalties. It encouraged people to fill out an online form and said after that police would be in touch to make arrangements. There could be legal exemptions to the ban, such as for pest controllers, but Ardern said any exemptions would be “tightly regulated.” “For other dealers, sales should essentially now cease. My expectation is that these weapons will now be returned to your suppliers and never enter into the New Zealand market again,” she said. WATCH: New Zealand farmer says he is surrendering guns in wake of attack 1:33 New Zealand shooting: Farmer says he is surrendering guns in wake of attack New Zealand shooting: Farmer says he is surrendering guns in wake of attack – Mar 19, 2019 How many guns are affected? There are nearly 250,000 licensed gun owners in New Zealand, which has a population of 5 million people. Officials estimate there are 1.5 million guns in the country. Story continues below advertisement Sydney University gun policy expert Philip Alpers estimated that only 6 percent of all weapons in New Zealand were registered. He said there could be 500,000 semi-automatic rifles and shotguns.