Police issue statement on gel blaster regulation, South Australia

Statement from Officer in Charge of Firearms Branch – Superintendent Stephen Howard:

The Firearms Branch is processing applications for Firearms Licences relating to gel blasters as a priority and is working with TAFE to develop a gel blaster/paintball specific safety course, which will be shorter and cheaper than the current safety course for firearms that fire ammunition.

It is also working to inspect premises who want to host gel blaster activities so people can return to using them.

The importation of gel blasters was suspended in February this was the first indication gel blasters being recognised as firearms. However now the Firearms Branch is working with dealers and retailers to provide them advice on how they can continue their business.

More than 100 gel blasters have been surrendered to police stations since the regulations changed on Thursday. Thank you to those people who have handed their firearms in.

I encourage those owners who do not want to obtain a firearms licence to surrender their gel blaster to a police station (not police headquarters) to ensure it is properly processed and you will receive a receipt. This must be done before 7 April 2021.

At this time there will be no compensation given to those surrendering their gel blasters.

If you want to keep your gel blaster you must obtain a firearms licence and register your gel blaster before 7 April 2021.

However, it must be clarified that if you obtain a firearms licence for a Category A firearm (including gel blasters) you will not be able to own or operate all types of firearms. If you only have category 4 within your licence then you can only own paintball or gel blaster firearms. Gel blasters will have to be stored in a level 1 safe, which retails for about $200.

If a person deals, owns or possesses a gel blaster and does not hold the appropriate firearms licence then that person may be committing offences against the Firearms Act 2015 and Firearms Regulations 2017, and may be liable to prosecution.

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