Firearms Act 1973 (WA)

Western Australia

This Act was repealed by the Firearms Act 2024 s. 440 (No. 23 of 2024) on 31 Mar 2025 (see s. 2(d) and SL 2024/289 cl. 2).

Western Australia

Firearms Act 1973

An Act to make provision for the control and regulation of firearms and ammunition, the licensing of persons possessing, using, dealing with, or manufacturing firearms and ammunition, the repeal of the Firearms and Guns Act 1931 1, and for incidental and other purposes.

[Heading inserted: No. 13 of 2022 s. 4.]

This Act may be cited as the Firearms Act 1973.

This Act shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by proclamation.

[3. Deleted: No. 13 of 2022 s. 5.]

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

ammunition —

• (a)

  means anything made or modified specifically for discharge from a firearm; and

• (b)

  includes the following —

• (i)

  a cartridge, projectile, primer or propellant made or modified specifically for use in manufacturing something described in paragraph (a);

• (ii)

  any other prescribed thing;

but

• (c)

  does not include any of the following —

• (i)

  ammunition rendered inoperative;

• (ii)

  an inert cartridge, dummy round or drill round that does not contain primer, propellant or explosive charge;

• (iii)

  a prescribed paintball pellet;

• (iv)

  a spent primer;

• (v)

  a spent casing, whether or not it can be reused;

• (vi)

  any other prescribed thing;

approved means approved by the Commissioner;

carry includes to have on or about one’s person;

Commissioner means the Commissioner of Police;

dealer means a person who in the ordinary course of business buys, sells or trades in firearms, major firearm parts or ammunition; and deal has a corresponding meaning;

Department means the department of the Public Service principally assisting in the administration of this Act;

Extract of Licence means a Firearms Act Extract of Licence referred to in, and issued under, section 22A;

firearm —

• (a)

  means a device that is made, modified or capable of being modified to discharge or propel a shot, bullet, missile or other projectile, whether or not the device is —

• (i)

  operable or inoperable; or

• (ii)

  assembled or in parts; or

• (iii)

  complete or incomplete;

but

• (b)

  does not include any of the following —

• (i)

  anything that is prescribed in regulations under the Weapons Act 1999 to be a prohibited weapon, an edged weapon or a controlled weapon;

• (ii)

  an industrial tool powered by cartridges containing gun powder, compressed air or other gas, that is made to fix fasteners or plugs or for similar purposes;

• (iii)

  a device made to discharge signal flares;

• (iv)

  a device commonly known as a kiln gun or ring blaster, made specifically for knocking out or down solid materials in kilns, furnaces or cement silos;

• (v)

  a device commonly known as a line thrower, made to establish lines between structures or natural…