Be sure to leave all your guns in the United States before you move to Australia. They are outlawed there!
In Australia, there are five categories of gun licences, which restrict the types of firearms you can use/own:
Category A:
Air rifles
Non self-loading rimfire rifles
Single and double barrel shotguns
Category B:
Any muzzle loading firearms
Single shot, double barrel and repeating action centre fire rifles
Break action shotguns / rifle combinations
Category C: (prohibited except for occupational purposes)
Self loading rimfire rifles with a magazine capacity of ten rounds or less*
Self loading shotguns with a magazine capacity of five rounds or less*
Pump action shotguns with a magazine capacity of five rounds or less*
Category D: (prohibited except for official purposes)
All self loading centre fire rifles*, self loading* and pump action shotguns*, and self loading rimfire rifles* with a magazine capacity larger than as defined by Category C
Category H: (restricted)
All handguns, including air pistols
*: Denotes firearms that became banned (formerly Catagory B) under the new decisions of 1996. Apart from obvious exemptions for the military and police, Category C weapons may be obtained if you can produce a valid reason (eg. extermination of feral animals, or if you are a primary producer) where a Category A/B weapon is insufficient for occupational purposes.
Australia’s gun control laws are designed not to cause too much inconvenience to farmers and people who have a valid use for owning firearms, while at the same time cracking down on non-essential firearms - really, who the f*ck needs handguns? (And if anybody says ‘self-defense’ and can actually prove it, they can shoot me themselves)
Each state or territory in Australia is responsible for maintaining it’s own firearms registration, but the systems are linked, forming a country wide database of firearms and licence holders. Unlike some idiots in the US who rant about the Second Amendment, every state government has agreed that possession of firearms is a conditional privelege, not a right. To decide if a person should be entitled to own a firearm (and what sort of firearm), they will have to meet certain classifications to see if they have a genuine reason. These include:
Sporting shooters using lawful firearms with valid membership of an approved club
Recreational shooters/hunters who produce proof of permission from a public or private landowner
People with an occupational requirement
Security employees and professional shooters with approved, nominated purposes
Collectors of firearms (You must be able to prove that you are a true blue collector)
People who have limited purposes that have been authorised by legislation or have Ministerial approval in writing (eg. For film production)
In addition, you must by over eighteen years of age, able to prove you are healthy of mind and body, and you must prove your identity using a system similar to that for opening a bank account (ie. multiple photo-ids plus other points of identification). Underage shooters will be allowed to use firearms under supervision. Gun licences are similar to a driver’s licence - they have a photgraph of the licencee, the address where the gun is stored, and a reminder of safe storage proceedures. Licences are issued twenty-eight days or more after applying, and last for five years or less. All licence holders must receive the highest level of safety training before they can obtain a firearm - regardless of which firearm the licence is issued for. Completing an accredited course in safety training is a prerequisite for someone going for their first gun licence.
Your licence can be denied (or cancelled, if you already hold a gun licence) if you:
Are not of good character
Contravene the firearm law
Have/follow unsafe storage facilities/procedures
No longer have a genuine reason to own a firearm
Have been the subject of an Apprehended Violence Order, Domestic Violence Order, restraining order, conviction for assault with a weapon, conviction for aggravated assault; within the past five years
Have a mental/physical condition which would render you unsuitable for owning, possessing and/or using a firearm
You need a permit (in addition to your licence) for each firearm you intend to own. These permits are subject to a twenty-eight day minimum. You are restricted also to purchasing ammunition only for use with guns that you hold permits for.
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1394479
not for long!