Firearms licence (New Zealand)

Rifles, shotguns, and airguns can be lawfully owned by anyone who holds a standard, or A-Category, firearms licence and do not need to be registered.

[1] The act is administered by the New Zealand Police, according to policies documented in their Arms Manual (the most recent, 2002 version of which is out of date).

In addition certain types of firearms – such as humane killers, tranquilizer guns, flare pistols, antiques – may be possessed and used without a licence.

A sporting configuration firearm is a rifle or shotgun that does not meet the legal definition of a military-style semi-automatic (MSSA), "Restricted Weapon" or "pistol".

[7] Weapons other than sporting-configuration rifles and shotguns must be individually registered, and transfer of possession is subject to prior approval by the police.

This gun used by the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter , who held a type A, features a thumbhole stock legally available to him