The NSC has had a decisive win in a legal fight that enables shooters in WA to get access to the Ruger PC Charger.
THREE SHOOTERS who we supported through a marathon legal battle now have their guns licensed. Licensing a gun in WA is the same as having it registered in other states.
This comes after a similar fight we won in 2020 that WAPol reneged on, after coming up with a new argument to ban the gun.
The fight is a great outcome for WA shooters – courtesy of the NSC who fought this after the WA SSAA and Firearms Traders Association declined to back the move.
Original fight over appearance
The original fight against reclassification of the gun on appearance was won in 2020.
However, WAPol retained the right to assess applications on a ‘case by case’ basis.
This left the door open for WAPol to worm their way out of it – but we needed to give them the opportunity to honour their agreement.
To no-one’s surprise, they reneged on the agreement, forcing the NSC to go back through the legal process. In doing this, WAPol argued that they could not licence the gun because the Ruger PC Charger could easily be changed to a category D longarm by fitting of a stock to the rear picatinny rail.
Unimpressed, we launched a new action that we were deeply confident we’d win.
All three applicants now have their guns
The fight that ensued went for several months. What became clear fairly early on was that WAPol wanted to avoid a decision being made that could have gone against them. Around the middle of the year, they proposed a solution to modify the gun so that it would not be possible to convert the gun to a category D.
Concerns were raised about whether the modifications would compromise the safety of the gun, however this was dispelled by experts at NOIA, which is the distributor of the firearm.
While we would have preferred that modifications of the gun should not be necessary, it was the three applicants who were happy to agree to the changes so the case proceeded on that basis.
WAPol approves licence for Ruger PC Charger for one of our applicants
The applicants initially had a bit of difficulty finding gunsmiths who could do the modifications.
However they have now been done with the result that WA Police accepted the conversions and have issued ‘licences’ for the guns.
The important thing is that all three guns, which each of the applicants have, are now licenced. There is now no turning back.
The win by the NSC paves the way for more Rugers to be licenced in WA.
The modifications
WA Police required two modifications.
The first is that the receiver bracket is cut such that the vertical Picatinny / Weaver type modification is removed. This will prevent a buttstock being able to be attached, which WAPOL argues changes it to a category D longarm.
The second modification is that the receiver bracket is to be permanently attached to the receiver. This prevents the receiver bracket from simply being swapped-out.
Plus, WA licence holders must also agree not to fit a front handgrip. Do these, and you should be able to get the Ruger.
More to come
This is not the only current fight we have over the Ruger.
We have another case that we think is going well in South Australia. Hopefully news on this will only be another few days away.
What has become clear to us is that the NSC’s original aim of challenging bad regulatory decisions through the legal system is producing better results than we had expected. It is evidence that the industry leaders who agreed to create and start the NSC in 2019 had the right vision, which is producing the results we need.
Thats awesome… You might want to look at Queensland Police not renewing Licenses for Cat H for people who signed off their own matches, five members from our club in the last two weeks. one is a actual employed club Range Officer . Renewing licenses up till one month ago for members who signed off on their competitions was fine as it had been for the last 15 years.
Fantastic work by the N.S.C. its great to see someone helping the shooting community for a change
Where was the SSAA
No show again WHY would anyone want to be in the ssaa
Same Stupit Appathy Again .
As is always the licences are for the people who use firearms in a sporting manner. We pay for the illegals to stay illegal. I have nothing against a firearm registry but why am I punished , obeying all the laws, when I want to purchase an additional firearm? Red tape sucks. If something was actually being done to collect all the illegal firearms then it would sit better with me. But instead they just keep making excuses to batter the legal owner ! Enough is enough.
More great work! Thank you! If we don’t fight for our rights we will surely lose them. Where are all the other associations? They just roll over and don’t do anything except talk!
That’s great.
Would be great to take on Vic nanny state and have semi auto .22 calibre guns reclassified so we can have them on A/B licence. Would love to have another 10/22 Ruger
Another good result. Well done.
Every one of these victories is vindication for supporting the NSC.
If I can’t be up the front then I can at least be sending resources your way.
Alfa Tactical Systems in QLD, have designed, manufactured and tested, a complete new chassis, that complies with the WA weapons requirements.
Good work, these agencies need to see that we are sick of unwarranted regs on licensed shooters and that their attacks on us will coalesce the shooting fraternity to push back, stand up for our sport and set legal precedents. Next will be to hold the firearms registries to account for their shockingly poor service to us.
Precisely why I am a member of the NSC. You don’t have to like everything these organizations do, but it pays to belong. Join them all I say! We need voices and pressure from everywhere! Way to go NSC! ????????
Great work NSC! Thanks for pushing back against bureaucratic excess, and returning dignity to shooters
Shabbat Shalom.
As a former member of VicPol quite a few years ago then after transferring to Qld Police where I made Detective I need to say something. I went on to be appointed to the United Nations Safety & Security Department for fourteen years until severely disabled on duty. every time I put on a uniform or in civies on missions; I wore a ballistic vest under my shirt which I was very thankful to wear. If only all Police in AU wore one in the uniform or civies as a Detective then fewer cops may get killed by armed assailants. There is little a vest could do here: https://7news.com.au/news/qld/plans-for-wieambilla-property-where-police-officers-were-ambushed-and-killed-revealed–c-9216770
Yom Tov
Ken R
Disabled By Service Incurred Injuries
Former International Civil Servant
Association Internationale de Police Z9YR23M Servo Per Amikeco
Slava Ukraini