WANTED - Pistol and Rifle Kits

DartzMan wrote:

I am not after replicas or pre built ones as they are not legal in Victoria, Australia. and I prefer to actually build something rather than buy off the shelf.

I would suggest consulting Australian Customs for a clarification on this. The fact sheet (PDF Format) regarding Replica Firearms states the following:

Replica firearms are items that resemble in appearance a firearm but do not discharge projectiles by means of compressed gas or explosive charge. This includes items that do not discharge projectiles such as ornaments and arcade and computer/game controllers that resemble firearms.

The fact sheet states that you will require an import permit  (B709A) to import such items.

I suspect that a model kit which builds up into a full scale (or near full scale) replica, even if non-functional, falls within this description.

Consider that the "classic" Transformers Megatron is a prohibited import to Australia due to its resemblance to a handgun even though it's bright chrome coloured and slightly undersize compared to the real deal.

That's a shame. PC-ness gone mad.

At least we can still have the real thing over here.

I do recall years ago that there were some 1:1 plactic kits of various firearms available. I do not remember which manufacturer it was, but I think it must have been Japanese. I wouldn't mind finding some of these again, particularly anything M-16 related. Good luck in your quest.

looking at those forms it looks like I need a firearms license to have replica firearms....

FITTER wrote:

That's a shame. PC-ness gone mad.

I wouldn't call it PC. Most of the concern over hyperrealistic toy/replica guns was that they were being used in roberries and that police couldn't tell if a suspect was holding a real weapon or a replica. No cop is going to want to be in the postion of trying to decide if the .44 some guy is weilding is real or plastic, But when it comes to making the final decision, with often miimal time to decide, they don't want a dead guy holding a plastic gun.

i would like to see 1/6 or 1/8 scale of lots of guns

like one of those old wwii water cooled 30 cal mg

at hobby emporium  here in mass  they have  some 1/1 handgrenade kits and a pc or two like that

ajlafleche wrote:

couldn't tell if a suspect was holding a real weapon or a replica.

But, that is precisely the problem. 

If a goblin mugs you with a zinc starter pistol, has no crime occured because the perp did not use a "real" gun?   The problem is that it can be easier to attack the image of the problem rather than the problem itself.  The mens rea of the criminal is the issue.  Consider a wooden sword.  The "average" person might not see that as very threatening.  But, old Mushashi Myamoto, back in the day, used a wooden sword to quite deadly effect.

But, I have to admit some bias, from hanging about with reenactors and military vehicle collectors, too.