Collectors Section
Firearm collecting is about more than ownership — it’s about preserving history, craftsmanship, and heritage. Each firearm in a collection reflects a chapter of technological innovation, societal development, sporting tradition, or military history, and collecting helps ensure these artefacts are conserved, understood, and appreciated by future generations.
Under both NSW and ACT firearms regulations, collecting is recognised as a legitimate genuine reason for holding firearms, provided certain structured requirements are met. This ensures that collections are responsible, meaningful, and safely maintained. For a collector’s licence to be approved, you must:
- Be a current member of an approved collectors’ club or society — such as the SSAA ACT Collector’s section — and attend at least one (1) meeting per year.
- Demonstrate that your collection has genuine historical, commemorative, thematic or investment value, rather than simply being an assemblage of firearms.
- Comply with specific inoperability requirements: firearms manufactured on or after 1900 must be rendered temporarily incapable of firing (e.g., by removal of the bolt/firing mechanism or an approved trigger lock), and prohibited firearms (Category C/D in the ACT, and Category D in NSW) must be rendered permanently inoperable.
- Store your collection on approved premises and meet enhanced safe-storage standards — in NSW this typically means meeting “Level 9” secure storage and additional security measures to prevent unauthorised access or theft, and in the ACT similar inoperability and storage controls apply.
A firearms collector licence authorises possession only — not use — of the firearms in a collection. Within SSAA ACT our members pursue collecting with responsibility, education, and respect for both the law and our shared cultural heritage.
NSW:
Firearms Collection – NSW Police Public Site
Participation_Requirements_for_Club_Members.pdf
Firearms_Collection_FACT_Sheet.pdf
Safe_Storage_Level_Nine_-_FACT_Sheet.pdf
ACT:
Firearms Licences | ACT Policing
There is no joining fee for the collector’s section currently.
To join the SSAA ACT collector’s section. Send an email with:
- Name
- SSAA Membership Number and expiry date
- State or territory you live in
- A brief description of the type of collection you are wanting to create (structure, theme, etc.)
- Your mobile phone number (for the whatsapp group)
The collector’s section has between 2 and 4 meetings per year depending on activity.
Contact: Luc
Mobile 0412 741 994 (Preferred)
Email: collectors@ssaaact.org.au
