Sporting Shooters Association of New Zealand

29/03/2026

What's the firearm you regret moving on to a new home?

For me , it's this Wi******er 1897.

I should've kept it , but someone referred to me as a shotgun collector and it made me feel uneasy.

Sure was fun with that slamfire.

24/03/2026

There’s something about old cartridges that stops you for a moment.

Not because of what they are… but because of where they’ve been.

These .303 Savage rounds - Kynoch, soft nose, 180 grain - sat in a box long before most of us were born.

Before composite stocks.
Before rangefinders.
Before the way we shoot now even existed.

They’ve outlived the man who first bought them.

They’ve outlived the rifle they were likely meant for.

And now, somehow… they’ve ended up with me.

The man who gave them to me is in his 80s.
Just one of those quiet connections you make over time through shooting, through shared interest.

The man that bought them is dead , and has been so for longer than I've been alive.

Now they lay with me.

He told me he didn’t have anyone else to give them to , despite having three kids - None of them wanted anything to do with his shooting gear.

These Cartridges predate him by 50 years.

He was just the next caretaker.
And now, So am I.

That’s the part people forget.

We all start young in this game. Keen, hungry, chasing groups or game or the next bit of kit.

But time moves fast.

Days blur into months and years.

One day you’re learning from someone… next minute you are the someone , and the mentor you had is just a memory.

And then one day, if you’re lucky enough to get there… you’re looking around wondering who carries it on.

This isn’t just about ammunition.
It’s not about nostalgia for the sake of it.

It’s about continuity.

In New Zealand, shooting has always been passed hand to hand.

Knowledge. Ethics. Respect. Stories. Gear.

The unwritten rules that don’t show up in legislation but define who we are.

If that chain breaks - it’s not because someone else took it from us.

It’s because we let it go.

We are the custodians now.
Not just of fi****ms, but of culture.

And if we don’t pass it on properly, with care, with intention, with pride, then we’re the ones responsible for what gets lost.

Not the government.
Not the next generation.

Us.

So maybe it’s worth thinking about:

Who are you passing your knowledge to?
Who gets your stories, your lessons, your gear one day?

Because one day, whether you realise it or not, someone will be holding something of yours,
wondering where it came from.

02/03/2026

SSANZ is on the ground for our verbal submission by our president Thomas Hemphill at approx 4pm.

Tune in here :

https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/justice/news-archive/watch-public-meetings-of-the-justice-committee

27/02/2026

Common sense prevails.

26/02/2026

Select Committee decline submissions forLFOs who wish to safeguard their security

Update 27/02/: We have now heard back from Andrew Bayly, Chair of the Justice Select Committee. They have confirmed that if you have made a submission with your name and details, but also included a request that your details not be made public, then your submission HAS BEEN ACCEPTED.

However, if you have requested to speak on your submission to the Committee, but wrote that you do not wish your details to be public, then they will not give you a speaking slot unless you reply to their email and state you're ok with being named.

*****
Original Post: If you made a submission on the Arms Bill Consultation, check your email inboxes. It seems as though they are trying to disallow anyone who wanted to protect their privacy.

COLFO has written to the Chair of the Justice Select Committee Andrew Bayly MP, and Minister Nicole McKee MP to strongly recommend that this be revisited, and that submissions be published with the following format: First name, Initial of last name e.g. Andrew B. IOr at the very least, the thousands of submisisons who requested this for their safety are not automatically withdrawn and no longer counted.

Please check your email and if you have received the message, respond that you do wish your submissions to be included.

22/02/2026

Something definitely within our scope to pay attention to.

Have a read of the Game Animal Council's Arms Bill submission, give us your thoughts below.

Important to note that while we may not agree with every given point of every organisation , we must support the process of submission and appreciate the effort that goes into some of the larger submissions.

Cheers Team.

The GAC's submission on the Arms Bill is available on our website now. Our submission focuses on provisions the GAC supports and those it has concerns about, calling for final legislation that is proportionate, practical, and supportive of lawful hunting, game animal management and other hunting activities that benefit conservation and communities.

You can read the submission on our website here:https://nzgameanimalcouncil.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GAC-Submission-Arms-Bill.pdf

👉The GAC supports:
- The Bill’s aim to modernise fi****ms legislation in a way that balances public safety with lawful ownership and use.
- Efforts to reduce unnecessary complexity and compliance burdens for fit and proper licence holders, while strengthening safeguards against criminal access to fi****ms.
- Key measures such as separating regulation and enforcement
- Establishing independent review mechanisms
- Retaining the minimum licensing age of 16
- Adopting practical, risk-based licensing and business frameworks
- Provisions that enable supervised use, visitor licensing, and education-focused compliance.

👉We raised concerns about:
- Registry access
- Narrow definitions affecting game animal management
- Cost recovery settings
- The characterisation of firearm ownership as a “privilege.”

22/02/2026

With the submission period now closed, and fear-driven narratives once again dominating the conversation, it’s worth reflecting on what rushed legislation has already cost.

Lawful fi****ms owners were divided, sporting bodies lacked cohesion, and the community we value struggled to speak with one voice.

That cannot continue. Our focus now is unity, clarity, and standing together for the future of sport shooting, across all disciplines.

22/02/2026

With submissions on the Proposed new arms act now closed , There’s a genuinely important question worth asking.

As the regulator, the Fi****ms Safety Authority holds contact pathways not just for licence holders, but also for referees, associates, and medical professionals connected to applications and renewals.

With a growing online register now in place, broad stakeholder communication is no longer a logistical impossibility.

They have the Email of every single person on the register , and are quick to fire out phonecalls and Emails for simple clerical errors that may leave you, the License holder, criminally liable.

This makes their recent inaction difficult to ignore.

Over the past weeks, there was a clear opportunity for the Fi****ms Safety Authority to actively advise, inform, and ensure that all fi****ms owners were aware of and able to engage with the proposed bill.

Every Law Abiding Fi****ms owner and adjacent personnel should have been encouraged to make a submission to form good legislation through proper democratic process.

The FSA did not embrace this opportunity.

In our view, this opportunity was missed, and that is deeply disappointing.

So the real issue becomes one of intent.

Does the Fi****ms Safety Authority want to work constructively with the lawful fi****ms community and foster a positive, functional relationship as they continously say they do?

Are they interested in repairing the regulator/regulatee relationship that was destroyed post 2019?

Are they actually worried about functional fi****ms legislation that is focused on public safety and the safe recreational usage of fi****ms?

Or will the FSA continue to allow distance, confusion, and frustration to widen the space between regulator and responsible fi****ms owners?

It's the willingness to conform to a system that has been hyped up by the FSA and their advocates to such a level that they're too embarrassed to admit it may have some shortfalls that is nothing short of a slap in the face.

Many licence holders are not active on social media.

Many rely on clubs, networks, Emails, and direct communication channels for information.

Clear, inclusive communication benefits all license holders, including the regulator.

A strong regulatory environment is built on cooperation, clarity, and mutual respect, not wilfull, convenient ignorance.

Worth a thought.

Picture Related.

UTAS Straight Pull on some recent pest reduction work - Don't wet the bed.

21/02/2026

Great to see all aspects of fi****ms enthusiasm all across New Zealand , It's crazy that most People don't understand that all of these fi****ms can be owned in a fully functional state with the correct endorsements.

19/02/2026

17/02/2026

SSANZ thanks all LFOs who made a submission on the Arms Bill