A BID to reclassify the controversial Adler A110 lever action shotgun has failed.
At a meeting of the Law, Crime and Community Safety Council meeting in Canberra today the Adler issue was sent back to the states for another review, according to an article in The Weekly Times.
The Safety Council meeting involved state and territory police ministers along with Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan.
The Turkish-made shotgun has been modified to reduce its tubular magazine to take five 12 gauge cartridges, rather than seven. The seven-shot version has been temporarily banned but the five-shot version is now on sale in Australia.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott intervened in July to stop imports of the original Alder after state police chiefs expressed fears the “technologically advanced” shotgun replicated the now banned semiautomatic firearms.
More than 7000 Australian shooters pre-ordered the Adler.
Mr Keenan today said there was sufficient time to reconsider the Adler issue.
Victorian Police Minister Wade Noonan said while Victoria was home to many legal gun owners who obeyed the law, the state’s target was criminals with illegal guns.
He said Victoria had agreed to participate in a co-ordinated nationwide gun amnesty in 2016 to allow owners of unregistered firearms to either surrender or register them.
“Today’s meeting will see further work by senior officials and Police Commissioners on updating the classification of lever-action shotguns,” Mr Noonan said.
“The council will consider a report on this at its next meeting.”
Jeff Bourman and Daniel Young from Shooters and Fishers Party Victoria said common sense had prevailed.
Mr Bourman said had the reclassifications been agreed to, all lever action shotguns with a magazine capacity greater than five would have gone from a Category A to a Category D firearm, which is the same as semiautomatic centre-fire rifles.
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