A firearm part is defined under the Act as any barrel, breech, trigger mechanism, operating mechanism or magazine. It is illegal to possess any of these firearm parts unless you are authorised by a licence or permit to possess a firearm of the category to which the firearm part relates.
Items that are not firearms or firearm parts, such as chassis kits, conversion kits, stocks, rails, grips or similar features are not specifically regulated in Tasmania. The acquisition of such items therefore do not require authorisation.
If a person chooses to purchase such accessories or kits that is a matter for them, however they should be aware that attaching a chassis kit or other similar accessory to a firearm may change the legal status of that firearm. In the case of a pistol, for example, adding a chassis kit or accessory may turn a pistol into a ‘prohibited pistol’ if the accessory:
- extends the barrel length by an unlawful amount, or
- increases the magazine capacity, or
- changes any other attribute of the pistol pursuant to its legal definition
Alternatively it may lead to the pistol being no longer considered a Category H firearm, if the pistol:
- is no longer reasonably capable of being raised and fired with one hand, or
- now has an overall length that exceeds 65cm, or;
- is now determined to substantially duplicate in appearance, a fully-automatic firearm.
When adding accessories such as stocks, rails, grips or similar features to any firearm, you must take care to ensure you do not alter the appearance of your firearm to the point where it no longer fits within the category of firearm for which you are licensed.