KEY POINTS:
It looks and sounds like a seriously high-powered firearm - the Saiga AK47 semi-automatic listed for sale on Trade Me.
Hundreds of dollars have been bid for the Russian hunting rifle, described by local gunshops as a military-style rifle, which fires off five rounds at the squeeze of
the trigger.
The seller says the new owner will need just a standard firearms licence to secure the deal.
The state of the country's privately held armoury is under the spotlight with the police seizure of more than 500 semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons, including a Heckler and Koch MP5 submachine gun, which is used by anti-terrorist units around the world.
Some of the weapons are restricted and require special permission to own.
Police statistics show 8447 MSSA (military-style semi-automatic) weapons and 3606 restricted weapons were registered with them as of October this year.
Restricted weapons are defined as weapons such as anti-tank projectors, grenades, heavy machine guns, launchers, rockets and stun guns.
The Saiga is being auctioned by "bronx2005", or Alby of Lower Hutt.
Alby said he was a gun enthusiast with a firearms licence and traded only with people who could verify they held a legitimate gun licence. He described the sales process as a change of ownership of a weapon. He checked potential buyers with the police.
"If you're selling you definitely check out their licence. It's a whole process [of] phone numbers [and] giving them adequate serial numbers and licence numbers and making sure their address [on the firearms licence] is verified."
All you need to know about getting a licence
How do I get a firearms licence?
You must be aged over 16 and "a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or airgun".
An application must be made in person at a police station, community policing centre or police base which has a public counter and is the nearest to your home or workplace. The application form is available from police and requires personal details, employer details and the names of two referees, one of whom must be your spouse/partner or next of kin.
Applicants must also sit a firearms safety test and licence-holders must have police-approved security arrangements for their firearms, such as a safe or wall-mounted brackets.
What should I take with me?
Three types of identity proof, which could be a passport, birth certificate, driver's licence or anything else with photo identification, bank statements and so on.
How much does it cost?
The standard licence costs $123.75 and a dealer's licence costs $200. The fee should be paid at a Post Shop and the receipt attached to the application form.
How long is the licence valid?
Ten years unless revoked by police, or surrendered.
Can I now buy a semi-automatic or automatic weapon?
The standard licence allows you to have and use sporting-type shotguns and rifles, which can be semi-automatic. But some weapons are restricted, including military-style ones, and require endorsement to the standard licence. It costs an extra $200 for one or more endorsements to a standard firearms licence.
* Source - NZ Police
