Police have released a list of more than 300 guns for the Government's buyback scheme for firearms that are no longer legal after law changes in April. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Police have released a list of more than 300 guns for the Government's buyback scheme for firearms that are no longer legal after law changes in April. Photo / Mark Mitchell
A firearms dealer who was part of the expert group that gave advice on the Government's gun buyback scheme says the group's input was largely ignored.
John Herbert, who owns the online store New Zealand Repeating Arms, said the pricing scheme is a "complete joke" in some cases - anddisrespectful of the expert group's advice.
He said the group had only five hours to look at the price list, and was not consulted again.
"Like the whole process so far, there's been no due diligence done because the Government is in such a hurry, and they don't seem to want to do it properly," Herbert said.
"There's a whole lack of respect and consideration for the firearms community. We've done nothing wrong."
Police released an extensive list of guns, each with a price for poor condition (25 per cent of the base price), average condition (70 per cent of the base price), and new or near-new condition (95 per cent of the base price).
The list also includes gun parts - including magazines, silencers, open sights and custom triggers - with a different price setting: 70 per cent of the base price for new or used, and 25 per cent of the base price for poor condition.
The prices were put together by consultancy firm KPMG, which consulted widely and also held a workshop with firearms experts, including Herbert.
Herbert said some of the base prices were correct, but people who owned collectibles will feel ripped off.
"They've been priced in a way that it's been devalued, based on a percentage figure dreamed up by someone.
"Say an M1 Garand, the iconic rifle you saw soldiers using in the movie Saving Private Ryan. Those prices were based on what they sell for at Gun City or at an antique arms association auction. They haven't made those rifles for 70 years. None of them will be near-new.
"So the prices for all those collectibles are a complete joke."
Herbert, who is also on the Firearms Community Advisory Forum that advises police on firearms matters, said the experts agreed that magazines should be bought back at full price - not at 70 per cent of the price.
"Bushmaster AR15 rifles don't even have a price. Plenty of them in New Zealand. If it was fact-checked by the experts, this could have been fixed."
"Compounding that is the fact that the KPMG guys in the room with us - I'm sure their intentions were all fine - but I don't think they understood what we were telling them."
Herbert's comments follow similar criticisms from the Council of Licensed Firearms Owners, which said its members were "angry and "frustrated", and some of them did not want to surrender their firearms.
Herbert said he would comply with the law, but also knew of people who intended to keep their firearms.
Police Minister Stuart Nash said KPMG also sought advice from farmers, hunters, dealers, valuers, auctioneers and gun clubs, and came up with a balance between fair compensation for firearms and a fair cost for the taxpayer.
He said anyone disputing a price could appeal to the District or High Court.
The Government could also pay $300 towards modifying the firearm in a way that made it legal.
People could also apply for an exemption, or pay for a revaluation if their gun had been significantly modified, or if it was not on the price list. This would cost the firearms owner $138.
Police Minister Stuart Nash says the buyback scheme strikes a balance between fair compensation for firearms and a fair cost for the taxpayer.
But Herbert said getting an exemption wasn't worth it, even if it was granted, because the firearm would need to made inoperable, and a part of it would have to be stored at a different address.
"They'll be something that looks like a firearm but has no functionality. I don't know if I really want to own that, and at that stage the whole value is ruined anyway."
He said the panel should be reconvened and the price list corrected, with full market value offered for every firearm unless it was "an absolute piece of junk", in which case half of the market value should be offered.
According to regulations that were passed last week, only the Police Commissioner can amend the price list.
The first police collection event for the gun buyback scheme will be at Addington Raceway in Christchurch on July 13.
