More than 100 five-shot Adler shotguns registered in Tasmania

MORE than 100 five-shot Adler shotguns are registered in Tasmania, Police Minister Rene Hidding has divulged.

MORE than 100 five-shot Adler shotguns are registered in Tasmania, Police Minister Rene Hidding has divulged.

And a simple “do it yourself” kit available online can see the five-shot 12 gauge converted into an 11-round rapid fire shotgun.

It follows concerns by anti-gun advocates about the number of firearms in Tasmania and the proliferation of small arsenals across the state.

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The Adler lever-action shotgun rose to notoriety after its Turkish manufacturer released a video showcasing the firearm’s seven-shot version.

The video revealed how the rifle could fire eight rounds in eight seconds without jamming as is common with many other lever-actions.

The emergence of the rapid-fire shotgun sparked fears about the impact on community safety and the potential undermining of the landmark National Firearms Agreement.

In response the Commonwealth slapped an import ban on the seven-shot Adler.

However, the five-shot Alder is currently legal in Tasmania and there are no Federal Government bans on its importation.

Police figures show there a 107 five-shot Adlers in Tasmania.

An Adler A110 shotgun. Police figures show there a 107 five-shot Adlers in Tasmania.

While it has limited capacity a simple 10-minute modification can see the five-shot converted into a 10-shot, capable of holding 11 rounds.

Mr Hidding said Tasmanian firearms dealers have been warned they are not to increase the capacity of an Adler shotgun.

“Any dealer altering a five-shot Adler would act so in contravention to his or her licensing conditions, rendering that dealer subject to prosecution,” Mr Hidding said

However, it is unclear whether Tasmanian gun owners would be prohibited from having the conversion done in another state and the gun brought back into the state.

The Mercury was able to find a South Australian gun dealer selling “do it yourself” kits online for $272 that would increase the five-shot Alder capacity.

Matthew Allen, a former Tasmanian Deer Advisory Committee chairman and Shooter and Fishers Party candidate, said there was no restriction on the capacity of the Adler in Tasmania.

“And not should there be. It’s no different from any other lever action we’ve had for 150 years,” he said.

“It’s a new model that was being brought into Australia which is more reliable than probably what we had.

“It has now just become a political argument.”

But Gun Control Australia vice president Roland Browne urged the Government to ban the shotgun.

“Rapid fire shotguns should not be available and the Government is letting us down in failing to prohibit this firearm,” Mr Browne said.

Last month the Council of Australian Governments failed to agree on whether the Adler should be recategorised as a firearm for which it is is harder to get a licence.

Originally published as More than 100 five-shot Adler shotguns registered in Tasmania