Gun popularity slides in Masterton

A Masterton gun club boss says the popularity of firearms is declining, despite police figures showing thousands of gun licences are on issue across the Wellington region.

Gun ownership has been in the spotlight after thieves made off with a huge stash of weapons from an Auckland house last month, including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and 5000 rounds of ammunition.

Days later, two shotguns were stolen in a daylight burglary in Dargaville.

And police seized 112 firearms nationally from people involved in the drug trade as part of their annual cannabis operation.

Police figures show 16,628 people hold firearms licences in the Wellington police district, which includes Wairarapa. But there is no way of knowing how many guns are in circulation.

Masterton Rifle Club secretary Frank Duckett said firearms' popularity was sliding.

"[Rifle shooting] is not PC so it is a struggle. We're a group of like-minded people, we enjoy our shooting, and it's a sport."

The small club, east of Masterton, had produced some accomplished shooters, with some members in their 70s and 80s.

Target shooting was "very tightly controlled" and safe, contrary to what some people thought about gun use.

While none of the club members had been targeted personally by thieves, gun theft was "something you couldn't get away from", Mr Duckett said.

The number of weapons offences in the district has fluctuated slightly over the last three years, with 490 offences in 2011 dipping to 476 the following year, rising to 485 in 2013.

Nationally, police processed nearly 14,700 applications for firearms licences in the year to June 30, 2013, bringing the total number of current licence holders to 242,158 as of May 28 this year.

While there are 1.5 million firearms in current circulation, firearm-related offending makes up only about 1.4 per cent of crime.

More than 5670 weapons and explosives offences were committed in New Zealand in the year to December - down from 6063 the previous year and 6362 in 2011.

Police said the drop could be partly attributed to a "robust" vetting regime for firearms licences.

"As part of the process, the applicant must provide two character referees, one of whom must be a spouse, partner or relative, who will be interviewed separately," a police spokesman said.

Applicants and licence holders had to have "secure" storage for firearms - without which they could not hold a licence.

Firearms in New Zealand are licensed by owners, not by the number of guns, so there's no way to know how many guns a licence-holder owns.

Under New Zealand law, anyone 16 and over can apply for a standard firearms licence, which allows them to use sporting type rifles and shotguns and some air rifles.

Anyone wanting to use a pistol, semiautomatic rifle, or other restricted weapons must apply for a special addition to their licence.

APNZ