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NewZealandshooters A
New Zealand’s twice-yearly premier arms fair has just celebrated its 30th event by welcoming thousands of
visitors.FirearmdealerNeilHayes, fromHayes&Associates,was there...
uckland is by far the largest city inNew Zealand and close to
30 per cent of the 4.5million population live in the area. It also supports numerous
shooting sports clubs, together with good numbers of game bird and deer hunters – so what better place to hold an arms fair. Since 1993, theAucklandArms
Fair has been held twice each year on a Saturday and Sunday – in lateMarch/earlyApril and in late September/earlyOctober – and is almost exclusively the domain
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of firearms and firearm-related equipment. Guns range fromantiques to
themost-modern rifles, shotguns and pistols. Two police arms officers are
always present on both days and,on application to them, visitors – who have the correct firearm-licence endorsement – can obtain a permit to procure a pistol (B – pistol shooter), a restricted collector’s firearm(C– collectors) or a retailer (D– dealers). Visitors with an E category endorsement can also obtain
a permit to procuremilitary- style semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. Having arms officers in
attendance is really ‘the icing on the cake’ formany firearm enthusiasts attending the fair.
Toughtimes Hayes&Associates Ltd – from Carterton in theWairarapa region (a one and a half hours’ drive north ofWellington) – has exhibited at all 30AucklandArms Fairs and is fortunate to have a core ofAuckland people to assist.
InMarch 2012 the company
had six peoplemanning its stand, consisting of 12 very large tables. Besides a good line-up of
exhibitors, the keys to the success of the fairs are the two organisers, both of whomdreamt up the idea in 1993. But recently the citymayor of
the area,where the arms fair has been held for well over a decade, decided to ban the show in his district.Tankfully, a new venue at theUniversity ofTechnology was quickly found. Tat particularmayor,
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