Gun owners warned - FLA boss stresses need to conceal firearms

Legal firearm holders are being urged to rethink how they carry themselves in public, with head of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), Shane Dalling, warning that open display of weapons could make owners prime targets for violent attacks.

Dalling, in reiterating the need for concealment, stressed that a firearm is meant to be a defensive tool.

"A firearm is not a shield, but a sword," he reasoned. "This means that it does not prevent you from being attacked or being killed by anyone. It is a sword because it provides an opportunity for you to defend yourselves if under attack."

He cautioned that openly displaying a firearm strips the carrier of the element of surprise.

"When you expose yourself, you lose the element of surprise, which gives the other person the advantage because they know what you have, but you don't know that they have," Dalling said.

New regulations contained in the Firearms Act require authorised persons to keep firearms concealed and properly secured, with violations carrying the risk of heavy fines and possible revocation of licences.

"The old act didn't provide that," Dalling said of the legal requirement for concealment. "The person should conceal their firearm on their person, and this is for the use of not intimating persons by just walking around with it exposed. Also, it is to protect the licensed holder as well. If you are not concealing your firearm, your weapon should be in a conspicuous location, but must be reachable if required," he said.

Dalling noted that improper concealment -- including printing through clothing or loosely covering a weapon -- can also create problems. The FLA boss further stressed that concealment should go beyond physical covering, extending to discretion in everyday interactions.

"It is always best to not only conceal your firearm on your person, but also to conceal knowledge of it to the general public," he said.

"Many persons oftentimes advertise their ownership of their weapon to friends and everyone else, and this runs the risk of them being set up to be robbed or killed. Not everyone needs to know that you are the owner or carrier of a firearm," Dalling said.