Australian Capital Territory
Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2017 (No 1)
Disallowable instrument DI2017– 19
made under the  
Prohibited Weapons 1996, s 4L (Prohibited articles and weapons declarations by registrar)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Section 4L(1)(c) of the Prohibited Weapons Act 1996 allows the Registrar of Firearms to declare that something is not a prohibited article.  Schedule 2 of the Prohibited Weapons Act provides that “an article or device intended for use to muffle, reduce or stop the noise created by firing a firearm” is a prohibited article.
In certain circumstances, the use of noise suppression devices fitted to firearms in strictly controlled circumstances is reasonable and necessary.
These circumstances are where:
o	people are authorised to undertake animal management activities for the ACT Government; and
o	employees of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (the CSIRO) are undertaking an expedition to collect museum specimens; and
o	firearms dealers, who are also licensed to manufacture firearms or noise suppression devices, need to undertake quality controls, such as test firing, during the manufacturing process.
This instrument prescribes the requirements to be met for a noise suppression device to not constitute a prohibited article under the Prohibited Weapons Act.