We get a lot of questions about ammunition powder limits in Queensland, so we’d like to take a moment to clear up some of the confusion, misunderstandings, or inaccurate information out there.

Interestingly, ammunition in Queensland is not covered by the Weapons Act, but rather the Explosives Act 1999 and Explosives Regulation 2017.

First off: There are NO restrictions in Queensland on how many ammunition cartridges you, as a firearms licence holder, may purchase, own, or store.

HOWEVER, ammunition – and this includes primers – must be stored in a “Secure Area” and this includes (among other things) “a drawer, cabinet, cupboard, room or other enclosure that’s locked when no one is around.”

If you have more than 10,000 cartridges in a particular secure storage container (or room, if the cartridges are not locked inside something else already), you must put an Explosives 1.4S warning sign (pictured) on that container.

Ammunition must be stored either in its original packaging or in secure packaging or containers designed to protect the cartridges individually, such as those plastic ammunition storage cases most reloaders are familiar with.

It is worth noting that ice-cream containers, take-away food containers, glass jars with screw lids, plastic bags with zip-lock seals, coffee tins and similar containers are not considered acceptable as secure containers by the government. Yes, we know some of the commercial packaging is essentially the same as this. Commercial packaging – whatever it is – is fine.

The amount of propellant powder – and this includes Black Powder – which you can legally have depends on the size of your property. For most people, it is 15kg, but if you have a property larger than 2ha (4.94 acres) you can have 30kg.

For more information on the rules regarding small arms ammunition and propellant powders in Queensland, see: https://www.qld.gov.au/emergency/safety/explosives-fireworks/explosives/collecting-ammunition/storing-ammunition