Firearms and weapons in general used as photographic props.

[I @ M]

What a difference a few hours make to a thread.

A few points in no particular order.

Jan, your friend has seemingly given you sound advice about using a firearm at her club. They have also possibly told you that along with the other requirements of regular attendance and supervision you will have to obtain a license that matches the category of firearm that you wish to use.

Extraball, some things that happened in the past are no longer allowed due to reasonably recent legislation changes.

Mark, check the wordy definitions in whichever particular state or territory you wish to apply the terms "posses" or "handle" to firearms. In Victoria, if you are handling a firearm you are in possession of it. If you do not have the appropriate license for that category of firearm you are committing an illegal act.
Just to make you think even more, the same applies to ammunition for said firearms.

Bob, before you go "suspecting" and spending a lot of time typing on rather vague points about whether the various law enforcement bodies in the differing states and territories of this country would or would not be concerned about an image of a person in possession of a firearm I would advise you to thoroughly research the matter because in relation to Victorian law ( where you reside ) you are entirely incorrect. Sorry mate but you are wrong with a capital W. If a police officer is made aware of a potentially illegal act being carried out ( a non licensed person in possession of a firearm or prohibited weapon used as a photographic prop ) then it is their job to be "concerned" and if they sense an easy conviction in court due to photographic evidence ( aint that hilarious, a photographer might be aiding and abetting their own conviction ) then they will probably pursue the matter, after all that is their job.

To all.

Through all this thread Xenedis has simply posted facts, very rationally and knowledgeably, and I suggest that people read and absorb his comments and not get hung up over "ifs and maybes" because his summation of the affairs are correct.

As a reminder, the original thread was created to make people aware that the different states and territories of Australia have differing laws and regulations pertaining to firearms and weapons.
I have deliberately included the different words, "firearm" and "weapon" because this is a real issue in Victoria due to the fact that "toy" firearms that bear a reasonable resemblance to operable firearms do not fall under the firearms act legislation and regulations any more. They have been deemed to be a weapon and a prohibited one at that. That is an entirely separate act of parliament and is in no way aligned with anything that comes under the firearms act. See https://www.police.vic.gov.au/conten...ument_ID=25574 and click through to a few documents relating to imitation firearms.