Arms Act 1983

Preliminary provisions

2B: Meaning of prohibited magazine

You could also call this:

"What is a prohibited magazine in the Arms Act 1983?"

In the Arms Act 1983, a prohibited magazine has a specific meaning. You need to understand what this means for different types of firearms. When it comes to shotguns, a prohibited magazine is one that can hold more than 5 cartridges. For other firearms, except for certain pistols described in section 2A(1)(a)(i)(C) or (D), a prohibited magazine is one that can hold more than 10 cartridges. This includes detachable magazines that can hold 0.22 calibre or lower rimfire cartridges and more than 10 of those cartridges. It also includes magazines that can hold more than 10 cartridges and are used with semi-automatic or fully automatic firearms. A prohibited magazine can also be any other magazine that is declared as such by an Order in Council made under section 74A. You should be aware that this definition applies to all magazines, whether they are detachable or not. This helps to clarify what is meant by a prohibited magazine in the context of the Arms Act 1983.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS187175.

This page was last updated on 27 January 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safety

2A: Meaning of prohibited firearm, or

"What is a prohibited firearm in New Zealand?"

2C: Meaning of prohibited part, or

"What is a prohibited part of a firearm?"

Part 1Preliminary provisions

2BMeaning of prohibited magazine

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, prohibited magazine,—
in relation to a shotgun, means a magazine, whether or not detachable, that is capable of holding more than 5 cartridges commensurate with that shotgun’s chamber size:
in relation to any other firearm (except a pistol described in section 2A(1)(a)(i)(C) or (D)),—
1. means any detachable magazine—
  1. that is capable of holding 0.22 calibre or lower rimfire cartridges and that is capable of holding more than 10 of those cartridges:
  2. that is capable of holding more than 10 cartridges and being used with a semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm:
2. means any other magazine, whether or not detachable, that is capable of holding more than 10 cartridges:
includes any other magazine declared by Order in Council made under section 74A to be a prohibited magazine for the purposes of this Act.

Notes

Section 2B: inserted, on 12 April 2019, by section 5 of the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 12).
Section 2B(b): amended, on 25 June 2020, by section 8 of the Arms Legislation Act 2020 (2020 No 23).