Gun City is vowing to take a private prosecution against TV3 reporter Heather Du Plessis-Allan after she bought a gun without a licence.
Police have changed their licence-checking process in light of an item on the TV3 programme Story this week, in which Du Plessis-Allan bought a gun online from Gun City.
Online buyers will now have to visit a police station, present their licence and have verified documentation that the police will pass directly to the dealer.
Heather du Plessis-Allan tweeted this photo of herself with the gun. Photo: Supplied
Police are investigating how Du Plessis-Allan bought the gun and have not ruled out charging her.
Gun City owner David Tipple said he wants the reporter to face consequences for her actions and would consider taking a private prosecution.
"She put on the form a fake policeman, a fake signature..."
He was unconvinced the tighter rules introduced would make any difference.
"I think now people instead of breaking five laws will have to break six laws. Do you feel safe now?"
He said criminals don't care how many laws they break.
"Ms Du Plessis-Allan didn't care how many rules she broke, she was only interested in proving this point."
But Du Plessis-Allan told Morning Report the change in rules prompted by her investigation would make it more difficult to buy guns online and the decision to run with the story was not taken lightly.
"Without a doubt there was a flaw in the system - you should never be able to order a gun with simply a paper, a pen and nothing else, no checks by an actual police officer.
"And now the police have moved to say mail order forms will not be coming from the buyer, they'll be submitted by the police themselves - that makes it just a little bit harder to get a gun."
Gun dealer Jim Yates meanwhile said police need to digitise approvals for people buying guns online, to cut the risk of them using fake details.
Mr Yates said the change was a good move, but the process should be computerised, because paper documentation lent itself to fraud.
