Yes, flamethrowers are generally illegal to own, possess, or import in Australia without specific authorization or permits, and these are not available to the general public. They are classified as prohibited weapons.
In Australia, prohibited weapons include items like butterfly knives, flick knives, nunchakus, brass knuckles, weighted gloves, blow guns, catapults with arm braces, extendable batons, throwing stars, and laser pointers over 1mW, along with disguised or concealed weapons like knife belts or credit card knives. You generally need a permit or "lawful excuse" (like for work or sport) to possess or carry other items like knives, machetes, swords, or bayonets, with self-defence never being a lawful excuse, and these laws vary slightly by state/territory.
Handguns allowed for target shooting are divided into four classes:
Maryland is the sole U.S. state to entirely ban flamethrowers.
Australian self-defence laws allow using reasonable force necessary to protect yourself or others from attack, requiring the belief the action was necessary and a reasonable response to the perceived threat, but excessive force (especially lethal) can lead to charges like manslaughter (not murder), with home invasion exceptions potentially strengthening homeowner rights. Key principles include the need for genuine belief in necessity, proportionality of force, and a "reasonable person" standard, though some states (like VIC) have specific codes (e.g., Crimes Act 1958 s 322K) and proposed "Castle Laws" aim to expand home defence.
You can carry a knife in Australia, but you MUST have a "lawful excuse" like for work, sport (fishing, camping), or food prep (picnic), and self-defence is never a lawful excuse; otherwise, it's illegal, with some knives like flick knives, butterfly knives, and machetes generally banned unless you have special permits, and penalties for unlawful possession can be severe, including fines or jail time.
Yes, katanas are generally legal to own in Australia but are considered "controlled" or "prohibited" weapons, meaning legality, permits, and storage rules vary significantly by state, with some states like Victoria being very strict requiring permits for collectors/martial artists, while others like NSW are more lenient if not concealed and used for legitimate reasons (dojo, reenactment). You must be 18+ to purchase and will likely need to declare them when importing, so always check your specific state's police or legal authority before buying or bringing one in.
The US military last used flamethrowers in combat during the Vietnam War. The devastating effects of flamethrowers led to them being considered inhumane. The M202 FLASH rocket launcher replaced flamethrowers as the military's standard incendiary device.
All 20,000 "flamethrowers" were sold in just a few days. After customs officials said that they would not allow imports of any items called "flamethrowers", Musk announced that he would rename them to "Not-A-Flamethrower" since the devices were in fact akin to roofing torches.
Yes, Glocks are legal in Australia, but owning one is highly restricted, requiring a specific handgun license, a "genuine reason" (like target shooting or occupational use, not self-defense), membership in a pistol club, extensive training, background checks, and a mandatory 28-day waiting period for each purchase, with strict storage and registration rules, varying slightly by state.
Australians favor barriers to gun ownership
It overhauled its gun ownership laws in the wake of what remains its deadliest mass shooting. In 1996, 35 people were killed by 25-year-old Martin Bryant in Port Arthur, Tasmania. In response, a national gun buyback scheme reduced the number of guns in Australia.
Yes, you can carry a gun in your car in Australia, but it's strictly regulated: the firearm must be unloaded, stored in a locked container (like a hard case or boot), out of sight, with ammunition stored separately, and the firearm rendered inoperable (e.g., trigger lock or removed bolt), with specific rules varying slightly by state. It must never be loaded, and you must take reasonable steps to prevent theft.
As it turns out, in addition to being illegal in the UK (according to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency), "weighted" monkey fist knot is also illegal in the US states of Arizona and Michigan, and even in Australia (according to the Australian Maritime safety authority - AMSA).
State Gun Bans
Things like automatic knives, daggers, throwing knives and concealed blades such as pen knives or walking sticks with hidden blades are all illegal. In addition to prohibited weapons, there are also controlled weapons that are legal to own but require a valid reason and generally a permit.
At age ten, he developed an interest in computing and video games, teaching himself how to program from the VIC-20 user manual. At age twelve, Elon sold his BASIC-based game Blastar to PC and Office Technology magazine for approximately $500 (equivalent to $1,600 in 2024).
The Boring Company sold 20,000 flamethrowers in just the space of five days back in 2018. Though it's been off the market for years, the company's "Not-A-Flamethrower" has acquired something of a cult status among the tech mogul's fans and some people have been paying hundreds of dollars to snap them up on eBay.
Most military flamethrowers use liquid fuel, typically either heated oil or diesel, but commercial flamethrowers are generally blowtorches using gaseous fuels such as propane. Gases are safer in peacetime applications because their flames have less mass flow rate and dissipate faster and often are easier to extinguish.
Since its development, napalm has been used by many countries' militaries, including that of the United States, Angola, Nigeria, Brazil, Egypt], Israel, Argentina, Serbia, Turkey and possibly others. Today, America's sole incendiary bomb is the MK-77, or Mark 77 bomb.
The average life expectancy of a World War II flamethrower operator in combat was 4-10 minutes. Read that again, and then again. They were met with death so quickly due to the high visibility and vulnerability of the operators firing the flamethrowers.
Surprisingly, flamethrowers are largely legal across the United States. At the federal level, there are no laws regulating civilian ownership, as they are considered tools rather than firearms. ✅ Legal in most states: You can own one without special permits. ⚠️ California: Legal, but only with a special permit.
In Australia, katanas are classified as prohibited weapons in most states and territories, meaning their importation is strictly regulated and requires a special permit.
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Yes, Swiss Army knives are generally legal in Australia but with significant restrictions: you must have a lawful excuse (like for work, camping, or sport), the knife must be a utility tool, and it cannot be carried for self-defence or with intent to use as a weapon, with state laws varying on blade length (often under 10cm) and locking mechanisms, as they are considered tools, not prohibited weapons, but still subject to public carry laws.