It is not unusual for gun laws to be a hot topic in the context of a state election campaign, but this time it is police, not politicians, who are defending decisions.

Rural landholders in Queensland have been demanding answers on why they are being ordered to hand in their pistols, despite no change to the Category H classification.

Queensland Police Weapons Licensing branch manager Adam Guild cited rulings of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) — including Shaxon (2010), Harms (2014) and Feeney (2017) — which had given 'more clarity' of the circumstances in which a handgun was necessary or justified.

Inspector Guild told the Queensland Country Hour that decision making had also evolved, along with advances in satellite technology, which gave more insight to the size and terrain of properties.

Those insights, along with changes to animal welfare guidelines, have shown long arms were a preferable means of euthanasing livestock.

"Each application is assessed on its merits," Inspector Guild said. Listen Duration: 2 minutes 39 seconds 2 m 39 s Listen Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Inspector Adam Guild says the onus is on farmers to demonstrate why they need to use a hand gun ( Charlie McKillop ) Download 1.2 MB

"We need to ensure what they're putting before us meets the standard we need in order to issue that licence — whether it's necessary, to the type of property they're farming on, to the special need they may have.

"It's not a case of 'you can apply for category H for convenience' or for the control of feral animals. You can't do that."

It is an explanation that has failed to satisfy those who are questioning why primary producers' Category H licence renewals were refused to begin with, causing those matters to go before QCAT for review.

Griffith University's Dr Samara McPhedran has gone looking for those answers to no avail.

She said reading the QCAT rulings had not identified risks to public safety or that farmers were not 'fit and proper' to hold firearms.

Instead, it seemed decisions were made on the basis of police interpretation of whether or not a handgun was necessary.

"It's difficult to see what harm is meant to be remedied by declining licences, particularly when farmers have held licences and used these firearms for many years previously," Dr Phedran said.

"It's not at all transparent."

Police not under pressure to refuse handguns

Inspector Guild denied Queensland's Weapons Licensing branch was under any pressure to come into line with other states under the National Firearms Agreement (NFA).

That agreement specifically precluded the use of Category H firearms for primary production purposes.

But he did not rule out more graziers being refused permit renewals in future.

The Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia (SSAA) said it believed Category H was the latest in a long list of firearms to be targeted and once again farmers were in the firing line.

The association said it was well established the NFA was a guideline, not legislation.

"It's outrageous, shameful and un-Australian," the SSAA stated in advice to its members, which urged them to protest by not voting for major parties in the state election.

Brendan Slattery says there's not a week in the past 18 years when he hasn't had to use his handgun on his farm. ( Supplied )

Violence prevention specialist Dr McPhedran said although it was not unusual for politicians to exploit a 'tough on gun control' stance to win favour with electors, no-one seemed to be claiming credit for Category H refusals.

"Instead, in Queensland we see this very strange situation where the LNP released a policy supporting the right of primary producers to apply and to be fairly assessed. We then see Labor saying they haven't changed the law or the policy," she said.

"The status quo is maintained, and yet we still have this problem where farmers are being refused their licence renewals.

"It's incredibly peculiar and there doesn't seem to be any logic to it."

In the meantime, graziers like Brendan Slattery have been left confused and angry at the changes of interpretation.

Mr Slattery's permit renewal was knocked back after a 15-year, blemish-free record.

He has since lodged an appeal, arguing the use of a handgun was essential to his farm management and his own personal safety.

Queensland Police declined to comment on individual cases but said efforts were being made to better communicate the implications of QCAT rulings to Category H licence holders prior to them applying for permit renewals.

"I've spent a lot of my service on the country and understand the need of some of the farmers out there," Inspector Guild said.