About Carl McAllansmith
Carl McAllansmith is the founder and owner/operator of Peak View Range, a Qualmark Silver shooting range in Whangamoa, near Nelson, New Zealand. He started Peak View Retreat in December 2018 and founded Peak View Range in December 2019, building it from bare hillside into a facility offering practical and long-range training, courses, competitions and guided shooting experiences. All sessions are by booking only.
Defence background
Before the range, Carl spent close to a decade in defence in Australia and New Zealand. He served as a Royal Australian Navy submariner and worked as a Weapons & Technical Intelligence Analyst with Australia's Defence Intelligence Organisation (2009–2015). He then joined the New Zealand Defence Force as a Senior Weapons & Technical Intelligence Analyst (2015–2018). In that role he chaired maritime scientific and technical intelligence work across the Five Eyes community and was seconded to the Royal New Zealand Navy and NZDF Capability Branch to support capability development and major procurement.
From 2020 to 2021 he worked as a defence contractor with Aurora Geospatial Solutions. His work there included a technical intelligence study for NZDF on weapon sights used in Afghanistan, which was shared with partner agencies, and open-source research on security and intelligence topics.
Firearms policy and advocacy
In March 2026 Carl joined the Executive Committee of the Council of Licensed Firearms Owners (COLFO) as Expert Advisor in firearms, range compliance and safety. He brings a range operator's practical view to policy and regulation and has contributed to public submissions on firearms legislation.
Carl has spoken publicly about NZ Police leaking his protected identity during the 2019 arms buyback. He says that experience drives his advocacy for firearms owners' privacy and for fair, workable regulation.
Qualifications and competition
Carl has completed Main International Shooting Instructors Association (MISIA) instructor certification. He holds a New Zealand firearms licence with B (pistol), C (collector) and P (prohibited firearms) endorsements, and a firearms dealer licence with a pistol endorsement. In 2025 he represented New Zealand at the Pistol Calibre Carbine (PCC) World Shoot in the Czech Republic.
Train with Carl
Peak View Range runs courses, training and guided shooting experiences by booking only. Book a session
