Current gun laws in S.A.

[boarmountain]

What are the current laws pertaing to handguns in South Africa? I have a hunt booked for August 2011. My PH has given me coflicting info so I'm checking altenate sources. I was there in 2000. but it seems the laws have changed....

[JJHACK]

The laws are drastically different today then 2000, after 2001 they established entirely new policies and procedures.

You chose to hire a PH that is going to get a lot of your hard earned money, Why wouldn't you trust exactly what he tells you? It's not prudent to trust this to people you don't even know on the internet, over the guy you trusted to take your money.

I would be so freaking embarrassed if my clients sought out information from the internet because I could not give them the answers, or worse that they did not trust the answer I gave them! After 18 year running my business there, I cannot understand how these other Outfitter/PH that cannot give answers or worse give wrong answers stay in business.

An even more bizarre situation is a hunter trusting an outfitter enough to send him a deposit and give him a small fortune in trophy fees, and then not trust the guidance and advice he offers?

[boarmountain]

Jack,
He had to check at the airport, and said that I needed a "letter from my gun club".  What does THAT mean? I'm not a member of any "gun club" ! That's not required to own handguns where I live. So what are the requirements for bringing in handguns now?

I won this hunt at auction.Paid $1500 for a 10 day hunt w/ trophy fees for 2 animals included. Thought this was a pretty good deal.

[Grumulkin]

I hunted with handguns in RSA in both 2005 and 2008.  You can get pre-approved firearm import permits via Air2000.  I used them on my last trip and my time from airplane deboarding until I had cleared customs with guns and firearm import permit in hand was maybe 30 minutes.  Air2000 and your outfitter/PH should, but apparently the latter don't have the latest information on handgun hunting in South Africa.  The last I knew, the regulations were:

1.  Only hunting handguns.  This means they should have long barrels and should be scoped.

2.  No semiautos.

3.  You need to take your guns whether rifles, shotguns or handguns to your local U.S. Customs office and fill out a form (I don't remember the form name).  That form is your proof that you legally own the guns.  You don't have to be a member of a gun club.

4.  Under U. S. law, you can't take military type guns or more than 3 firearms out of the U.S.A. without an export permit.

5.  You will need to fill out a SAP (South Africa Police) form for temporary importation of your firearms.

6.  You need an invitation letter from your outfitter.

7.  You need to write a "motivation letter."  This would be a letter in which you state you wish to import firearms for the reason of hunting.  In South Africa, some English words have a slightly different connotation than U.S.A. English so, motivation = reason for.

It's really not that hard and it sounds like you got a good deal on your safari.