does anyone know if this is legal or not?

It sure seems like a good way to both practice shooting and get some birds for the pot.

Larry,

My PH from 2006 took an air rifle back with him to Zim from the SCI convention a couple of years back and apparently made it through.

Larry: I know in South Africa the more powerful air rifles are problematic. It may be there is a ft-lbs cutoff beyond which permits are needed as in Great Britain.
When hunting PG in Namibia, I told my PH that it would be a lot of fun to hunt francolin and guinea fowl with an air rifle, as the PH did not want the big game disturbed by gunshots in collecting birds for the pot.
I think there is a bright future for airgunners in Africa if we tread thoughtfully.

Any air rifle in .177 cal is legal in SA and do not need a permit. Any rifle with a larger caliber needs to be licensed and go through the normal process.

Fritz, thanks for the clarification. I was bragging up my Benjamin Marauder .25 PCP to some SA friends and they were griping about permits. Didn't know it was on account of the caliber.

springers and multi pumps wouldn't generally be a problem. PCP's however would be unless the air cylinger can be removed. a 2500-3500 psi cylinder is a pressure vessel like any other and TSA REGULATIONS PROHIBIT IT BEING TAKEN ON A PLANE UNLESS IT CAN BE SHOWN TO BE DE-PRESSUREIZED-I.E. REMOVED AND THUS PROVEN EMPTY. this has come up before when airgunners have tried to take a PCP rifle on a plane in the States when headed out west for a prairy dog hunt. they were not allowed to check in their guns. you might get lucky and find a TSA agent unaware of the rules but its a large risk. it is no difference as far as TSA is concerned than trying to take a full scuba tank on a plane. i have been trying to figure out a way to take one of my PCP's to Africa for several years but the air cylinders are not removable and even though i can empty the tank and the pressure gauge reads zero, i can't prove it is really empty, so it is a no-go.

Jerry that sucks. Even with zero on the pressure gauge and a degassing tool???

yes. strictly speaking unless you can remove the cylinder so the inspector can be absolutely assured that it is empty, you may have a big problem. i guess they figure the gauge may be faulty or tampered with to show a zero reading. again it all goes back to the guy at the gate!

Sounds like it is a poor idea to attempt to take a Benjamin Rugue 357.

I have a break action, spring loaded 177. Sounds like that would be fine.

forget the Rogue( in more ways than one). .177 springer would be fine- and a lot of fun to pot some birds for the kitchen. i wanted to take one on my high powered .22 PCP's for small game( i have killed coyotes and small wild pigs( under 40-50 lbs) with it using head shots inside 30-40 yards) to use on birds, genets, civets, dassies, duikers( only if a close head shot), etc. but just can't get around the air cylinder issue.

In Zim my PH said a .177 is fine but no .22 cal or larger. I always take a slingshot to shoot at birds but haven't hit anything yet.

As the law stands anything smaller than .22 cal is not a firearm and does not require a license. A .22 cal air gun IS a firearm.You can bring one but you must declare it in the same way you declare your .577 or whatever else you are bringing.

The actual nitty gritty on .22 or .25 cal air guns MAY have expired- The Firearms act -chapter 308 Part 1 subsection 4 (1) says the minister has to renew any prohibition of any type of airgun by notice in the government Gazzette - being an ex civil servant and knowing how these things go I strongly suspect that the old colonial era ban on .22 cal airguns HAS expired and nobody has bothered to renew it...But for all practical purposes expect to have to declare your .22 or .25 cal air gun as a firearm on entry.

I plan to take a spring piston .177 air rifle with me to Zimbabwe in August. Based on what I read above, I need to claim it on my firearms form for entering Zimbabwe. Do I also have to claim the pellets I am bringing in? If so, do I claim 2 tins or 1000 rounds? I ask because the "1000 rounds" may raise some questions with the wrong customs agent. I want to make sure I get this right the first time!
Mangwana

Subsailor- read my post above

No you do not need to declare a .177 cal air rifle or the pellets. Only .22 or .25 cal air rifles have ever been considered 'firearms' and the pellets for .22 or .25 cal air guns have never been considered 'ammunition'.

Thanks for the clarification! That makes matters much easier.

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
As the law stands anything smaller than .22 cal is not a firearm and does not require a license.

So one can bring in a 17 HMR or Rem and not have it count as a firearm?

Thanks

no. it is a firearm, not an air rifle.

Airguns in S.A. these gentlemen went a couple of years ago

african airgun safari

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
no. it is a firearm, not an air rifle.

thanks. I should pay more attention to the thread topic than to a particular msg

Bill C: Thanks for that link.