Has anybody been to RSA since the new law went into effect? I am going in May with Sandrivers Safari on a handgun hunt and need to know what to expect. Any help would be appreciated. This is my first trip and I want it to go as smoothly as possible.

Better go through Air2000 or OptimaHandlers on this one. I went in June, just before the July 1 deadline. One handgun only. Wanted to take my S&W 629 Classic...denied...as they saw it as a "self-defense" weapon. A handgun-only hunter, Gary Reeder @ reedercustomguns.com can help you out, he is going the first of April with 6 or 7 other hunters and is working through the paperwork about now. You can call him @ 928-526-3313.

What does your outfitter say?

I went in Aug. and used Air2000. Had no problems with my Contender and Striker. I heard that revolvers are not being allowed anymore, however.

My outfitter says no problem but I just wanted to get the opinion of some people that have been through it. Thanks

It looks like there are real problems with bringing your handguns into RSA since the new gun laws were implimented in July. I was there in April and had no problems at that time but 2 friends of mine who went in September ran into a stone wall. The new law states that you must have a letter from an agency in your country that states that you will be using your handgun for the purpose of hunting only and not for personal protection. The problem that they found was trying to determine what kind of agency that would help with this. Their local police department would not give them any kind of letter. The only place that I have found is the Hunting Report that says they will give any member that requests it a letter from them. My friends were not members of the Hunting Report, so that didn't help out. They contacted Johan Coetzer from Optima Handling, [url=http://www.optimahandling.co.za.] and were informed that their handguns may be confiscated upon arrival. With numerous correspondance with him it turns out that you really don't know what will happen as the actual SAP officer has descretion at to what he thinks qualifies as a hunting handgun. Depending on his mood that day is something that bothers me. From what I have determined if your handgun looks like it is only to be used for hunting, i.e. if it has a scope mounted on it, it has a better chance of being accepted. Anyway Johan was used as their meet and greet representative but at the last moment they left their handguns at home. From their experience I am confident with the services that Optima Handling does for their clients, as when they arrived the SAP officer asked them where there handguns were. They felt it was better to be safe than sorry upon arrival.
I am returning next year and I think my handgun will look like a hunting only weapon with the big scope mounted on it, but I really don't know what to do with the required letter from some agency that states I will be using it for hunting only. Any suggestions from members here would also be appriciated.

You're outfitter REALLY needs to consult PHASA about this, but I suggest they wait a week or so until the convention is over.



I don't know the full details, but I do know that a handgun hunter recently (yesterday) had BIG trouble trying to import a handgun......So much so that he was unable to make the hunt and I believe he flew home instead......and that was only with the help of Martin Hood the firearms attorney.



I don't know the full details, so won't post what happened until I know the whole story......but believe me when I say you and your outfitter need to make absolutely sure that you have EVERYTHING in order before you arrive.



If you do have everything in order, you should not have any problems......if it will help, you can ask your outfitter to call me on 0832777114 and I'll tell him what I know.

WOW!! My trip in Aug. looks like my last safari. Thank God I didn't have any problems. That's alright, there are plenty of other hunting destinations who will welcome handgun hunters, and their money!

In June, while waiting on our charter flight though Air2000, I was informed that the author's of the new firearm regs were hired to educate the RSA authorites re: makes and models of handguns. Like I said in my earlier post, my S&W 629 was considered a "self-defense" handgun because it was "a S&W", but a friend's custom big bore SA revolver was approved after pictures were faxed and an explanation was written as to the guns purpose.

Gary Reeder of reedercustomguns.com will only hunt with handguns and goes to RSA once a year. He is currently in the process of working with Air2000 to get guns approved for an April '05 hunt for 6 or 7 hunters. He uses T/C Encores with scopes in his own wildcat calibers. The last I heard a few weeks ago, was that a letter from your local police dept. verifying the use of the gun for hunting only was sufficient. Only one handgun is allowed. But, all the paperwork had to be approved 30-60 days before arrival @ JIA.

Regardless of all the suppositions here, if I was going back to RSA with ANY handgun, I would work through Air2000 well before hand and get all the necessary paperwork approved and have copies with me at all times during the flight to and from.

One of the stipulations now is that handgun calibres of no more than .45 are allowed.....that means things like 454 Casulls aer now illegal....and I suspect that might have been part of yesterday's problem.

They view the stated size of .454 as being in excess of .45.........bloody stupid isn't it?......perhaps if the cases were stamped .45 you might get away with it....

But...........as a good friend say's "TAB....That's Africa Bwana!"