As many of you know I took a handgun through SA into Zim in 2004 and was doing so again in March 2006. This time I had a Handgun hunting Permit issued by Parks.
When I arrived in Victoria Falls I showed the firearms agent my completed paper work and handed him the handgun. He asked Is this for hunting, I replies yed yes, He said you cannot bring that in. I replied, I have a Permit from Parks, and showed him a photocopy. I explain that I brouhgt in a revolver in 2004.
He asked is there someone here to meet you, I reply yes and give them the PH's name. They go out into the aroport proper and bring Donza back in. Donza then explains he just had his last client come in through Harare with a handgun. More discussion, Donza shows him the original permit.The problem is the permit says "handgun" on my application paperwork I have written refolver in the space for type of weapon.
He tells us a revolver is not a handgun.
I try to explain to him thast a revolver, semi-auto, or a single shot are all handguns.
Donza calls Parks In Harare on the Cell phone and has the big whig talk to the customs guy.
Still more discussion. Firearms agent makes a call, shortly 2 guys in civilian clothes show up. No doubt they are sume sort of big whigs.
I explain the entire situation to them, inluding that I have brought a handgun into Zim before. They see where I spent 21 days here in 2004.
Now they are concerned that my FA 475 is an "automatic". So I take the gun out of its case and show them how it is loaded, how when you pull the trigger nothing happens, that you have to cock it for each shot, and how you unload it after firing.
They seemed to understand, said someting to the F agent and walked away.
The FA asked me to rewrite my firearms application and call the FA a "handgun" on the application.
I rewrote my application and it was stamped.
The FA then asked how much my ammo costs, I showed him a box of 475 and he wanted to charge me duty. We straightenen him out on that pretty quick. I then passed through the aioport. My other bags were never checked, and in all the confusion my rifles were never checked either.
Through out all of this the firearms people were very nice, this was not any type of harrasement, he must have been new and just did not know what the rules really were.

Tony,

In the future you can put handgun, revolver and pistol on the applications and have all the bases covered. Only in Africa.

How is your snout?

Perry

Hand gun hunting is alowed. Everybody knows that... A revolver or a pistol??? In local parlence they are short guns. The number of locals that arrive at the shotgun club wanting to learn to use a handgun is entertaining, and explaining the difference between a shortgun and a shotgun in a zimbabwean accent can be quite difficult.

PWN
My nose is recovering, however my leg bite must be 2 days or so behind my nose bite, it reached maximum pain yesterday, but seems to be better today. It is still bad red swolen, and painful but the upper leg, knee pain is a little less.
Last night I could hardly walk, now it is not too bad.

Ganyana
I think I have got it figured out.
On my next trip it will be a "hunting revolver" in South Africa, and a Handgun" in Zimbabwe...
That is untill the rules change again.