Advice and indecision

[Eniigma]

As I understand it, yes. And the association you belong to is required to keep the CFR updated on whether you are maintaining it.

I assumed as much but this leads to a follow up question. Does changing the club your dedicated status is with affect anything? E.g I decide IFTA/ Natshoot is boring and want to go SADPA or vise versa?

[Ωhm]

In all of this I have another question, Do you need to or should you legally speaking maintain your dedicated status every year for the next 10 years your license is valid?

Ethically speaking I believe you should, for all intents and purposes I've said to the CFR "I want to use this blaster for dedicated sports shooting and I want you to give me a license for 10 years to do so". As such I'm not interested in peoples ethical or moral reasoning right now, I'm just intersted in the law. I haven't seen anything in the act to the point but it seems like a pretty glaring omission if it's not.

From my understanding (I'm NOT a lawyer) of Section 16 of the act, it doesn't clearly say that you need to maintain DSS status yearly, but it is implied. It's not something I would like to test.

(2) The Registrar may issue a licence in terms of this section to any natural person who is
a dedicated hunter or dedicated sports person if the application is accompanied by a sworn
statement or solemn declaration from the chairperson of an accredited hunting association or
sports-shooting organisation, or someone delegated in writing by him or her, stating that the
applicant is a registered member of that association.
(3) [snip] blah blah blah [/snip]
(4) Every accredited hunting association and sports-shooting organisation must-
(a) keep a register which contains such information as may be prescribed; and
(b) submit an annual report to the Registrar which contains such information as may
be prescribed.

Quite frankly, I'd rather just put in the license application under Sec15, then wait a month or two before submitting SAPS540 to possess more ammo.

[BigT]

If you just get DSS status for a year to get a license you make it more difficult for all the guys who actually do plan on shooting their guns.

[MrK]

If you just get DSS status for a year to get a license you make it more difficult for all the guys who actually do plan on shooting their guns.

Amen to that!

I have however not heard of someone having a license revoked for not maintaining their DSS.

[Eniigma]

If you just get DSS status for a year to get a license you make it more difficult for all the guys who actually do plan on shooting their guns.

I considered this very thing as well but had I put all the reasoning behind my questions it would have been a 5 page post.
I’ll try sum it up very briefly like this: (each of these I could write a paragraph one I’m sure)

My reasoning behind these questions is firearm ownership is a huge responsibility, especially in this country. I guess part of my taking it slow with the license application submission is to make sure I do it right. I initially decided to buy my blaster to go to the range as and when I liked to shoot paper. Then I discovered other forms of shooting like IDPA which made me go "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I want to do that" and that is what I was then going to apply under. Now I'm thinking through all the ramifications of that, what if I don't enjoy it, what if I become financially unable to maintain dedicated, what if I don't have the time, what if, what if... before I commit I want to know the important things. Could I unintentionally add to the statistics of those who go DSS to get more ammo/guns but don’t maintain it thereby making it harder for other or causing a tightening of the law. What if I unintentionally supply false info to the CFR and am found in contravention of the act and refused a license or right to own later…

I don't want to find myself on the wrong side of the CFR (and possibly the law) in a few years because of a rash decision.
I’ve also made some mistakes in this whole process so I’m hoping I can help others avoid the same mistakes I’ve made.

As I said I’ve done the work for dedicate, and I have motivations for both S15 and S16 prepared. Honestly until I sit with the DFO I don’t know which I’ll submit. I have to honest with myself and work through my reasoning and understanding of the law and consider everyone’s advice and answers here, to make my choice.

I’m starting see that maybe S15 is the better route for me after all this. It just seems like a waste after all the work I’ve put in to get DSS, but I cannot honestly say I’ll be able to or even want to maintain it in 2, 4 or 5 years.

And I’m sure I’m overthinking this all completely but doing it right legally and morally (that’s for me purely, no inference on anyone to live by my code) is important to me.

One last (for now ) question... do you need the endorsement letter when submitting SAPS540 to possess more ammo? I'm sure the RO will be a little miffed when I collect the letter and tell him I don't need it anymore I've gone S15 if I do.

[Ωhm]

One last (for now ) question... do you need the endorsement letter when submitting SAPS540 to possess more ammo? I'm sure the RO will be a little miffed when I collect the letter and tell him I don't need it anymore I've gone S15 if I do.

No, but it won't hurt as a supporting document in your motivation on a SAPS540.

[JhbBoy]

You need to participate in three shooting (-related) activities per year, so maintain S16 with Natshoot - it's not financially draining at all (excluding the annual Natshoot fees of about R400 I think); failure to maintain S16 with any org requires them to report back to CFR that you are not 'in good standing' anymore, thereby nullifying your S16 status.

(b) An accredited organisation or association contemplated in section 16(2) of the Act must in addition to regulation 2(12)(a) and (b) annually and before the official year end of the organisation or association, as the case may be, submit to the Registrar a written report reflecting -
(i) the details of all dedicated members whose registered dedicated membership with such accredited organisation or association terminated; and
(ii) the reasons for the termination of such dedicated membership.

[luke peter]

If your intended use is SD, license the firearm for SD... It's really not that much schlep to motivate it correctly (especially in SA), and it clears up every moral quandary you appear to be in...

DSS is very easy to maintain via NHSA, should you decide to go that route for additional firearms in the future, but I have always been of the opinion that you should license the weapon according to the actual primary purpose you intend to use it for - it avoids dilution of the credibility of the sport and its practitioners.

[Eniigma]

Thanks for all the input guys.

I finally submitted it today under S15 which is really what I indended if for when I bought it, before getting lured down the exciting and seductive path of S16.

Now the truely trying wait begins... until now there was always that last licencing wait

[DstUrges]

IMNSHOGet DSS status anywayYou don't need to get a s16 firearm off the bat I have DSS, I got it because I shoot steel and needed to have 500 rounds for that.I will get another firearm eventually (budget) and will either licence on 15 or 16I don't think the R1000 a year for membership and maintaince is hard or expensive(I am unemployed)And manage this and a GOSA membership annually l.This makes ammo purchases easy and I don't need to worry about a mis-count and reloading too many rounds or not being able to buy SD ammo when on special.Getting DSS status to abuse the system is wrong.Being a dedicated Sports shooter for a few years before you buy a third or fourth firearm isn't a bad thing.

Thanks for all the input guys.I finally submitted it today under S15 which is really what I indended if for when I bought it, before getting lured down the exciting and seductive path of S16.Now the truely trying wait begins... until now there was always that last licencing wait