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  1. #11

    Default Re: A note from SAADA on "powerful" airguns

    Quote Originally Posted by Zuku View Post
    If I read this then correct any calibre that is less than 5.6mm (irrespective of muzzle energy) doesnt class as a FA.

    Any calibre larger than 5.6 mm and less than 8 joules energy doesnt class as a FA?
    In terms of Section 5(1)(f) of the Firearms Control Act (No 60 of 2000) an airgun is not regarded as a firearm for the purposes of the Act. The definition of an airgun, given in Section 1(ii) of the Act, was amended by the Firearms Control Amendment Act (No 43 of 2003) and now reads:
    airgun means any device manufactured to discharge a bullet or any other projectile-
    (a) of a calibre of less than 5,6mm (.22 calibre); or {my emphasis}
    (b) at a muzzle energy of less than 8 joules (6 ft-lbs),
    by means of compressed gas and not by means of burning propellant

    NOTE "compressed gas". No mention of springs.

    Peter

  2. #12
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    Default Re: A note from SAADA on "powerful" airguns

    Quote Originally Posted by Wanderin' Zero View Post
    In principle then most paintball guns qualify as firearms... don't they ? AFAIK they are somewhere around 24ft-lb ?
    Also check out Sec 5(1)(h).

    Quote Originally Posted by High Power View Post
    In terms of Section 5(1)(f) of the Firearms Control Act (No 60 of 2000) an airgun is not regarded as a firearm for the purposes of the Act. The definition of an airgun, given in Section 1(ii) of the Act, was amended by the Firearms Control Amendment Act (No 43 of 2003) and now reads:
    airgun means any device manufactured to discharge a bullet or any other projectile-
    (a) of a calibre of less than 5,6mm (.22 calibre); or {my emphasis}
    (b) at a muzzle energy of less than 8 joules (6 ft-lbs),
    by means of compressed gas and not by means of burning propellant

    NOTE "compressed gas". No mention of springs.

    Peter
    The piston in a spring piston airgun does actually compress a gas (air is technically a gas), and the gas is propelling the pellet. Just saying...

  3. #13

    Default Re: A note from SAADA on "powerful" airguns

    Peter, you're clearly right on the paintball gun point. Not so sure about the spring vs compressed gas thing.

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
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    Seneca (4 BC - 65 AD)

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    Default Re: A note from SAADA on "powerful" airguns

    Let sleeping dogs be. As soon as people start needing to license their paintball markers, they going to start thinking they are real guns. Good enough for self defense.

    Thanks for that BigT, I somehow always read it as and not or. So now I guess my son can get that 5.5mm pellet gun, as soon as I can afford it that is.

  5. #15
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    Default Re: A note from SAADA on "powerful" airguns

    I think that this is more about the 9mm, .308, .5 etc. Calibre high powered air rifles. Several places have been selling them claiming that they are legal. They are not.

    5.5mm/.22 at any power level is legal, bigger than that is not, unless it is pointlessly anaemic.

  6. #16
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    Default Re: A note from SAADA on "powerful" airguns

    On this point, those homemade potato guns will then classify as firearms.
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    Default Re: A note from SAADA on "powerful" airguns

    Quote Originally Posted by Grim View Post
    5.5mm/.22 at any power level is legal, bigger than that is not, unless it is pointlessly anaemic.
    Wait a minute, doesn't the muzzle energy limit come into play here, i.e. that 5.5 mm/.22 is legal, unless it exceeds a muzzle energy of 8 joules?

  8. #18
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wave.jaco View Post
    Wait a minute, doesn't the muzzle energy limit come into play here, i.e. that 5.5 mm/.22 is legal, unless it exceeds a muzzle energy of 8 joules?
    No, that’s why the “or” is emphasised above. Which means you can ignore that bit when you’re dealing with an airgun of less than 5.6mm
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wave.jaco View Post
    Wait a minute, doesn't the muzzle energy limit come into play here, i.e. that 5.5 mm/.22 is legal, unless it exceeds a muzzle energy of 8 joules?
    This is how I always understood it to be. Seems as a result of the wording, (the word or not and), the airgun needs to propel a projectile larger than 5.6mm at greater than 8 joules of muzzle energy, to be regarded as a firearm.

  10. #20

    Default Re: A note from SAADA on "powerful" airguns

    Quote Originally Posted by A-R View Post
    Also check out Sec 5(1)(h).

    The piston in a spring piston airgun does actually compress a gas (air is technically a gas), and the gas is propelling the pellet. Just saying...
    I know this! However, any cork gun or similar where the spring acts directly on the projectile is NOT a firearm. I gathered from an earlier post that this applied to paint ball "guns", is this the case?

    Peter

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