Licensing a semi auto .22

**Glocky** · 02-07-2009, 10:32

Good day gents

Would it be possible to license a semi auto .22 rifle for hunting purposess ?

I do own a farm where I would make use of this rifle to hunt small game

Any help please

**BoerBok** · 02-07-2009, 11:09

IIRC, I don't think any Semi's may be licensed for hunting..??

???

SSP?

**Glocky** · 02-07-2009, 12:07

Damn I tought so

what can you motivate a semi auto for then ?

**SSP** · 02-07-2009, 12:15

Dedicated sport.

**deonh** · 02-07-2009, 12:40

You can license a .22 semi-auto (pretty much any gun for that matter) for hunting but it's the long road due to certain technicalities wrt rounds fired before reloading. Not insurmountable but problematic.

Rather, as per SSP, go the dedicated sport route. An example would licensing the gun under an IDPA / SADPA motivation as follows (2 + 3 gun matches):

Rifle Division
1. Rimfire Rifle (rifles or carbines of .22 calibre ):
1.3. Semi-Automatic Division

I had my .22 rifle (albeit a bolt action) successfully licensed thusly. Good luck.

**Brad76** · 02-07-2009, 13:28

Hunting with a semi is illegal is far as I know

**deonh** · 02-07-2009, 13:44

Originally Posted by Brad76

Hunting with a semi is illegal is far as I know

It's not illegal per se but will depend on what you are hunting and where you are hunting it. Legislation in this regard varies from province to province and national legislation in this regard is applicable to certain species only. You could ask yourself what all those guys that bought and imported semi-auto hunting shotguns are hunting if it were illegal (other than skeet and trap of course)? Same applies to the legion of semi-auto varmint guns in .223? In most provinces farms that have exemption / adequate enclosure may use any method to hunt (incl. semi-autos) other than fire and poison. It's probably best to confirm with your provincial nature conservation authority what the legal status in your province is but the global statement that hunting with a semi-auto is illegal isn't entirely true.

**BoerBok** · 02-07-2009, 14:08

deonh,

so what is legal/acceptable in the Western Cape, for instance?

**deonh** · 02-07-2009, 14:25

Originally Posted by BoerBok

deonh, so what is legal/acceptable in the Western Cape, for instance?

Either hunt on a farm which has a fencing Certificate of Adequate Enclosure (called an exemption in other provinces I believe, most decent game farms where hunting takes place has such a Certificate / exemption) or have your mags permanently crimped so that the firearm can't discharges more than two shots without being manually reloaded. One used to be able to hunt varmints (I hate that term) in season with semi-autos but that was stopped. You can of course also simply apply for a permit to use a semi-auto! In the WCP hunting with a bow and arrow falls into the same category as hunting with a semi-auto.

In addition, given that we started talking about .22's, for firearms which discharge a rim-fire cartridge of a caliber less than five comma six millimeters one can hunt birds and certain unprotected wild animals (i.e. rodents). It also perfectly acceptable (and in fact good form) to provide your local nature conservator with biltong and droewors post hunt of course! :P

**Glocky** · 02-07-2009, 15:10

Thanks Guys

I will give it some thought , I dont really need a Semi but can get a Walter for free , So I tought maye its a good Idea

Otherwise I will take a bolt action , I am going to use this .22 on my farm to hunt Small animals and to keep pests under control

My Farm is close to Thabazimbi