Import of Firearms into Namibia

Thanks for that update

 

PART V

PERMITS


Permit to import or export arms and ammunition



20. (1) A person who in terms of section 23(1) of the Act wishes to apply for a permit to import or export arms or ammunition shall complete Form Pol 573 and submit the completed form to a staff member who has been authorised to receive the application by the Minister.


(2) The permit to be issued in terms of section 23(1) of the Act shall be in Form Pol 574.


Permit to import, supply or possess armaments



21. (1) A person who in terms of section 29(2) of the Act wishes to apply for a permit to import, supply or possess armaments shall complete Form Pol 573 and submit the completed form to a person who has been authorised to receive the application by the Minister.


(2) The application made under subregulation (1) shall be accompanied by -


(a) a report compiled by the officer in charge of the police station which is situated in the area where the applicant resides, works or carries on business and the report shall contain the officer in charge’s comments on the applicant’s suitability to be issued with a permit;


(b) a report compiled by the Chief of Explosives which report shall contain comments on the nature of armaments which are to be imported, supplied or possessed and the handling and storage facilities; and


(c) the information which is required to be supplied in terms of regulation 5(2).

 

If I were a PH in South Africa, I would want to stress that it can also be an easy place to bring your rifle for a hunt. I suppose it can be. I do not believe I would have ever received my firearm in RSA without the diligence of the meet and greet service rep. Well worth it to me. Things can go wrong anywhere. But SAPS is not the only difficulty at ORT airport in JNB. Things have always been difficult for me in ORT. Some things are not their fault................like the full day it takes me to get a new 4457. Some things are their fault....the massive lines, requests for "tips", 8 pages of paper work. Yeah......If a Polish hunter can do it, I can probably do it.....but do I want to anymore?.....FWB

 

I'm sorry that this isn't to the point of your question, but did you note that the ammo weight is explicitly stated to include the case? I have never heard this before before, at least not when I have flown with ammo in a separate case.

 

Yes Hank, that is the case on international flights, at least for Delta and United. If you are flying domestic in the U.S. you can carry ammo in the gun case if you choose on those two carriers.

 

Air Canada lets you put ammo in with other stuff in a checked bag, so long as it's properly packed. They've never weighed the whole bag to determine what the weight of the ammo is.

Most of us only need the separate case if we are moving around Africa, where they require that ammo be packed separately.

I believe airlines intentionally make the rules difficult to try to dissuade people from traveling with firearms and ammo.

 

On my last trip to S.A. in July the lady at the Delta counter did not weigh the ammo case, but did ask me how much it weighed. I knew the answer since I previously weighed it myself. With two boxes of .404 J ammo it was about 3 pounds underweight if I remember correctly.

 

My bags missed my flight from JNB to WDH as well. 1.5 hours is just not enough time Johannesburg, but the connecting flights are limited and if you don't check your Bags through JNB your forced to process them into SA even for a 12 hour lay over. Elvis and Denzel in the tinny lost baggage office in Windhoek took my POL Form 573 the invitation letter from my PH and a copy of my passport and Elvis processed my Firearms permit and sent my rifle case and duffle bag with the permit attach by courier to my hunting camp.

My biggest hassle happened at JFK. The NYPD must now inspect and register all firearms traveling through any NYC airport. Even if the TSA clears your firearm at another airport and it's check through it will be pulled again at JFK. Be warned and be prepared.

 

I’ve traveled four times to Africa, once started on American and the other three were Delta from Boston to JFK. I carried a double gun case and have never been charged for over size luggage. Not sure of the dimensions but it is over what they list. I don’t remember being asked about the weight of ammo, I was asked if I had some with me.

 

This same thing happened to me, I missed the connection from JNB to WDH and my bags didn't leave JNB when I did the next day. When I finally did get my bags, a couple days later, the locks had been busted off and a the bags had been pillaged. Guns and ammo were still in the bags, so that's all I really needed.

 

Have had things go smooth as oil once and lost everything the other time - but it all caught up with us in Namibia 3 days later, which I thought was amazing! Last time I went was sans firearms, and it really was nice, but I am a gun guy and like my own firearms. Going to do another trip with firearms in May. So I have been re-reading all the laws and rules. One thing I do not see is a limit on the number of rounds that can be brought along. I see the " must be the caliber of the firearm" rule, but not a limit on number of rounds. Have I missed something?? I seem to remember that SA said something like 200 rounds max and Namibia was like 80, but I can find neither of these "rules" in the statues I have read. I understand all about the 5 kg weight restrictions of the airlines, but can anyone point me toward a statute about max number of rounds?? Thanks. OK, quick update...I did find the 200 round ceiling in SA on the SAPS web page!