I have hunted in RSA with a lever action rifle (Savage 99) in the past with no questions. In reading Boddington's Safari Rifles II, he states lever actions are now prohibited. Anyone know the scoop. JJ? Mark?

Apart from semi-auto rifles this is the first I have heard of it.

I hope not, as I know of multiple folks who are planning to use lever guns there in 2012. In fact there has been an annual Leverguns.com hunt there for the last few years and another is planned for 2012. One member used his Marlin .45-70 there just two months ago. I will check with my SA outfitter on this.

I have always wanted to take a model 88 or 99 clip feed 243 with me for a baboon shoot. Such a rifle would be about ideal, short of an AR-15 which would NOT be allowed in, for thinning out a troupe.

BS - I just returned from RSA yesterday with my 450 Marlin. I went to the Natal province with it to do the PH certification course (passed) at the Goss PH Academy and then hunted for 5-days.

The course had a section that reviewed the current South African and Natal Province gun temp import/export laws, action limitations/restrictions and caliber limitations. They currently contain no such lever action limits/restrictions.

Chris Troskie Safaris regularly holds group lever gun Safaris for enthusiasts. He also caters for hunting from horses.

http://www.ct-safaris.com/

hatari, I have the same book, Safari Rifles II. I've read it several times. I can't find anywhere in the book where he states that lever actions are prohibited. Would you kindly point out the page where he said this?

BTW, went to the limpopo in 2008 and took 7 head of plains game with my 45-70 Guide Gun.


maddog

Maddog,

I'm at the office and the book is at home right now. If I recall, I was reading around page 279. Look for Boddington's line about South Africa's "draconian gun laws". It was on a right hand page.

Three years ago I took my family to the Eatern Cape of SA and the landowner had a Sako Finnwolf in 243 he called his John Wayne gun. My oldest son asked if he could use it and shot several springbuck with the lever gun.

Strange that Craig would put that in his book if he wasn't sure. I'm going to send him an email on it.

hatari, I went back and looked at the leveraction section of the book, and still couldn't find anything about RSA prohibiting lever actions. The only thing I found prohibited is semi autos.


maddog

Did you find the quote about the "draconian gun laws"? I'll look again tonight.

It's on page 283:

"Well, OK, there is one consideration: At this writing South Africa's increasingly draconian gun laws specifically prohibit lever actions (and slide actions, and semiautos!)."

Craig Boddington, Safari Rifles II , p. 283 (2009).

That's the quote! I was only four pages off. Not bad from memory.

Just got and Out of Office reply from Craig. It seems he's "out of the country" until Nov 12th, Hopefully in a nice camp and free from editors deadlines. I think I hate him

I'll be damned. I looked it up and saw it. Craig may be wrong, or else the police haven't read their own regs.

I used a GG in 2008.



maddog

The only types of rifles that are prohibited by law to use for hunting in South Africa are .22 rimfires and self-loading weapons i.e. fully and semi automatic weapons. Lever action rifles do not fall into this category.

We have been hosting lever action enthusiasts on an annual "levergun hunt" for 7 years now (after the new gunlaws came into effect) and have successfully imported clients' weapons successfully without fail.

Quite a few of my friends and colleagues own and hunt with lever action rifles... In fact one just recently imported a 45-70 guide gun that was given to him as a tip after our 2009 levergun hunt.

So in reply to the original question - Lever Action rifles are legal to hunt with - save those chambered in .22 rimfire.

Regards,

Chris

Tell us about the .22 rimfire ban? Strange.

Chris,
Thank you for the added clarification.

IIRC, doesn't the .22 ban have to do with the fact the caliber is a favorite of poachers?

[/quote]IIRC, doesn't the .22 ban have to do with the fact the caliber is a favorite of poachers?[/quote]

Not only that, but also the wounding factor. Some years ago one of the forum members who hunted with me me via JJHACK and I caught a couple poachers shooting impala off the side of the road.

The amazing thing is that silencers/suppressors are very legal. I have one on my 22 and shoot birds with it while sitting in a bow blind.

checked this against the Fire arms control act, cant find a problem with lever actions

Anyone know for sure about the slide actions?

I received an answer from Craig. His attention is always appreciated.

Hmmmm. Lever actions are technically illegal, but my understanding is they don't actually enforce that rule with visiting sportsmen. So you can probably get away with it, but it might depend somewhat on which inspector you get, so it's a bit dicey. It would probably be best to apply in advance rather than do the permit when you arrive...once you have it, then it's good to go.
Regards, Craig

I have a great respect for Craig, but I think he may be mistaken in this instance. he may have written his book based on a draft of regulations being debated but not yet passed.

I have reviewed the entire RSA Fire Arms Control Act that was passed in 2004. RSA Fire Arms Control Act of 2004 and the RSA Fire Arms Control Act On-line RSA Fire Arms Act On-line and the RSA Fire Arms Control Bill of 2006. RSA Fire Arms Contol Bill 2006

Nowhere within those documents do they indicate lever action rifles being prohibited from being owned by RSA residents/citizens or being temporarily imported by non-RSA citizens/residents for the purpose of hunting or sport shooting events/activities. The only long weapons they specifically prohibit are fully automatic rifles.

Now, that said, there are 9 separate provinces in RSA and each province has individual "Ordinances" that govern "hunting" to include minimum calibers and/or muzzle energies for various size of game. They can also limit the "actions". For example the Natal province allows the use of semi-automatic shotguns for "game birds", duiker and bushbuk so long as it is "permanently" modified to only fire a maximum of two rounds without reloading and the minimum caliber for "dangerous game" is 375 H&H Mag with zero mention of a minimum "muzzle energy".

It is also my understanding there is a "new" Fire Arms Control Act being proposed, but has not yet been approved.

If someone has links to documents that counter my info I would love to review them since the info above was contained in the Natal Province PH exams I took (and passed) 10-days ago.

m3 I think you about have it right and this matter can now be laid to rest. Bring a lever action and come and hunt.

Great to get such good info on the Fire. Many thanks to all, especially those of you in RSA. Looks like my son will get to use his .250 on buck after all.

As someone who dabbled with writing, I know you are only as good as the information available at the time. Whatever document Craig read, I'm sure he was certain about it, and would be pleased to know things are not as restrictive as was presented to him. Things change.

I have just had 3 licenses approved (October 2011) for 3 Savage model 99's (22HP, 250 & 300) all 3 were approved for hunting purposes. Anyone coming out to South Africa with a 99, please bring me some brass!

I just hunted the east cape area of RSA in May, using my model 88, in 308. No one even blinked at it, and flew through. The PHs had never seen one, and were impressed with it.

Redhawk, what are the restrictions on sending you some brass? When I came over in May brought my PH a box of 458 Lott brass, and a number of different bullets. No problem getting them through.

No restrictions on brass or bullets only ammunition, primers & powder; luckily primers & powder are readily available at local dealers. Bullets a bit more difficult as they are imported in batches so you can't always get the specific bullets you want or are used to using. When a batch lands just try & buy what you can, luckily there are only a handful of agents locally so not too difficult to keep tabs on their imports. Point in question for .257 I can currently get 4-5 different 100gr bullets but no 85-90gr (hunting not varmint) bullets. Called every dealer I can trace in South Africa.