Indians For Guns

Mack The Knife Bana";p="2645 wrote:Hi Raj,

Not sure if you remember me but it's good to have you on board. Get the Doc over as well.

Do you still represent Air Arms in India?

When time permits can you please elaborate on the airgun import laws.

Mack The Knife

Well there are many reasons why the import of airguns is legal.
1) They are not fire arms to begin with. Even if chapter 93 lists them with fire arms. Now authorities take shelter under the definition of " fire arm" which means any arm which can eject a projectile by explosive or any other means of energy. So they claim an airgun ejects a projectile using compressed air. They conveniently overlook the fact that to be a fire-arm the oject must first be an " Arm" which is any instrumet designed for offensive or defensive purposes and airguns are not designed for this purpose. Naturally if they are not arms, as under the Arms Act they cannot be firearms.

2) There was a circular issued by the old CCI&E to all Asst Comissioners of Customs that the import of airguns was never banned under the ban on firarms imposed in 1986.

3) India is a signatory to the WTO and one of the fundamental principles of " Nationality treatment" is that you cannot restrict the import of articles which are made and sold normaly in the market. So as long as Indian Hume Pipe make and sell airguns we can and should be allowed to import airguns from abroad.

I guess this should be enough food for thougth.

Raj

Thanks for the reply, Raj.

Just so I have a clearer picture, are the above three points pertaining to import of airguns as personal baggage (this was always allowed) or import of airguns via post or courier and that too in any calibre rather than just the .177" calibre?

Mack The Knife

Hi Raj,

Thanks for the information. Its really good to know these things

Raj Khalid";p="2649 wrote:
2) There was a circular issued by the old CCI&E to all Asst Comissioners of Customs that the import of airguns was never banned under the ban on firarms imposed in 1986.

Raj

Is it Possible to get a copy of this circular or could you please point me to a resource where I could get this.

Thanks
Ranjeet

Raj,

Their is also an old notification of the Home Ministry taking out air rifles from the category of firearms( with an exception as laid down in the notification)

Take care,
penpusher

Hi penpusher,

Could you please let me know where I could get hold of such circulars and notifications.

The Airgun import document which we had on our previous yahoo boards was a very useful one

Thanks
Ranjeet

The airgun import notification is now available in our "Download" section - under legal notices.

HTH

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Where can one find any copy of the rule or notifications where its mentioned that one can bring in air-gun as personnal baggage?

Any online resource or something else?

Inder

Inder,

There is an office near Connaught Place in New Delhi from where you can get copies of all the govt. notifications and that too for only a couple of rupees.You would need to know the no. and the year of the notification, however.You can ask for the place from any book dealer, in or around CP, who deals in Law books , for directions.

Take care,
penpusher

I will be in Delhi tomorrow, Will try...

Thanks a lot penpusher

Inder