Gary Reeder
You need to check your rules a bit closer
Monday, November 21, 2022, 15:37

to bring a handgun into South Africa these days the barrel has to be at least 8". That has been a rule for a couple of years now. When that rule came out all the guys in our group that were planning on using a handgun had to change our barrel lengths. Two guys (not with our group) that tried to bypass that law and slip handguns into the country managed to get by as the rule was new at the time but their PH got caught and got a huge fine or 8 years in jail.
If you plan on hunting with a handgun in Africa then you need to pay attention to their rules. On our last 2 Africa hunts we have had to go by the new rules. It was written right there in the SAP (South African Police) form. I consider it a privilege to hunt Africa with my handguns as do all the guys that went with me on those hunts and consider it childish to try to bypass those laws. I have been to Africa 16 times with my handguns and hope to make one more hunt but I will absolutely stick to their rules if I can make that hunt. Also unless this is new the addition of a scope was not a law. The SAP people did check our barrel lengths but didn't say anything about a scope. I did drill and tap the top strap of my main revolver and put a scope and scope mounts in my gun case with my guns but they never checked them. I had probably $25,000 in handguns in my gun case in each of these last 2 hunts and I sure wasn't risking a handgun hunt just because I didn't want to drill and tap the topstrap of a $4000 handgun. That gun means a lot more to me now that the hunt is over and I got to use it on an African lion.

The SAP form didn't mention a scope at all in the paperwork. Our hunts were in South Africa so maybe yours are in a different country but you need to check the laws a bit closer and not just go by what a friend said who hasn't been there with a handgun. Talk to someone that books these hunts for a living and get them to get you a copy of the new laws. Anne at Air2000 can probably help you with some info. Or John Abraham at Madubula Safaris is a good one to ask. He has been African Professional Hunter of the year and has put more handgun hunters in the record book than anyone else that I can think of. The rules may have changed a bit in the year since I was over there but I sure would talk to somebody that keeps up with the rules.