Firearms Control Act Regulations 2004
Chapter 10
Safe custody of firearms and ammunition
Safes and safe custody
Regulation 86 (11).
(11) (a) Firearms other than those in respect of which a licence for self-defence in terms of section 13 of the Act has been issued, must be stored unloaded in accordance with these regulations.
(b) Any person who may lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition shall store these in a prescribed safe or strongroom, to which he or she shall have at all time exclusive access or his or her presence and co-operation shall be a necessary prerequisite for access to the relevant firearm and ammunition unless-
(i) the storage is undertaken by the holder of a dealer’s or gunsmith’s licence in which case the dealer or the dealer’s personnel with valid competency certificates, or the gunsmith may have access to the safe or strongroom; or
(ii) the firearm is temporarily stored in a safe or strongroom that conforms to the prescripts of SABS Standard 953-1 and 953-2 or a lock-away safe, device, apparatus or instrument for the safe custody of a firearm that conforms to the prescripts of subregulation (12), that is under the control of a holder of a licence, authorisation or permit issued in terms of this Act, the person storing the firearm must in writing notify the Designated Firearm Officer in whose area the firearm is temporarily stored.
Regulation 86 (12).
(12) A lock-away safe, apparatus, device and instrument for safe custody of a firearm or ammunition, must to the satisfaction of the Registrar comply with the following requirements -
(a) be manufactured from steel of at least 2 mm thick;
(b) be capable of enclosing or covering the firearm concerned wholly
(c) have an effective integral locking mechanism;
(d) have a hinge mechanism for the cover or lid thereof which shall ensure that when the locking pin thereof is removed, the cover or lid shall not be capable of being opened or removed;
(e) have a facility with the aid or use of which the lock-away safe, apparatus, device or instrument may be securely affixed to another structure such as a wall or a floor, or the body of a vehicle; and
(f) in the case of a lock-away safe used as contemplated in subregulation (5) if such safe can only be locked
Subregulation 86 (5):
(5) In the case of any premises where firearm control is exercised by the occupier of the premises, the holder of a licence, authority or permit issued in terms of the Act, may hand a firearm and ammunition that is in the possession of the said holder when entering the premises, to a person designated thereto by the said occupier, who must hold an authorisation issued in terms of section 21 of the Act, to store the firearm and ammunition on behalf of the holder of the licence, authority or permit for such period as is necessary under the circumstances in a safe or strongroom that complies with the standards set out in SABS Standard 953-1 or 953-2 or a prescribed lock-away safe that can only be opened by the designated person and the holder of the licence jointly and which is installed on the premises.