Well there are many reasons why the import of airguns is legal.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
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
