What and Who is Cape SAAACA
Cape SAAACA is an association that caters for firearms enthusiast who have an interest in historic and collectable firearms and a serious interest in collecting, research, study, restoration and preservation of firearms and related artefacts.
We are a non profit organization established in 2004 and based in the Western Cape with historical ties to the Firearms Society of South Africa.
Cape SAAACA activities include:
- Regular swap & trade events
- Academic and lecture evenings
- Show and tell events, where members are encouraged to participate.
- Theme shoots focusing on collectables
What is the legal definition of firearms?
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries. In South Africa it is described in Section 1 to the Firearms Control Act, Act 60 of 2000.
Is a rifle and a gun the same thing?
Although the term “firearm” is used as synonym for the term “gun,” only those high-muzzle velocity firearms which need a crew to handle such as field guns, tank guns, and artillery guns like cannons and howitzers are referred to as guns. The difference between guns and rifles is that guns are made up of a tubed body and fire on the target with the help of pneumatic force, while rifles are made up of helical loops inside, which are responsible for the stable release of the bullet into the target.
Definition of a firearm
According to Wikipedia the term “firearm” can include any weapon that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive, or the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any firearm muffler or firearm silencer or any destructive device.
A firearm can include any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries, like in South Africa, where before 2000, there was no statutory definition of a firearm.
This lack of a proper definition was solved by the new Section 1 to the Firearms Control Act, Act 60 of 2000, in which a broad definition was adopted to include any device that can propel a bullet or projectile through a barrel or cylinder by means of burning propellant, at a muzzle energy exceeding 8 joules (6 ft-lbs); anything with the capacity to discharge rim-fire, centre-fire or pin-fire ammunition; any device that can be readily altered to be any of the above-listed firearms; any device designed to discharge any projectile of at least .22 caliber at a muzzle energy of more than 8 joules (6 ft-lbs), by means of compressed gas; or any barrel, frame, or receiver of a device mentioned above.