Warning and signal firearms

Warning and signal weapons are a device that have a cartridge chamber and are made solely for firing blank cartridges or pyrotechnic signal ammunition and which cannot be adapted for firing projectiles propelled by gunpowder.

A permit is not required for handling a warning and signal weapon that meets the requirements.

The Weapons Act establishes the requirement that it must not be possible to fire a warning and signal weapon with a gas charge contained in a gas cartridge.

Warning and signal weapons that use gas cartridges are prohibited:

• to be owned without a weapon licence of the relevant category
• to be sold without a permit for economic activity

If you have such a weapon, you are obliged to surrender it to the PBGB for:

• safekeeping
• destruction

The following may be applied for for warning and signal weapons given to the PBGB for safekeeping:

• a weapons permit pursuant to the category of weapon
• permit for economic activity for sale, manufacture, conversion, repair or safekeeping of the weapon