One is deadly, the other a toy
MBOMBELA - The shooting death of Mervyn Masher by a police officer in the city on June 9 raised a furore among residents.
Police initially claimed that he had pointed a toy gun at a police officer. Masher’s family maintained that his gun had been holstered at the time of the incident.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is investigating. To date, spokesman, Moses Dlamini was only able to confirm that two guns were confiscated and sent for ballistic testing.
He added that investigation into the shooting is continuing and no arrests have been made yet.
The assertion by police that a toy gun was wielded during the incident has raised questions about the South African gun laws regulating how replicas can be used.
Replicas are easily available in Mbombela and retailers stock a wide range of gun replicas and air rifles which are virtually indistinguishable from a real firearm.
According to Nolan Naudé, who co-owns an outdoor and hunting shop, any person can buy one that looks uncannily similar to an authentic weapon.
“There is no age restriction for buying one of these. They are non-lethal and use carbon dioxide gas to propel the pellets at speeds of up to 485 feet per second.”
The magazines hold metallic ball projectiles which are fired once the trigger is pulled. The warning label on the packaging reads: “Not a toy. Supervision required, misuse or careless use may cause serious injury or death. May be dangerous up to 260 yards (238 metres)”.
The new gun laws, which came into effect in South Africa on January 1, stipulate that number one pellet guns which use bullets of 2,97 millimetres or smaller, can be bought without acquiring a gun licence.
Before a pellet gun is fired in a suburban area, written permission must be obtained from the city council, unless it is discharged at a sports meeting.
A comparison between a replica and a real firearm by Lowvelder revealed minor differences between the two. The most noticeable similarities were that the replica weighed the same and was produced from the same materials.
The magazine in which the metal ball projectiles are loaded looked and felt the same as an authentic gun. The sound when cocking both guns were identical, and a replica could easily be mistaken for the real thing.
Albert Gryvenstein of Bossies Community Justice agreed. “There are very subtle differences between the replicas and the real thing. The sound and feel of a replica, with a few small differences such as the gold-coloured barrel and the manufacturer’s logo on the side, are much the same as a real pistol.”
Naudé and Gryvenstein agreed that normal gun safety rules should be applied when handling a replica, emphasising that they should, under no circumstances, be pointed at a person or people.
Depending on the distance they are discharged from, the metal ball projectiles are capable of inflicting serious harm.
Even though there is no age restriction on purchasing one, replicas should only be used under close adult supervision, in accordance with South African gun laws.