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Airgun law · World

Are Airguns Legal in Lesotho?

Yes, but heavily regulated.

Legal in principle, but the compliance burden is high, often with firearm-grade steps for the airguns most people want.

Tier 2: Major Restrictions

Full firearms-licence regime for the airguns most enthusiasts would actually buy.

LS

The picture at a glance

Each measure below scores how restrictive Lesotho is on that part of owning or transferring an airgun, from permissive (green) to firearm-level (red).

ClassificationTreated as firearm
Age rule21+
PossessionVariable
Transfer / saleVariable
TransportVariable
AuthorityUnclear
Before you buy or sell
  • Do not import based on neighboring South Africa's thresholds.
  • No airgun carveout surfaced.
  • Police/local interpretation matters.

The rules in detail

Classification
Treated as firearm
Internal Security (Arms and Ammunition) Act 1966: "firearm" means any lethal barrelled weapon and expressly "includes an air gun, air rifle or air pistol". Airguns are firearms under the Act, and the fee schedule prices a firearm certificate for air guns.
Age rule
21+
18+ to buy, hire, or accept as gift or loan any firearm, including air guns (s.21).
Possession
Variable
Firearm certificate required for any air gun, air rifle or air pistol (all are firearms under s.2). Carrying a loaded air weapon in a public place without lawful excuse is an offence (s.29).
Transfer / sale
Variable
Sale, lending, hiring, or transfer of firearms/ammunition is controlled. Weapon-like transfer should be locally verified.
Transport
Variable
Transport cased, unloaded, and documented. Avoid public carry/display.
Authority
Unclear
National internal-security/firearms registry framework.

Hunting with an airgun

Unresolved / verify locally.

Deer
Unresolved / not addressed
Not listed
Turkey
Unresolved / not addressed
Not listed
Small game
Unresolved / not addressed
Not listed
Predators
Unresolved / not addressed
Not listed
Other big game
Unresolved / not addressed
Not listed

Import & travel

Energy threshold
No airgun joule threshold found.
Caliber rule
No specific airgun caliber rule found.
Travel note
Confirm locally before travel; do not assume South African airgun rules apply in Lesotho.

Local & import notes

Visitor procedure
Do not import an airgun without written customs/police confirmation. Lesotho's arms framework regulates firearms and other weapons, and no airgun carveout surfaced.

Keep exploring

Open the interactive mapSee how this compares across the map and switch between legal and hunting views.→Ballistics toolkitCheck energy, velocity, and range for any airgun and load.→Ammo databaseBrowse 600+ pellets and slugs by caliber and weight.→

This is a plain-language summary compiled from primary statutes and official guidance. It isn't legal advice. Laws change and local rules vary, so verify the current rules with the relevant authority before buying, selling, or hunting.