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Airgun law · World

Are Airguns Legal in Solomon Islands?

Mostly no, or only under severe restrictions.

Treated at or near firearm level, with an effective ban or major criminal-law exposure for ordinary ownership. Watch the restricted access rule in particular.

Tier 1: Severely Restricted

Effective civilian ban or extreme criminal penalties for unlicensed possession.

SB

The picture at a glance

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

ClassificationUnclear
Age rule18+
PossessionRestricted access
Transfer / saleVariable
TransportVariable
AuthorityUnclear
Before you buy or sell
  • Air guns, air rifles and air pistols are 'imitation firearms' under the 2000 amendment.
  • Import, sale, display for sale and manufacture of imitation firearms (including airguns) are prohibited (s.40B).
  • Going armed with an airgun without lawful excuse is an offence (s.40A).

The rules in detail

Classification
Unclear
The Firearms and Ammunition Act's 'firearm' definition excludes air guns except where expressly provided, and the older Regulations define 'air weapon' for licensing. Since the Firearms and Ammunition (Amendment) Act 2000, 'imitation firearm' expressly includes an air gun, air rifle and air pistol, and imitation firearms may not be imported, sold, displayed for sale or manufactured (s.40B).
Age rule
18+
Unresolved; use 18+ as a conservative adult baseline pending Royal Solomon Islands Police Force confirmation.
Possession
Restricted access
Air weapons already in the country need a licence under the Firearms and Ammunition Regulations, and going armed with an airgun (an 'imitation firearm') without lawful excuse is an offence (s.40A). New airguns cannot lawfully enter the country or be sold (s.40B), so in practice there is no way to acquire one.
Transfer / sale
Variable
Prohibited in practice: s.40B (added 2000) bars importing, selling or displaying for sale any imitation firearm, a term that includes air guns, air rifles and air pistols; making them for use or sale is also banned. Penalty: SBD 1,000 fine and/or 1 year.
Transport
Variable
Transport only unloaded, cased, and with licence documentation. Public carry or display of imitation firearms is separately criminalized.
Authority
Unclear
National Firearms and Ammunition framework administered through police/licensing authorities.

Hunting with an airgun

Unresolved / likely not ordinary airgun use.

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 energy threshold found; licence status is type-based for air weapons.
Caliber rule
No specific airgun caliber rule found.
Travel note
Air guns, air rifles and air pistols count as 'imitation firearms' in Solomon Islands, and importing or selling them is banned (s.40B).

Local & import notes

Visitor procedure
Do not import an airgun into Solomon Islands. Since the 2000 amendment, air guns, air rifles and air pistols count as 'imitation firearms', and s.40B prohibits importing them (fine SBD 1,000 and/or 1 year).

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.