WCO Explanatory Notes reproduced for reference. © World Customs Organization. Verify against official WCO publication.
93.03 Other firearms and similar devices which operate by the firing of an explosive charge (for example, sporting shotguns and rifles, muzzle-loading firearms, Very istols and other devices designed to project only sipnal flares, pistols and revolvers For firing blank ammunition, captive-bolt humane kdlers, Line-throwing guns). 9303.10 9303.20 9303.30 9303.90 - Muzzle-loading firearms - Other sporting, hunting or target-shooting shotguns, including combination shotgun-rifles - Other sporting, hunting or target-shooting rifles - Other This heading includes all firearms not covered b headings 93.01 and 93.02; it includes some devices which are not weapons but which operate y the firing of an explosive charge. r, The heading includes : (1) Sportin , hunting and target shooting guns, rMes and carbines of all calibres, smooth- ored or nfled. Sportmg and hunting guns frequently have more than one barrel and sometimes have one smooth-bore barrel and one nfled barrel and may have interchangeable barrels (smooth-bore and rifled). They ofZen have decorative chasing on metal parts and carved butts. Target shooting guns usually have only one barrel. % < These guns ma fire on1 one round at a time and be required to be reloaded manually after each shot, or ey may e fitted with a magazine and capable of repetition firing, or they may have a mechanism for rapid semi-automatic fire. Sporting guns made to resemble walking-sticks are included in this group. (2) Duck cannon (punt-guns), specially designed for shooting waterfowl. They are usually mounted on a stand or support designed to be fixed to a boat. (3) Muzzle-loading (" black powder ") firearms neither designed for nor capable of firing a cartridge. (4) Very pistols and other devices designed to project only signal flares. (5) Dummy, imitation or safe pistols and revolvers capable of firing only blank cartridges. They may have solid or b ocked barrels with a vent for the escape of gases. Certain revolvers may have the chambers in the c linder tapered, while some starters' or stage pro erty pistols have no barrel. When usedlfor starhng races, thesepistols may be fitted wit electrical devices which actuate chronometer equipment. i? (6) Ca tive-bolt humane killers. These resemble istols for firing blank cartridges. The exp osion drives forward a bolt sliding within the arrel in order to kill or stun the animal. The bolt does not leave the pistol but is drawn back for fixther use. f \ The heading excludes bullet- e pistols (usually of Iarge calibre), occasionally used for slaughtering animals (beading 9a2). (7) Line-throwing guns, used mainly on board ship or at lifeboat stations for life-saving and establishing communication. (8) Harpoon guns, used for propelling a harpoon attached to a line to catch fish, marine mammals, turtles, etc. (9) Warning guns, mortars and similar a paratus, firing blank ammunition, used to raise an alarm (e.g., at lifeboat stations), to cele rate an event or to give warning of the presence of poachers, etc. % (10) "Hail cannon", a kind of cannon consisting of a truncated sheet-iron cone, for firing at hail clouds to cause rain. The headin excludes riveting tools, wall-plugging tools, etc., operated by means of an explosive charge (heading 85.05).
Notes. 1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Goods of Chapter 36 (for example, percussion caps, detonators, signalling flares); (b) Parts of general use, as defined in Note 2 to Section XV, of base metal (Section XV), or similar goods of plastics (Chapter 39); (c) Armoured fighting vehicles (heading 87.10); (d) Telescopic sights or other optical devices suitable for use with arms, unless mounted on a firearm or presented with the firearm on which they are designed to be mounted (Chapter 90); (e) Bows, arrows, fencing foils or toys (Chapter 95); or (f) Collectors' pieces or antiques (heading 97.05 or 97.06). 2.- In heading 93.06, the reference to “parts thereof” does not include radio or radar apparatus of heading 85.26.