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 pistols and other devices designed to project only signal flares, pistols and revolvers for firing blank ammunition, captive-bolt humane killers, line-throwing guns).
This heading includes all firearms not covered by headings 93.01 and 93.02; it includes some devices which are not weapons but which operate by the firing of an explosive charge. The heading includes :(1) Sporting, hunting and target shooting guns, rifles and carbines of all calibres, smooth-bored or rifled. Sporting and hunting guns frequently have more than one barrel and sometimes have one smooth-bore barrel and one rifled barrel and may have interchangeable barrels (smooth-bore and rifled). They often have decorative chasing on metal parts and carved butts. Target shooting guns usually have only one barrel. These guns may fire only one round at a time and be required to be reloaded manually after each shot, or they may be 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 safety pistols and revolvers capable of firing only blank cartridges. They may have solid or blocked barrels with a vent for the escape of gases. Certain revolvers may have the chambers in the cylinder tapered, while some starters¡¯ or stage property pistols have no barrel. When used for starting races, these pistols may be fitted with electrical devices which actuate chronometer equipment. (6) Captive bolt humane killers. These resemble pistols for firing blank cartridges. The explosion drives forward a bolt sliding within the barrel in order to kill or stun the animal. The bolt does not leave the pistol but is drawn back for further use. The heading excludes bullet-type pistols (usually of large calibre), occasionally used for slaughtering animals (heading 93.02). (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 apparatus, firing blank ammunition, used to raise an alarm (e.g., at lifeboat stations), to celebrate 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 heading excludes riveting tools, wall-plugging tools, etc., operated by means of an explosive charge (heading 82.05).
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