Armoury companies in South Africa must undergo stringent checks to be able to trade. A new Armoury company must show previous experience and a genuine involvement in the industry to be able to become registered with the SAPS. Armoury companies are registered with the South African police service. All staff members must clear a Police criminal records test periodically. All armourers must undergo a written and practical test for each individual category of firearm, that is currently six separate exams.  No props person is allowed to handle or supervise any firearms on set. No individual (licenced or not) may handle or supervise a firearm on a film set unless they are a member of staff with a SAPS registered armoury company. The armoury company must have a designated individual who is legally responsible for the ­­­­­­­actions of the staff and the company. MILSPEC staff generally have at least 2 years’ experience under the control of a senior armourer before they are allowed to attend a set with firearms unsupervised.

Our Registered Armourers are trained by Lance himself. To be able to work as an armourer in South Africa, you have to work through a registered Movie Armoury Company such as MIL.SPEC. An Accreditation Certificate issued by The South African Police Service is proof of this registration.

In order to become a Registered Armourer in South Africa, a person must firstly have passed the relevant firearms competency courses relating to each type of firearm AND have had a firearms competency certificate issued by the South African Police Services (SAPS).

Once the training courses have been passed, the training certificate from the training institution is sent to the SAPS for a background clearance and criminal record check, only once this last process is completed is an armourer legally qualified and competent to work as a Film/Tv Armourer. Competency certificates have a valid period of 5 years after which they must be renewed through SAPS. The certificates often expire during the renewal waiting period due to the time it takes for the SAPS to respond. The expired certificates are still valid as long as a proof of application is provided or until a refusal for renewal is received. To check if your armourer has received a full competency certificate from SAPS to allow them to work in the industry, you can ask for a copy from the armoury company who is providing the service.