Army publishes ordinance with greater control over the granting of weapons to CACs

The Army Command published this Wednesday (27) an ordinance that finalizes the regulation of the Lula government’s new weapons decree, published in July this year. The text promotes rules on levels and habituality of Hunters, Shooters and Collectors (CACs), validity of psychological reports, weapon limits for shooting clubs, among other points.

The ordinance also establishes the criteria for purchasing weapons and maintains the issuance of authorizations for purchasing weapons through the Army’s Corporate Management System (SisGCorp). An expert interviewed by the report pointed out that the new text “brings more restrictions, more bureaucracy and more costs”. In addition to “making sports shooting truly elite.”

According to the regulations, Registration Certificates (CRs) already granted or new will be valid for three years. For CRs who left before the new weapons decree, published in July, the base date remains the date of publication of the decree. In other words, it is as if the CR was issued on July 21st, expiring only on July 21st, 2026. For new registrations, which are yet to be issued, the date starts from the day the document was granted.

The psychological assessment report will be valid for two years from its date of issuance. And according to the text, the validity “will be a maximum of two years, counting from the date of issuance of the report, in accordance with Resolution No. 01 of the Federal Council of Psychology, of January 21, 2022”.

CACs levels

The ordinance establishes, as in the decree, that CACs now have three levels of shooter. Here are the requirements and differences between the levels:

• level 1: eight training sessions or shooting club competitions, in different events, every 12 months; may have maximum four weapons permitted use;
• level 2: 12 trainings in shooting club and four competitions, of which two at state, district, regional or national level, every twelve months; may have up to eight permitted weapons;
• level 3: 20 training in shooting club and six competitionsof which two are national or international, within a period of 12 months; can have up to 16 weapons, four of which are for restricted use.

The levels are valid for 12 months, that is, each shooter must prove their habitual and competition skills with the Army every 12 months.

In the case of shooters who already had a CR before the publication of the ordinance, “sports shooters registered with SIGMA (…) who do not demonstrate eight training sessions or competitions in a shooting club, in different events, during the period of 12 months”.

If the habituality of the CAC is not proven, it will be subject to non-revalidation by the CR. As a result, they must “adapt their collection to the quantity permitted for that level, with the exception of weapons for restricted use acquired previously” to the weapons decree.

“If there is disagreement regarding the quantity and/or use (permitted or restricted) established for the proven level, in accordance with §11, the weapons must be transferred or delivered to the Federal Police for destruction, within 90 (ninety) days of the receipt of notification of rejection of the CR revalidation process”, explains the Army in the ordinance.

Habituality by caliber and acquisition of weapons

One of the biggest points of disagreement between the government and the shooters is what concerns “habitualities by caliber”. In the new regulations, it was defined that shooters must use registered calibers, which makes it more difficult for shooters who have several calibers.

If a level 1 shooter has four calibers, he must have eight customs for each. If it’s level 2, you’ll need 12 habits for each different caliber, and if it’s level 3, 16 trainings per caliber.

In relation to the acquisition of firearms, the text establishes the obligation to attach the same documents that are necessary to obtain the CAC: proof of occupation, negative criminal record certificates, address and habituation (less for new CACs or for those who do not have weapon in the collection).

Accessories considered as PCE (Army Controlled Products) can also be purchased only with authorization from the Army, with registration in the CR.

It was also established that reloading machines are permitted for shooters. However, “only non-pneumatic recharging equipment can be purchased, to carry out the activity exclusively in an artisanal way”.

The amount of inputs varies depending on the sniper level:

• level 1: 3kg of gunpowder;
• level 2: 6kg of gunpowder;
• level 3: 12kg of gunpowder.

Another change with the regulation is that shooting entities will have a limit on the acquisition of weapons, according to their classification before the Army:

“I – shooting practice entities (clubs): up to 20 (twenty) weapons;

II – shooting administration entities (regional): up to 40 (forty) weapons; It is

III – national shooting administration entities: up to 60 (sixty) weapons”.

Assessment from a weapons expert

For the writer, public security analyst and weapons and ammunition specialist Benedito Barbosa, who is the author of the book “Lied to Me About Disarmament”, the new ordinance is in line with the latest “revenge” decrees of the current government. “There was no technical basis for the changes, but rather revenge against the previous government and against the CACs themselves, who mostly supported the previous government,” said Barbosa.

The expert points out that the new text “brings more restrictions, more bureaucracy and more costs”. In addition, “to make sports shooting truly elite”. “The government that claims to be so concerned with the poorest people, it is exactly these people who will be most harmed, to the point that many will not be able to continue being sports shooters, due to the costs involved and the usual quantities”, he explained.

Among the most worrying points, Barbosa cites the issue of the location of shooting clubs, which cannot operate within a thousand meters of any type of school. “This makes practically all shooting clubs that are in urban areas unviable, and a large number of clubs that are in remote areas. If it continues like this and if this is demanded, there will be no alternative for these clubs to close their doors and have more layoffs”, he said.

Barbosa also mentions that some points exceeded “the regulatory power of the Union and entered the regulatory power that belongs to the municipality. “This at a certain point will have to be discussed and possibly should reach the STF, but we don’t know exactly or even know which it would be a decision by the STF in this regard”, pointed out the expert.