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I read this article from a Facebook post:

Daily Current: Georgia Legalizes Handgun Vending Machines

I was skeptical, but then I found this article which says the vending machine is in South Africa:

Toxel: 17 Most Unusual Vending Machines

I find them both difficult to believe. Can you buy a handgun from a vending machine in Georgia or South Africa?

Ellie Kesselman
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Coomie
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  • It is most likely a campaign to show, how easy to get a gun for the people of South Africa. The machine is not giving weapons off course. It's just a demonstration.Those guns are fake you can easily understand from the looks of them. They have no joints just carvings on their plastic body which makes them fake. Vending Machine however looks pretty real and probably getting coins for the campaign. – Berker Yüceer Sep 05 '14 at 06:48
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    Using a bit of reasoning, it's rather easy to understand that such a vending machine would be an incredible target of abuse. If a hand gun goes for, say, $500, and that vending machine holds at least 4 rows * 4 columns * 3 deep, that vending machine has guns + cash which value upwards of $24,000. And all that's stopping somebody is a single piece of glass/plastic. – FreeAsInBeer Sep 05 '14 at 16:49
  • Also, who starts the first row of a vending machine with the letter "B"? Weirdos. – FreeAsInBeer Sep 05 '14 at 16:50
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    @FreeAsInBeer I would assume a gun vending machine would use bullet-proof glass/plastic... ;-) – Michael Sep 05 '14 at 18:46
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    @Michael That's fine, as long as it's not sitting next to an explosives vending machine, for which the bulletproof glass wouldn't work. ^_^ – FreeAsInBeer Sep 05 '14 at 18:50
  • @FreeAsInBeer I have seen more ridiculous things. I think the b row guns are larger than the others. So maybe they had to remove the A row for the space. – emory Sep 06 '14 at 16:44

3 Answers3

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There are two separate claims here.

1) The Daily Currant says Georgia has legalised handguns.

No, this is just a story from the Daily Currant which is a satirical magazine that invents stories.

2) That the image on the "17 Most Unusual Vending Machines" demonstrates that there is a vending machine that sells guns.

No, this is just an donation drive, using vending machines as an analogy for simple purchase. As it explains in small-print

Your donation will go to the Gun Control Alliance, for a gun-free South Africa.

Original Ad Source

Oddthinking
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    and those guns are fake plastic ones.. :)) – Berker Yüceer Sep 05 '14 at 06:58
  • Probably, @Berker, but how do you know? – Oddthinking Sep 05 '14 at 07:17
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    sorry it took a little time to prepare this link: http://imageshack.com/a/img912/1875/A0tH8H.jpg – Berker Yüceer Sep 05 '14 at 09:25
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    Also more succinctly, why would a anti-guns charity include real guns... – T. Kiley Sep 05 '14 at 13:14
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    Will you get the plastic gun, with that machine, or it just eats the donation? – o0'. Sep 05 '14 at 13:52
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    You may have mis-summarized the first claim. It seems like it originally had something to do with vending machines. – Ben Voigt Sep 05 '14 at 18:39
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    @Lohoris asking the important question here... – Michael Sep 05 '14 at 18:46
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    The image is hard to believe. Guns on the top row look awful close to the top, as though they'll get stuck. 3rd row are too tall, and only have 1row deep - unlikely a real machine would waste such space. 4th row clearly has space between the guns and the base - they look like they are balanced on the hammer and grip safety - the center of balance just isn't there. All guns in each shelf are at exactly the same angle - not likely, esp. with precarious balance. Shadow doesn't look right on bottom shelfwhere buyer's shadow should be on the gin - it is on shelves and window – atk Sep 05 '14 at 23:31
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    Shadow on top shelf goes, from left to right, down, down, up, but there is nothing to cast shadow except achine top, and machine top is not in shadow. Looks fake. Impossible to see guns behind front in bottom shelf, even though image is made to look like it is filled there - grip not there but trigger guards there. Guns on second shelf from top are hovering above the shelf, most clearly seen by zooming in, and by looking at the one all the way to the right. Zoom into top shelf and you can see butt of grips overlaps walls separating rows. All exif info has been removed, unusual for real pics. – atk Sep 05 '14 at 23:36
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    In short, the vending machine is a ohotoshop dake. – atk Sep 05 '14 at 23:38
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    @atk: Yeah, my first assumption was that this was a mock-up for an advert. The fact that I could only find exactly one image of this on the Internet made me even surer that this was never a physical object. Despite searching, however, I could find neither confirmation nor any counter-evidence for the reported story that it had been set-up at a university. The line I quoted seemed out of place if this was just a poster. I avoided the issue in the answer - either way, this is not evidence that you can buy guns in a vending machine in South Africa. – Oddthinking Sep 06 '14 at 00:49
  • The first thing I would think aboout those vending machines would be: Wouldn't a gun dropping like that actually falsely trigger the gun to fire? If they are loaded the person will be shot before they even pick out their gun – Sammaye Sep 06 '14 at 22:41
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    @Sammaye: :-) Of all the problems in this image (probably photoshopped, probably plastic guns, certainly illegal, banner on machine says it is for donations only, vending machine only takes coins, no-one wants their new gun dropped before they buy it, no prices on the items, and it is a really, really dangerous idea), I think that one is the most easily solved - sell them unloaded. – Oddthinking Sep 07 '14 at 00:48
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    I'd think the placard on the top of the machine reading "This is how easy it is to get a gun in South Africa ... your donation will go to the Gun Control Alliance", pretty clearly indicates that this is not a real gun-vending machine but a political statement -- either a mock up with fake guns or a photoshop. The placard is pretty obviously saying that the idea that you could get a gun this easily is bad. It may be that there is nothing in the law in South Africa that would prevent someone from setting up such a machine, but even if so, that wouldn't mean someone has necessarily done it. – Mark Daniel Johansen Sep 09 '14 at 14:01
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    @Sammaye I don't know about South Africa, but in the U.S., when you buy a gun it doesn't come loaded. Probably because, (a) the buyer will typically handle the gun before buying, and you wouldn't want someone to accidentally shoot himself or the clerk; and (b) the gun store wants to charge you separately for the ammo. In any case, guns don't just "go off" when you drop them. Any more than your car is likely to start if you slam the door. – Mark Daniel Johansen Sep 09 '14 at 14:04
  • @MarkDanielJohansen I thought about that as well but then the image loses its potentcy if someone is vending unloaded guns. If you wanna pistol whip me why don't you just get a baseball bat. As such this image only works if the guns were loaded, one since that is the horror of getting guns this easily but also since a vending machine is supposed to be fast and convient, unloaded guns sounds inconvient. – Sammaye Sep 09 '14 at 14:41
  • We're getting away from the point. Time to take it to chat. – Oddthinking Sep 09 '14 at 14:53
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I can assure you (as a South African) that the vending machine in South Africa is a hoax. Gun control in South Africa, despite the reputation as an unsafe and violent country, is actually very well controlled (if you buy from an official source). You have to be licensed before purchasing a gun, and all guns have to be registered, etc. In South Africa, everyone is fingerprinted as part of their identity documents, and again when they purchase a gun license, etc.

To purchase a gun you first need a license, for which you need to (from the SA Govt. website):

  • complete a course (gun training)
  • pass the test to get a competency certificate
  • use that certificate to apply for a license at your local police station
  • you need a separate license for each gun that you own
  • you need to renew each license every 2 to 10 years, depending on the license type (which in part depends on the firearm itself)

(there is also a FAQ to help you

I struggled to find government-based references for the procedure for purchasing a firearm. A specific store in South Africa has the procedure documented though, and I have found official references to the documents listed.

To purchase a firearm you need:

  1. proficiency training
  2. pass the certificate
  3. select the firearm you want to purchase
  4. using form SAPS271 (pdf link) get the gun dealer to fill in the details of the firearm you want to purchase (including serial numbers (barrel, frame, receiver)
  5. take that form to the 'Designated Firearms Officer' at the police station to apply for the license (with your fingerprints, photos, etc.). as well as form SAPS350a - Dealer's Return - Stock Received (pdf) which I believe is the on-hold form the dealer uses to show you have purchased the firearm, and they are holding it for you until your license is approved.
  6. Part of the process allows the Police to inspect your house to ensure the designated gun safe you have is adequate, etc. Also to perform background checks, and cross-reference fingerprints, etc.
  7. Once your license is approved, you can collect the firearm from the dealer.

This process currently takes about 3 months.

Purchasing a gun legally in South Africa is a process that requires time, and collaboration between the gun dealer, the purchaser, and the police.

So, a vending machine selling guns just does not exist.

On the other hand, is the law enforced? Well, yes, unless you go the illegal route....

A thriving, illegal, and anonymous black market does exist though. It is not hard to buy an illegal, unlicensed, and often high-quality gun, if you want to. (no link provided, but I have, in the past, been approached by a person in the street offering to sell me a gun (and other things))

Which is why this 'hoax' is both funny, and sad.

rolfl
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  • [Welcome to Skeptics!](http://meta.skeptics.stackexchange.com/a/2512/2703) Every answer on this site is required to contain references (because a purpose of this site is to let readers view and assess, for themselves, the evidence). Thus you should please add to your answer, for example a hyperlink to the text of whatever South African gun control laws make such a vending machine impossible. – ChrisW Sep 06 '14 at 12:23
  • @ChrisW - please review the alterations, thumbs up/down would be appreciated – rolfl Sep 06 '14 at 12:35
  • It looks good to me. Playing "devil's advocate", your references describe the license required to *possess* a gun. Is there anything anywhere about whether you need to produce that license to the person from whom you *buy* a gun? – ChrisW Sep 06 '14 at 12:41
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    Sorry to ask: questions on this site are often about semi-controversial topics (e.g. whether vaccines cause autism), more controversial than this topic; including conspiracy theories! For that reason it's better to present the strongest evidence possible, without leaving any loop-holes (an example of a "loop-hole" might be that "the law exists however that law is not enforced"). It's difficult to prove a negative (that no such machine exists), so your answer (that there's a law, combined with our presumption that there's enough law-and-order to see that law enforced in SA) is IMO sufficient. – ChrisW Sep 06 '14 at 12:49
  • @ChrisW - Included links to the forms required, the process gun shops follow, and other details. – rolfl Sep 06 '14 at 13:14
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    Yes, +1, it's a well-referenced answer now. – ChrisW Sep 06 '14 at 13:26
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It's satire.

For example, it cites "NRA spokesman Elmer Fudd", which is clearly a a fictional name.

It's against US federal law to buy a handgun from a dealer before an ATF 4473 form is submitted and background checks have been completed.

Oddthinking
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Leslie Johnson
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    US federal law seems irrelevant to a question about Georgia and South Africa. – Anko - inactive in protest Sep 05 '14 at 21:08
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    Antique firearms, defined as those which were either manufactured before 1899, or those which are designed to use loose powder and are reproductions of firearms manufactured before 1899, are exempt from US federal regulation. In many states, it is perfectly legal to sell modern firing reproductions of e.g. Civil-War-era cap and ball revolvers on a cash-and-carry basis with no paperwork; I'm unaware of any vending machines selling such firearms, but I don't think there would be anything illegal about it. – supercat Sep 05 '14 at 22:10
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    @Anko: The Georgia in question is the American one, which is currently still subject to US federal law. – jwodder Sep 06 '14 at 00:05
  • @supercat Age restrictions apply to all sales and transfers of possession. Under 18 and under 21 in some states cannot possess a pistol, and knowingly giving unto their possession is illegal as well. I'm not sure, but I bet that applies to antique reproductions as well. Thus, a vending machine offering antique pistols is probably unlawful, and I'm sure some judge would see it that way and order it be decommissioned, and it's owner may even be charged with something. –  May 27 '20 at 23:28
  • @fredsbend: I would expect that some states would apply such restrictions to the sale of antique reproductions, but there are no federal statutes or regulations on the subject, and it would hardly seem implausible that some states would exempt replica antiques from all restrictions, given the lack of crime involving them. – supercat May 28 '20 at 03:57