A few decisions, in plain language, when the time comes.
The attorney handling the estate has asked Firearmdesk to look after the firearm. This page tells you what will happen and what we will ask you to do. If you are a family member and are not sure whether you are the executor (the person the Master of the High Court has appointed to wind up the estate), the attorney can tell you.
Lees hierdie bladsy in Afrikaans.
Four things you will see.
An invitation, not a password
The attorney invites you to a specific matter. You open a secure link from your email and enter a one-time code. There is no password to remember and nothing to install.
The status of the matter
Where the firearm is (a licensed custody site), what stage the matter is at and who holds the next action. Internal storage locations are never shown.
The approved valuation
When the valuation is approved you will be asked to review it before any decision is requested.
One instruction, signed once
You choose from the options permitted for this matter and sign an electronic instruction. The signed document, the consent text and the record of what you read are filed with the matter.
Only what is permitted for this matter is offered.
The choices shown to you reflect the workflow currently approved for the matter and the legal position confirmed by counsel at the time. Typical paths include transfer to a licensed heir, sale through a licensed dealer, or lawful disposal. If the position changes, the matter is updated before any blocked step proceeds, and you are told.
- Nothing is decided for youAn instruction is signed by you, or it does not exist.
- Nothing is released on paymentFees and release are separate. Payment status never triggers release or disposal.
- Proceeds go to the estateAny sale proceeds settle from the dealer to the estate or the attorney's trust account, never through Firearmdesk.
Already invited?
Open the link in the email we sent you. If the link no longer works, enter your email address on the next page and we will send a fresh one. If you would rather speak to a person, the contact page has the details.
Straight answers.
What happens to Dad's firearms now?
Nothing has to happen in a hurry. The firearms are part of the estate and stay that way until the estate is lawfully wound up. The attorney refers the matter to Firearmdesk; we verify the executor's authority, gather the documents and, once it is permitted, arrange custody with a licensed dealer. After that the executor decides, from the options allowed for the matter, what happens to each firearm: for example, transfer to a family member who is licensed, or sale through a dealer.
They are in his safe at home. Is that a problem?
Leave them locked in the safe and keep the keys safe. Do not lend, sell or move them. The estate's attorney will tell you whether anything needs to be reported to the police straight away; after that we take the arrangements from there, one step at a time.
How long will it take?
It depends on the documents, the custody site and, where it applies, an outside authority such as the South African Police Service or the Central Firearms Registry. A family member's licence application is decided by the Registry, and that alone can take months. We do not promise a date we cannot keep; the portal shows which stage the matter is at and who has the next step. Receipt into dealer custody opens once counsel confirms the court order is operative; until then we open the matter, verify authority and gather documents, and the custody step waits with its evidence.
His licence expired years ago. Does that matter?
The High Court declared on 15 September 2026 that an expired licence does not, on its own, end ownership, and that the firearm remains an asset of the estate until it is lawfully dealt with. Whether that order is already in force is stated on the legal updates page. The estate's attorney can advise on your case.
Do I have to hand the firearm over myself?
Collection or handover to the licensed custody site is arranged with you and the custodian once authority is verified, and the custody site issues a receipt on arrival. Please do not move a firearm before that arrangement is confirmed with you; if in doubt, check with the estate's attorney.
Can a family member keep the firearm?
Transfer to an heir generally depends on that person holding, or obtaining, the required licence; the estate's attorney can advise on your case. Where that path is permitted for the matter it is offered as an option, and the external licensing step is shown as a waiting state until there is evidence of its outcome.
Will I be asked to pay?
The estate pays the fees in the fee schedule, invoiced care of the estate's attorney and paid by EFT. If a firearm is transferred to you as an heir, you pay the transfer fee yourself. You will not be asked for card details, and no one from Firearmdesk will ask you to pay to release a firearm.
Is my information safe?
Identity documents and serial numbers are held in the platform and never sent by email. Access is limited to the matter you are invited to, and every access is recorded.