No person shall acquire, have in his possession, or carry any firearm or ammunition unless he holds in this behalf a licence issued in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder Provided that a person may, without himself holding a licence, carry any firearms or ammunition in the presence, or under the written authority, of the holder of the licence for repair or for renewal of the licence or for use by such holder.
Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section 1 , no person, other than a person referred to in sub-section 3 , shall acquire, have in his possession or carry, at any time, more than three firearms Provided that a person who has in his possession more firearms than three at the commencement of the Arms Amendment Act, 1983, may retain with him any three of such firearms and shall deposit, within ninety days from such commencement, the remaining firearms with the officer in charge of the nearest police station or, subject to the conditions prescribed for the purposes of sub-section 1 of section 21, with a licensed dealer or, where such person is a member of the armed forces of the Union, in a unit armoury referred to in that sub-section.
Nothing contained in sub-section 2 shall apply to any dealer in firearms or to any member of a rifle club or rifle association licensed or recognised by the Central Government using a point 22 bore rifle or an air rifle for target practice.
The provisions of sub-sections 2 to 6 both inclusive of section 21 shall apply in relation to any deposit of firearms under the proviso to sub-section 2 as they apply in relation to the deposit of any arm or ammunition under sub-section 1 of that section.