The SA Gunowners Association said it was pleased with Friday's Pretoria court ruling that gave more than one million gun owners who have not yet applied for their licences a temporary reprieve.

Judge Bill Prinsloo of the city's High Court granted an interim interdict to the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association, declaring that firearm licences obtained under the old Arms and Ammunition Act would be deemed valid for the time being.

The order would remain in effect pending the final outcome of the association's application to have certain sections of the new Firearms Control Act declared unconstitutional.

"We, and all South African firearm owners, must congratulate the SA Hunters & Game Conservation Association and their legal team for their courage in taking the bull by the horns, exposing the desperate situation at the Central Firearms Registry to the court, and obtaining a stunning victory," the association said in a statement.

The Freedom Front Plus also welcomed the ruling, with spokesman Pieter Groenewald saying: "However, the police on the ground will have to be informed of the ruling because otherwise unlawful arrests might be made that could cost the tax payer money."

The association had contended that Schedule 1 of the new Act, which dealt with transitional arrangements, was unreasonable, infringed on the rights of firearm owners and was unconstitutional.

It also maintained that the SA Police Service was unable to cope with the flood of licence applications and firearms being handed in for destruction.

The deadline for either re-applying for licences or handing in firearms was June 30 and those who had not received licences by then could have been be criminally charged or had their firearms taken away.

According to affidavits handed in to the court, the police had argued that the application was not urgent and that the urgency submitted was self-induced because the relevant laws had been on the statute book for years.