Some good advice.

I also ask for work place, nice if the guy works for a brand name or has a registered business that can be phoned or contacted.
With all the forums and sites around, checking how well known person is on the net also helps.

I thought let me just share this for everyone, I'm just saying be cautious, usually if there's smoke there's a fire.

MARKSMAN ARMS would be the latest development from these scammers / syndicate.

WARNING: Avoid any company associated with the below know scammers:

Companies
We Drill Africa (Boreholes)
Sun Smart, Heat Smart, Solar Bay, Hello Solar (Solar)
Adventure Ministry (Tours)
Mad Rhino Gear (Franchise, Gear)
Three Gun Store, Tactical Nation, Marksman Arms, Shoot Smart (Franchise, Gear)

WEBSITE LINK:
https://www.hello-solar.co.za/

As per a post from Martin Hood on his Facebook group;

"Morning All

I do not represent this man or Marksman Arms."

The above-mentioned is from the very recent court case regarding the MARKSMAN ARMS JUDGEMENT.

They also have a WhatsApp group:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPhg2PmEUVP0YG0yevaydc

https://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/showthread.php?108318-Scam-Alert-Sunsmart-Solar

https://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/showthread.php?112218-The-Tactical-Nation-BEWARE!

Sorry this whole thing has got me confused ...

Pity they did not reference the court case documents .. MARKSMAN ARMS JUDGEMENT.

Did Martin Hood not do .. "due diligence" before taking on the case ?
Appears he was quite happy to take the ...money ?

Was the case actually helpful in the fight against those who wish to remove firearms from private citizens ?

It was Marksman Arms and Firearms Training led by the legal team at Martin Hood and Associates that took this fight to the CFR.
R300,000 legal bill to pay too.

Fortis Defence Videos

Shaun Lyle from SAGA talking about the Marksman case

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxUR_7pi7YY

OK
Here is the judgement - link opens a PDF file

IF this is what .."shady crooks" can do WHY then is the real "honest to goodness good ol boys"
So .. HELPLESS ?

Case Number 2025-238120

More comment from Marksmans

THE MARKSMAN ARMS JUDGEMENT

THE MARKSMAN ARMS JUDGEMENT

As was announced a few weeks ago, our store Marksman Arms and Firearms Training in Pretoria received a resounding victory after filing an urgent application against SAPS and in particular the CFR through our attorneys Martin Hood and Associates.

On Monday 02 February 2026 the written judgement was released which has obviously been a major source of “ammunition” to fuel a tirade of opinion against the management of the CFR and we wanted to ensure that we lay down our own opinion as the very company who stood up and had the balls to seek personal cost orders.

You can download the judgement HERE

To Our Staff, Management and Shareholders

It does not go unnoticed that ZERO thanks has gone to the staff and management of Marksman Arms who are the ones that have suffered immeasurably for close to 8 months because of the bias, nonsensical actions of the CFR management. They have continued to work hard and fight the good fight for the benefit of ALL gun owners in this country.

We thank you for your support, loyalty and dedication to the cause. Gun owners, new and old, should be supporting you.

Our Brand Family

It is not a coincidence that immediately following the judgement an outstanding number of firearms have finally been released and are being delivered almost daily, these brands are the ones who have waited many months to enter our market and have remained loyal to our company and pushing us to keep going.

It goes without saying that economically we have suffered plenty but have remained committed to fighting the good fight. FOR YOU.

To our brand family, we are now ready to face our next massive challenge: Combatting the monopoly and breaking down barriers. We are once again ready for the battle, and it is your brands that are on the front lines with us.

The Future

We may have been delayed, through the actions of political cadres, but we are now stronger than ever and are coming to change this industry from the inside out by fighting to drive down the costs of firearms, of ammunition and most importantly the cost of training.

This judgement is just a stepping stone, we are coming to fight all antiquated establishments that we see as a barrier to entry for the average man on the street. We will fight to drive down costs EVERYWHERE, we are ramping up our store roll out, our range roll out and will continue to do so.

It is important to note that whilst some institutions and role players use our case to drum up their members or customers to drive memberships and sales, we have irrefutable evidence and information on some of these same role players trying to use their power or connections to slow our progress.

This is not just a SAPS problem; this is institutionalised rot from all sides of the debate including the private sector.

To those we have found out. We are coming for you next.

We will stand up against anyone who wants to abuse the system to further their own agenda. EVERY decision we make across our entire group has the consumer at the top of our agenda. All decisions, on what brands to sign up, where to place stores and ranges or the promotions we launch, is made with the customer at the top of our agenda.

We are here to disrupt, to bring change, for the good of the consumer. Period.

To Martin Hood and Associates

Thank you for the work, expertise and experience you put in with our case, we have a hefty bill to pay off but it was worth every cent. We hope with us you found a client who has the raw courage to stand up against the establishment.

Lastly, to the cowards and the key board warriors.

We never spoke about our adversity because we never wanted this case to become a political tool. We felt that our case and our resolve will produce an outcome that would benefit the entire industry.

We achieved that.

The Marksman Arms case will be quoted and spoken about for years. When you have done something remotely close to that then you can possibly have an uninformed opinion.

Despite your cowardly efforts we have just launch 4 new brands with another 14 on the way and we will be the biggest retail outlet, indoor shooting range franchise and the leading training provider in this country and beyond within ONE YEAR.

We will pick up the financial pieces, and we will continue to grow and continue to fight for lower prices and better systems that breakdown barriers FOR ALL.

We are not here to trend around a weekend braai; we are here to build a legacy spoken about for decades.

I just really wish people would not just copy and parrot stuff without at least taking the time to check for themselves ...

I just really wish people would not just copy and parrot stuff without at least taking the time to check for themselves ...

As I understand it, Hendrik van Zyl's "clean / untainted" name and himself was used to be part of these gun dealers, after he realised who he was dealing with and who these people are he resigned and distanced himself.

As for Martin Hood it seems like he defended Hendrik van Zyl also not knowing who was behind these companies  / dealers, this is just speculation.

As I understand it, Hendrik van Zyl's "clean / untainted" name and himself was used to be part of these gun dealers, after he realised who he was dealing with and who these people are he resigned and distanced himself.

As for Martin Hood it seems like he defended Hendrik van Zyl also not knowing who was behind these companies  / dealers, this is just speculation.

Appears a lot of people never did any checking ?
So who is paying Martin Hood ?
What is happening to the .. scammers behind the scenes - and their company
Seems like a really bad sh1tshow - reflecting badly on genuine firearms companies - and - the judiciary
Cannot understand how cr^p like this happens - to attorneys / Judges and normally intelligent people ?

As I understand it, Hendrik van Zyl's "clean / untainted" name and himself was used to be part of these gun dealers, after he realised who he was dealing with and who these people are he resigned and distanced himself.

As for Martin Hood it seems like he defended Hendrik van Zyl also not knowing who was behind these companies  / dealers, this is just speculation.

Appears a lot of people never did any checking ?
So who is paying Martin Hood ?
What is happening to the .. scammers behind the scenes - and their company
Seems like a really bad sh1tshow - reflecting badly on genuine firearms companies - and - the judiciary
Cannot understand how cr^p like this happens - to attorneys / Judges and normally intelligent people ?

As per these websites created, it seems like there's an ongoing case against them and a community driven guide on how to report them etc.

https://www.hello-solar.co.za/action/

But yes [member=820]Newton[/member] I agree an Attorney should have connected the dots, again I'm just speculating maybe Hendrik Van Zyl was unaware of who they were when he approached Martin Hood Attorneys, therefore he didn't inform Martin Hood about them, because at the time he didn't know yet they're "scum"

Back to the original post. it is a problem. A friend of mine got scammed on the reloading dies. The guy had nice photos of all the dies, plus a picture of his ID etc It seems quite common, especially if you place an add "looking for".

It seems quite common, especially if you place an add "looking for".

I think there are cockroaches out there who specialise in that. In 30 plus years of buying gun related stuff from strangers, often far away, I've only been scammed twice.

In both cases it was in response to wanted ads I placed and the total for both was exactly R1k so I reckon thats ok.

I wont buy something online from a distant private seller unless i can get someone to check the item for me or I'm comfortable losing the money.

As per these websites created, it seems like there's an ongoing case against them and a community driven guide on how to report them etc.

https://www.hello-solar.co.za/action/

But yes [member=820]Newton[/member] I agree an Attorney should have connected the dots, again I'm just speculating maybe Hendrik Van Zyl was unaware of who they were when he approached Martin Hood Attorneys, therefore he didn't inform Martin Hood about them, because at the time he didn't know yet they're "scum"

The more I am exposed to the firearms industry .. training / motivations / tactical etc etc
The more alarmed I become .. so many unethical people / businesses - looking only at how quickly and how much money they can make .. while finding shortcuts in the system - and abusing them !

Years ago, we confronted him over a solar scandal. This time, it’s not panels, but pistols. Shops allegedly hijacked, guns missing. A familiar suspected conman enters the firearm trade. That’s #CarteBlanche this Sunday at 7pm on @MNet channel 101, and @DStv Stream.

https://x.com/i/status/2039295470661427400

Years ago, we confronted him over a solar scandal. This time, it’s not panels, but pistols. Shops allegedly hijacked, guns missing. A familiar suspected conman enters the firearm trade. That’s #CarteBlanche this Sunday at 7pm on @MNet channel 101, and @DStv Stream.

https://x.com/i/status/2039295470661427400

Amazing that despite them being in the news for years they're able to take control of firearms. Well only amazing if you're a muppet who believes in the efficacy of the FCA and the dilligence and competence of the thousands of SAPS members implementing it.

Years ago, we confronted him over a solar scandal. This time, it’s not panels, but pistols. Shops allegedly hijacked, guns missing. A familiar suspected conman enters the firearm trade. That’s #CarteBlanche this Sunday at 7pm on @MNet channel 101, and @DStv Stream.

https://x.com/i/status/2039295470661427400

Wweelll he fooled Martin Hood and SAGA ..and the legal team - and the judge !