1731-43 S.C. Acts 168, § 23

It shall not be lawful for any slave, unless in the presence of some white person, to carry or make use of firearms or any offensive weapon whatsoever, unless such negro or slave shall have a ticket or license in writing from his master, mistress or overseer, to hunt and kill game, cattle, or mischievous birds or beasts of prey, and that such license be renewed once every month, or unless there be some white person of the age of 16 or upwards, in the company of such slave when he is hunting or shooting; or that such slave be actually carrying his masters arms to or from his masters plantation, by a special ticket, for that purpose, or unless such slave be found in the day time actually keeping off rice birds, or other birds within the plantation to which such slave belongs, lodging the same gun at night within the dwelling house of his master, mistress or white overseer. And provided also that no negro or other slave shall have liberty to carry any guns, cutlass, pistol or other weapon abroad form at any time between Saturday evening after sunset and Monday morning before sunrise notwithstanding a license or ticket for so doing. And in case any person shall find any slave using or carrying fire-arms, or other offensive weapons, contrary to the true intention of this act; every such person may lawfully seize and take away such fire-arms or offensive weapons; but before the property of such goods shall be vested in the person who shall seize the same, such person shall, within 48 hours next after such seizure, go before the next justice of the peace, and shall make oath of the manner of the taking; and if such justice of the peace after such oath shall be made, or upon any other examination, he shall be satisfied, that the said fire-arms or other offensive weapons, shall have been seized according to the directions and agreeable to the true intent and meaning of this act, the said justice shall, by certificate under his hand and seal, declare them forfeited, and that the property is lawfully vested in the person who seized the same. Provided that no such certificate shall be granted by any justice of the peace until the owner or owners of such fire-arms or other offenisve weapons so to be seized as aforesaid, or the overseer or overseers who shall or may have the charge of such slave or slaves from, whom such fire-arms or other offensive weapons shall be taken or seized shall be duly summoned, to show cause (if any such they have) why the same should not be condemned as forfeited; or until 48 hours after the service of such summons and oath made of the service thereof before the said justice.