[Confederate]

What really gets me is that fake/prop pistols are going for more than $150 each in the USA, easy. And in the U.K., those poor saps are buying real guns that have been permanently inactivated (http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/smith_wesson_357_magnum_2.htm), and paying more for them than we pay for the real, functioning gun! Many Brits would truly love to own a real gun and, in the absence of that, a real gun that's been welded up.


http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/jriler/DeactivatedGuns_2a.jpg

It looks like a duck, but doesn't quack like a duck. This deactivated
S&W 686 and the smaller Rossi, are for sale to British subjects (and
I do mean subjects) for a whopping $877.32 (£450). It's like what we
would do with a child, but I guess that's how their governments view
their subjects, as children.


---------------------

[markush]

OMG someone needs to be taken out in the back 40 and :cuss: for "deactivateing" some of those gun they have on that site!!

[everallm]

Actually this is more worrying on a different level.

These are NOT weapons and I'm fairly sure could be imported into the US with minimal hassle

WHY I hear you say........

A number of the weapons come with fully operational selective fire fire control groups and working parts.

AK 47 http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/AK47_3.htm
FAL http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/Falklands_war_slr_2.htm
M16A1 http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/M16A1_deactivated3.htm
Sig 542 http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/sig_sg542_2.htm
Fully A L1A1 http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/l2a1.htm

Last time I looked a M16A1 would put you back 15K...

Of course that would be wholly illegal......

[Caipirinha]

So why is that "worrying" if it is illegal? The high cost of legal full autos has nothing to do with parts.

[Acera]

They look like some things that will be used to get you shot by a real gun.

[The Lone Haranguer]

:confused: A gun that can't shoot? :eek: Talk about a fool and his money ... :rolleyes:

[19-3Ben]

This one (http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/MP44_STG44_8.htm) Just makes me cry.

This is like when people send dogs to the pound. Except it's not a no-kill shelter. This is the kind where they take in dogs, and kill them and then taxidermy them so they can sell what LOOKS like a dog to their customers.

I wonder what they do to "deactivate" and if someone with a little technical savvy could "reactivate" them.

[Ninja42]

Deactivated 357 magnum calibre Smith & Wesson Revolver in excellent condition.


Its not in excellent condition if it has been destroyed damn it!


I wonder what they do to "deactivate" and if someone with a little technical savvy could "reactivate" them.


I dont know about this specific company, but the P-38 that my grandfather captured during the occupation and were sent for deactivation when my mother inherited it had the barrel cut open on the underside, had a steel rod welded into the chamber, and had the slide welded shut and the magazine were somehow permanently attached to something inside the former gun. A deactivated gun is more or less copmpletely destroyed.

[Shade00]

Looking at the Colt MKIII revolver, it appears that everything works - I am assuming the barrel has something welded inside and that the firing pin has been removed.

[La Pistoletta]

I object to this grotesque display of mutilation. Won't someone please think of the subcompacts.

[Confederate]

Yeah, but the really sad part is that their government has deprived them of the God-given right of self defense through firearms and even knives (which, by the way, are being outlawed if they have pointy blades). Yet the people still appreciate the fine workmanship of firearms and will buy even deactivated firearms if that's all they can have.

This proves that there is no God-given right that can't be taken away by bad governments, dictators and corrupt assemblies. I have no doubt that if the government was able to take away all the guns in the U.S., that there would be many people out there who would want even a deactivated one.

Look at it this way. You have some friends over to your London flat and you watch a riveting American movie like Dirty Harry or a few reruns of the X-Files. Afterwards, you go to your safe and open it and you produce a real deactivated Smith & Wesson revolver that has a real working action. Your friends oooh and awww over it and talk about how heavy it is and what it must be like to shoot one. After it's been passed around and people have taken pictures of themselves holding the gun on their little cell phones, they all talk about how neat it was and go their ways. You take the gun, wipe it down, snap it once or twice and wonder what it must be like to have a real one. But, no, only in that murderous gun-crazy land of the U.S. are the people actually allowed by their (for now) magnanimous government to own a gun. It's not any real sweat to you because you're weathy and can go to a gun club and shoot an overpriced gun you bought that now has to be kept locked up on the club's premesis when you're not using it. But what would it be like to actually shoot it and take it home and clean it there! Or to keep it in a drawer, loaded, for self protection.

These people live in a whole different world than we do. And I have no doubt that we'll be there if we keep electing the people we've been electing. Each new gun bill must be compromised. You give up a little and, in return, the opposition doesn't quite get everything it wanted, which are your guns. But the Brits and the Canadians, and the Australians are perfect examples of where compromise eventually leads.

Sorry to be so preachy, but it's worth remembering at times.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/jriler/deactivated3.jpg

Smith & Wesson Model 6906: Deactivated Smith & Wesson Model 6906
Pistol with a 15 round capacity, chambered for 9mm. A fantastic looking
pistol with its Stainless finish and black grips. Deactivated with a working
action it can be stripped, cocked and dry fired. A superb looking example
in stunning condition. Comes in its own hard carry case.

Doesn't fire, but it comes with its own hard carry case. But where
would you carry it?

[Jim Watson]

There are also a lot of nice British rifles mutilated by reaming them into smoothbore "shotguns" because for many years it has been much more difficult to get a firearms (rifle) certificate than a shotgun certificate.

[Confederate]

There is a British Deactivated Gun Collectors organization in the U.K. It's aim is to ensure that its members will have a "collective voice in the coming debate," which will better enable their interests and concerns to be raised. "The government and the the public need to clearly understand that collectors and owners of deactivated guns are serious about their collecting, often have a deep knowledge of their subject and are not common criminals who require to be legislated for."

In short, it appears as if the U.K. is now threatening to outlaw deactivated guns.

Here's some additional information: Click here for a FAQ (http://www.cybershooters.org/dgca/FAQ.htm#What%20is%20a%20deactivated%20firearm?) on deactivated guns. There are photos (warning: not for the sqeamish).

[La Pistoletta]

Bread and entertainment. It's almost haunting.

[DrLaw]

We all seem to know somebody who has blown up a gun. What about advertising these guns that blew up, for whatever reason, as 'Deactivated' Genuine Fired Guns? (Or some fancy title).

If these are paying that kind of money for real guns that are made into paperweights (and I cry over the thought of Lugers and such being ruined), why not see what those people would pay for OUR junk! :D

The Doc is out now. :cool:

[Soybomb]

Look at it this way. You have some friends over to your London flat and you watch a riveting American movie like Dirty Harry or a few reruns of the X-Files. Afterwards, you go to your safe and open it and you produce a real deactivated Smith & Wesson revolver that has a real working action. Your friends oooh and awww over it and talk about how heavy it is and what it must be like to shoot one. After it's been passed around and people have taken pictures of themselves holding the gun on their little cell phones, they all talk about how neat it was and go their ways. You take the gun, wipe it down, snap it once or twice and wonder what it must be like to have a real one.
Should we draw a similar parallel between semiauto military clones that US citizens feel so lucky to play with while the real thing is out of reach for most for a variety of reasons?

[pwrtool45]

Should we draw a similar parallel between semiauto military clones that US citizens feel so lucky to play with while the real thing is out of reach for most for a variety of reasons?

Yes.

[Confederate]

Yep.

[bluto]

La Pistoletta (NV?) - I object to this grotesque display of mutilation. Won't someone please think of the subcompacts.

:D

[chris in va]

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/8302/ak473wf6.jpg

Drooling over that third pin.

[Cosmoline]

I wonder how these are deactivated? It looks like the Smith's barrel has been welded shut, but why not just remove the barrel and fire from the cylinders? Won't be accurate but it will work for 10 or 20 yards OK.

[dstorm1911]

everallm, ya can buy all of the guns you listed as parts sets which contain everything except the reciever for a few hundred bucks here in the USA any day of the week.... and those come with all of the full auto parts as well........ WHY would anyone even have any interest in paying 4 times more for a deactivated copy with parts which have been welded and ground away etc... when they can get em without any tampering and simply reassemble on a semi reciever???? if they wanted to illegally convert that semi reciever it only requires a couple hours of mill time for the most difficult down to a couple minutes for the simplest (the AK) ya got me totally lost with your "worrysome"..... as asked already what is supposed to be so "worrysome" bout it????

[RONSTAR]

I cant think of anything more worthless than a gun that doesnt shoot. I quess you could use it as a hammer

[poet]

I'm gonna stop complaining about how much firearms costs nowadays. Atleast we have the real thing. Are these deactivated firearms really popular over there?

[Dave85]

In short, it appears as if the U.K. is now threatening to outlaw deactivated guns.
Gosh, I hope they do! Then they'll stop the killings (of the guns, that is). And maybe once they see their government taking away harmless non-guns, they'll finally come to their senses and start demanding that their natural rights be returned to them. And maybe they'll stop calling car hoods "bonnets."

[RONSTAR]

And maybe they'll stop calling car hoods "bonnets."
Haha

[Levan9X19]

deactivation of guns should be clasified as a criminal act.

so many good collectible firearms are vandalized this way.

so sad.

[933064]

The deativated guns somtimes only have the barrel and bolt destroyed. If you bought deativated guns and put a new barrel and bolt in it might work. Then you could get it registered as a pre ban (if it is) automantic wepon. I dont know if that process is :uhoh:legal. But what would i know about legallity.:uhoh: :confused:

[Zip7]

Cue the theme music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CINjqF5J_2w) for this thread...

[J Bananas]

While I lived in the U.K. as a study abroad student last year, I bought a deactivated SIG P226 for £550, basically just so I'd have something to play with that reminds me of home. It was a pretty old one (alloy frame, stamped slide), but I paid more for it than it would cost me to buy a new one here. You'd all REALLY cringe if you saw what was done to it to prevent it from firing.

I also handled some other deacts at the place where I bought it, including a Norinco AK that had the bolt welded to the receiver. However, IZH also sells non-firing AK weapons in the U.K. that are built from original AK parts but are designed to be non-firing, so they aren't subject to the post-1995 standards. Unfortunately, I think those, too, are now subject to laws concerning "realistic imitation firearms".

[evan price]

The deactivation process destroys the gun but maintains its appearance and "function". Basically, any part that bears the pressure of firing the round is damaged, weakened, cut away, or shaved off so that the gun cannot bear the pressure of firing, even with the barrel replaced. On semiautos for example you have to cut away most of the slide rails, leaving barely enough for the slide to move. The frame has to be weakened. The slide has to be weakened. Internal parts are welded shut, the chamber and barrel is hacked open across the bottom, and the breechblock is sliced.

What you get looks like a gun. If you replaced every non-cosmetic part in it it might fire a single round, but would probably then explode in the shooter's hands.

[theken206]

"They look like some things that will be used to get you shot by a real gun."

first thing I thought as well, what a great way to get yourself shot, a gun that doesnt work lol

[natjan]

I wonder how these are deactivated? It looks like the Smith's barrel has been welded shut, but why not just remove the barrel and fire from the cylinders? Won't be accurate but it will work for 10 or 20 yards OK.
The barrel will have been welded to the frame, and the cylinders cut, if you fired a live round from a deac' cylinder, well i'd call it a grenade.

The deativated guns somtimes only have the barrel and bolt destroyed. If you bought deativated guns and put a new barrel and bolt in it might work. Then you could get it registered as a pre ban (if it is) automantic wepon. I dont know if that process is legal. But what would i know about legallity.
The barrel is welded to the frame, the chamber is plug welded, the barrel is sliced open & a 4-5 inch steel rod welded inside it, the bolt is cut & welded to the cocking handle, the reciever is ground down & drilled to weaken it. On post 1995 deacs' you cannot strip them down they have been welded shut( will not cock, trigger does not move etc.)

While I lived in the U.K. as a study abroad student last year, I bought a deactivated SIG P226 for £550, basically just so I'd have something to play with that reminds me of home. It was a pretty old one (alloy frame, stamped slide), but I paid more for it than it would cost me to buy a new one here. You'd all REALLY cringe if you saw what was done to it to prevent it from firing.

I also handled some other deacts at the place where I bought it, including a Norinco AK that had the bolt welded to the receiver. However, IZH also sells non-firing AK weapons in the U.K. that are built from original AK parts but are designed to be non-firing, so they aren't subject to the post-1995 standards. Unfortunately, I think those, too, are now subject to laws concerning "realistic imitation firearms".
If you're comming back i've a car that i can drill the engine block, cut the con' rods, cut the axel halfshafts & plug weld the ignition key hole, still you can sit in it, push it along & play with it for a while, just pay me 3x what a running car would be worth:banghead:

[Sir Aardvark]

There was a guy I read about nearly 10 years ago who would take handguns, permanently deactivate them, 24 karat Gold plate them, mount them on a plaque, and sell them in Japan for over $2,000.00 each.

He said that he couldn't make them fast enough.

As much as an abomination that this is, you gotta love Capitalism!

[yesit'sloaded]

I wonder if that M16 just needs a new upper to get running again. Considering that it "cocks and dry fires" I'm assuming the trigger group is fine if not the entire lower.

[yesit'sloaded]

Bwaahahahaha.:neener::neener::D Over $400 for a broken post war Mosin M44.
http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/nagant_carbine_1955.htm

That is just too sad to be funny ,or the other way around. I can buy one right now in most gunstores for $100 or less.

[Drgong]

http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/nagant_carbine_1955.htm

OMG...Speachless on that....

[Justin]

Cue the theme music for this thread...

I was thinking more along the lines of Thom Yorke's "Black Swan."

[BigBlock]

As sad and pathetic as that is, it makes me wonder how hard it would be for me to "deactivate" a gun and sell it over there for twice as much. :uhoh::neener:

[Whats-his-name]

As a Brit, I'd like to say thanks for the sympathy expressed.

I'm a collector of anything to do with Sig-sauer, pistols and assault rifles, and have an interest in early 20th century automatics, all unfortunately de-activated. As you can imagine I baulk at what we have to pay to get a lump of metal that can't even fire blanks. Part of the cost is the deactivation itself - it varies from £70-100 ($120-180) - yup they charge a lot to screw things up! There is a similar situation in Europe but at least some of the countries there do allow (live) gun ownership while Switzerland, as you know, dishes an assault rifle out to each male citizen, all of which carry out national service.

At present it looks like de-activated weapons will be safe for the time being in the UK. Other than pistols and machine guns (with bipod), pre-1995 (Hungerford massacre) automatic weapons are the ones us collectors go for as they're the least damaged. Post-1995 are completely welded and utterly useful, only good for dummies who like pretending to be soldiers in their bedroom or as a wall display. Kalashnikov 47/AKM/74's are thus useless but nonetheless still sell for £200 ($350) while the ban has pushed the price of pre-1995 de-acts up to £600-800 ($1000-1500). The stupid thing about it is that I can pick up an illegal live Chinese AK47 for £100 ($180) - go figure.

However, the banning of toy guns has gone ahead which means that little joey, aged 5, can't play with his little cowboy cap gun in public without the possibility of having his head blown off by the Armed Response Unit.

It seems that our police force (in the main, as there are still a few good officers out there) can't tell the difference between a real gun and a toy. Fair enough in the dark but surely they'd notice the lack of bullets being fired! Anyway, it hasn't stopped them shooting innocent members of the public carrying a chair leg. Even running away from a police officer will get 7 bullets pumped into one's head nowadays.

To cap it all off, a law (I forget which one) was passed lately in Parliament stating that carrying an item deemed to be an offensive weapon in public is also illegal. This includes, for example, knives and billhooks, but would also include forks, spoons, keys, pencils, fist, knee, etc., if used as an offensive weapon. Bit of a bummer if you need to defend yourself against an assailant. With regard to the latter I'm sure acting in self-defence is covered but I suspect you'll still get prosecuted for turning an innocent item into a weapon. The law hasn't been tested but judging by the increase in "little Hitler's" within the UK's judicial system it would not surprise me if they made an example of someone.

The one over-riding travesty about the recent gun law changes is that it has stopped law-abiding UK citizens from owning guns for self-defence and sport. Indeed it has gone further by making illegal anything that even looks like a gun.

One thing has resulted from this and one thing hasn't.

The one thing that has resulted is that more people now have a growing fear of firearms through lack of information. Most stupid people demonise the unknown and firearms have become part of that. There is unlikely now to be any proper educational resource available for the use of guns outside the heavily restricted gun clubs. By the same degree the lack of firearms as an everyday tool has allowed for their glamorisation, particularly by film and television, resulting in gangs (invariably ethnic) and loony indiviudals taking them up (note that I exclude those few that genuinely need some form of weapon to defend themselves).

The one thing that hasn't happened is the decrease in gun crime. Indeed, it is at it's highest level on record in the UK. Hmmm, I wonder if the authorities will ever figure that banning guns that don't fire won't stop the use of illegal firearms that do fire!!

Oh, one final thing, if anyone has any Sig-sauers.....

Cheers.

[Odd Job]

One thing that hurt the cause of the deacs here in the UK is a recent arrest of a guy who converted 90 blank-firing MAC-10 machine pistols to fire real cartridges. They claim that 50 of these have been traced, but 40 are still in the hands of various criminals. They further claim that 52 shootings have been traced to these converted guns, 9 of which are murders.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/27/ukguns.ukcrime?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews

You can say what you like about it, but the result will be the same: the local populace will be calling for the complete ban of anything that even looks like a gun, before long.

[tekarra]

Several years a Brit I worked with in Africa had to turn in his handguns. He had a couple of S&W revolvers and asked if they could be donated to a museum. Nope, the frames had to be cut before they went to the furnace. Do not recall if he received any compensation. Tony Blair at his worst!

[Navy joe]

Lathes and mills are still legal right?

[Iggy]

The Brits better hope that Parliament doesn't decide in favor of mandatory birth control.

Deactivation?:eek::what:

[Whats-his-name]

Lathes and mills are still legal right?

Yup, but it woudn't surprise me if someone in UK government (future or present) legislated for their registration. I can see it happening.

[emilianoksa]

As a Limey who has recently relocated to S. America, I can tell you that Britain is well on its way to becoming the first Orwellian State in western Europe.

I know Tony Blair has always been popular in the States due to his support for the US in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Yet his government has done more to remove liberty in the UK than any previous regime. He is cordially detested by millions of British people.

He has proved that you can screw up a country in a very short time.

Many of the ministers in his government and Brown´s, started their political careers as far left student activists. The stench of neo-marxism is all over them.

The sad fact is that the fault for all this lies with the British people.

Sadly, my country has become nothing more than a warning to others of what happens if you do not exercise your democratic rights.

We aren´t even a country any more - just part of the EUSSR.

Sorry for the rant, but I couldn´t help myself.:D

[Whats-his-name]

The sad fact is that the fault for all this lies with the British people.

Reminds me of a qoute by someone whom I forget the name of - "in a democracy the people deserve the government they get" ...or words to that effect.

The problem is the three main political parties in the UK are all the same and have been for the last decade or two - lacking in intellect, consideration, foresight, decency, and they covet the same impracticable policies (including that on de-activated weapons just to keep this thread on track). We effectively no longer have a democracy (especially as successive governments introduce laws that were never in their manifesto).

...and it's a sobering thought to realise that the majority of people did not vote for the government they got.

Oh dear, I've just had a rant too (but you'll find every Brit will nowadays!!)

Anyway, back to de-acts...

... saw an Sturmgewher (Stg) 44 on sale for £3500 ($6000 - might be less by the time you read this judging by the way the pound is plummeting!) just to give you all a giggle.

[Creade]

I .. just dont understand.

[emilianoksa]

I can understand that you don´t understand, because I don´t understand myself.:D

What has happened in the UK is not generally known in America, because we are a minor power with little political influence in the world.

However, since the cultural links between us are strong, we should be studied in the States as an object lesson in what happens when good men do nothing.

[ArchAngelCD]

Originally Posted By emilianoksa:
However, since the cultural links between us are strong, we should be studied in the States as an object lesson in what happens when good men do nothing.
Very well said Sir. I totally agree with you...

This should be a wake up call for all of us in the USA. The fine people of Britain didn't think they would lose their gun rights so they sat on their hands. Then came Australia, they didn't think it was possible but they also lost their rights to own guns. BE AWARE, if you vote Democrat in the up coming election you run the risk of following our friends in Great Britain and Australia. Obama has already said he wants to bring back the Clinton gun bans and more. He wants to ban all handguns. YES, IT CAN HAPPEN HERE TOO!!!

[KBintheSLC]

The English have always had a problematic, and elitist aristocracy that loves to disarm their populous. Thats likely why no one takes them seriously.

[alistaire]

Slaves yearn for the trappings of freedom.

[4v50 Gary]

Don't the Brits weld a welding rod into the barrel to prevent it from chambering a round and grind away half of the bolt face (unseen portion) to deactivate it?

In the case of the M-16, wouldn't it be easy to install a fresh bolt and replace the barrel?

[Crunker1337]

Who knows? I always thought that they do it the way we do.

Anyway... what, exactly, does one do with a deactivated gun? It's one thing if it's got some history behind it, but dang...

[Acera]

Crunker1337 asked:Anyway... what, exactly, does one do with a deactivated gun?

Well first you must admit you have a problem, then accept treatment. You will find that they cover this in the second session of the Mall Ninja Anonymous' 7 step recovery program. (or at least I have been told............not that I went or anything.)

[ArchAngelCD]

The deactivated guns are supposed to be "show pieces." They are for display but IMO what good is a gun you can't shoot?

It's just not right that they destroy beautiful guns like that, especially the old S&W revolvers! Just because they hate guns doesn't mean they should destroy them. Send them back to the evil USA where they were made and we'll take care of them... (before they deactivate them of course)

[Whats-his-name]

Anyway... what, exactly, does one do with a deactivated gun? It's one thing if it's got some history behind it, but dang...

If it has any history to it then it can be owned under Section 5 of the Firearms Act over here. However, getting certificated to own a section 5 firearm is not easy, and apart from the security side of things, is entirely dependent on the local police, most of whom are no educated enough about these things and can therefore take a very dim view.

This is the definition of deactivation from the wwww.dwsuk.org site. I haven't asked the owner's permission so hope he doesn't mind (if he does he can rightly shout at me). Everything here is copyright DWSUK.

Deactivation Standards

Deactivation standards differ between different types of weapon and also depending on when the deactivation was carried out. This reflects certain changes in the law. The following gives a general outline of the work carried out on the main categories of weapons during the deactivation process.

Pistols - current legislation requires that the barrel has a slot cut into it, the rifling is removed from the barrel apart from the last cm or so, a hardened pin or rod is welded in the chamber entrance, the locking lugs on barrels are ground away, the feed ramp is milled back, the frame rails are weakened, the ejector is ground back, the locking lugs inside the slide are ground down, the breech face is ground back and the firing pin is ground back or at times removed. Where deactivation has been done by a skilled professional, none of this work will be visible with the slide locked forward and very little of it with the slide locked back. Deactivated pistols have a full working action and can be fully field stripped. There are no major differences in pistols deactivated pre 1995 apart from the fact that some, but not all, do not have a pin welded in the barrel and they can therefore chamber inert rounds. However, it should be noted that even where this is the case, many of these pistols do not chamber inert rounds correctly because the feed ramp has been cut and the breech face provides no support for the round.

Revolvers - current legislation requires that revolvers have a hardened steel pin welded into the chamber entrance of the barrel, the barrel has the rifling removed as above, the cylinder has a large section milled out of the middle and a steel ring welded in place, the breech face is milled away and the firing pin is ground back or removed completely. Deactivated revolvers have a full working action and can be fully field stripped with the exception of the barrel. Pre 95 deactivated revolvers do differ from post 95 versions in that the cylinder chambers are left clear and will accept inert rounds.

Bolt Action Rifles - current legislation requires that the barrel is slotted for the majority of its covered length and has a hardened steel rod welded in the bore, the barrel is pinned and welded to the receiver, or the above slot is taken right through the receiver, the chamber entrance is pinned and welded or the barrel rod extends right to the chamber entrance, the bolt is cut back at around 45 degrees and the firing pin is ground back. There is no difference between post and pre 95 deactivation standards. Both types have full working actions and can be fully stripped apart from the barrel.

Pump Action Shotguns - current legislation requires that the barrel is slotted for the majority of its covered length and has a hardened steel bar welded in the bore, the barrel and magazine tube is pinned and welded to the receiver through the chamber entrance, the bolt is cut back at around 45 degrees and the firing pin is ground back. There is no difference between post and pre 95 deactivation standards. Both types have full working actions and can be fully stripped apart from the barrel.

Double Barrelled Shotguns - current legislation requires that the barrels are slotted for the majority of their covered length and have hardened steel bars welded in the bores, the breech faces are milled out and firing pins are ground back or removed. At times the extractor/ejector is also removed. There is no difference between post and pre 95 deactivation standards. Both types have full working actions and can be fully stripped.

Sub-machine Guns - there are significant differences between pre and post 1995 deactivated SMG. Post-95 deacts are generally welded solid, i.e. barrel is slotted and has a hard steel rod welded in, the barrel is pinned and welded to the receiver or the barrel slot passes into the receiver and the two are welded together, the chamber entrance is pinned and welded or the barrel rod extends into the chamber, the feed ramp is destroyed, the firing pin is destroyed, return and other springs are removed, the bolt (or a dummy replacement) is ground right back and welded to the receiver and or barrel in the closed position and the trigger mechanism is ground back or weakened and filled with weld. On some post-95 deacts the cocking handle can be moved (without moving the bolt) and the trigger or fire selector have limited movement. Pre-95 deacts have similar work done to the barrel and receiver, but the bolt (although ground back) is able to move to the rear. Additionally, the trigger mechanisms are left largely intact and the whole deactivated weapon is capable of a dry firing action. Pre-95 deacts are not capable of chambering inert rounds. They can be field stripped apart from the barrel.

Assault Rifles - the specifications are largely as for SMG. However, gas assemblies are also often removed from both pre and post 95 deacts. On some post 95 deacts the flash hiders are also pinned and welded in place.

Light Machine Guns - specifications for these are largely the same for pre and post 95 deacts and are similar to those for assault rifles. BOTH types have fully moving parts and can be fully field stripped apart from the barrel (and flash hiders on post 95 deacts). The definition of a LMG for the purposes of deactivation and proofing is that it has a bipod - normally, it would be expected that this it a factory fitted bipod (usually to the barrel or front furniture) and is not simply an add on.

Medium and Heavy Machine Guns - the work done on these is similar to a pre 95 SMG, Assault Rifle or LMG. They have fully moving parts and can be field stripped apart from the barrel.

Rocket Launchers, Mortars, etc. - these are generally deactivated with mostly if not fully moving parts. All of the usual work is done regarding slotting and filling the barrel, grinding back firing pins, etc.

Bolt Action Only Assault Rifles - despite the fact that these look like assault rifles, any weapon which has been designed and manufactured as bolt action only is subject to the deactivation standards for BAO and not that of assault rifles. This means that it may have fully moving parts. Hence, there are retailers offering M4 Carbines deactivated recently, but with fully moving parts. This is completely legal.

All of the weapons above, when deactivated should have clear proof house stamps and will be issued with a certificate. At times, as with any piece of paper, certificates do go missing. In this situation, it is still perfectly legal to sell, purchase and own a deactivated weapon as long as the proof markings are clearly visible and the item has not been altered to bring it 'out of proof'.


Other

Sound Suppressors - these are considered as firearms in their own right and as such are not legal for persons without the correct authority to own. They can be deactivated, but there is no set standard for how this should be done. Even if there were, there is no proofing process applicable to them. As a bare minimum in the deactivation of a silencer, the baffles would be removed and destroyed and a pin or rod permanently fixed into the bore.

Parts of Guns - there is no deactivation standard for parts of guns, e.g. barrels, receivers, frames, slides, bolts, trigger mechanisms, etc. There is some ambiguity in this area with regard to the law, but all of these items are considered restricted items.


If a magazine is supplied at time of deactivation which will then go onto the proofhouse, the lips are cut off. If the magazine is not supplied then it is not affected (a loophole of sorts but one that means that any type of magazine can be held legally).

Some gunsmiths do a good professional job of decativation by taken the time to disassemble the parts that need deactivating, while others just stick a grinder in ad hoc and make a pig's ear out of it (clearly some don't believe in doing the work they charge £80 [$150] for).

It must be expressed that it is the British authorities that do not like guns, or rather they don't like the law-abiding populace to have guns and thus lump us with the criminals (they effectively make no differentation!). I personally do not have any live firearm deactivated - I don't have the heart to do that. I only pick them up if they are already deactivated and only then if it's a truly good job and at the right price.

I'll re-edit later and post some pics for those who are able to stomach the sight of mutilation!

Cheers.

[emilianoksa]

Up to the First World War there were effectively no firearms laws in the UK.

Any man could purchase a weapon from a gunsmith without producing documentation, and with no questions asked.

At the end of the war, the British Establishment was afraid that millions of demobilised servicemen (who had been taught to shoot and had got used to killing people) returning to a country with a broken economy and poor work prospects, would prove a danger to the public ie. themselves.

That is when the long process of disarming the British people began, with one law following another for the rest of the century, restricting, and in some cases abolishing, the ownership of firearms by private citizens.

We elect politicians to be our servants, but, whenever they are given the chance, they will seek to become our masters.