they must deactivated and certificated to the 2010 UK specification.
In the case of mortars, flare pistols, grenade launchers, rocket launchers etc. Without such a certificate, it is illegal to sell or to offer for sale or to give or exchange such deactivated weapons. From that date on it will only be legal to offer deactivated weapons which have a valid EU-UK deactivation certificate. On Tuesday 2nd May 2017 a penalty is introduced for anyone breaking the deactivation law which came into force on the 8th April 2016. Still mixed messages abound, however it is clear that the EU does not want to recognise the UK deactivation certification, however, the UK law does!
Cocking handles and levers may be left free running in their groves.Ĭhange in law on deactivated firearms came into force on 8 April 2016, see the below link for the current situation. New specification rules now legally oblige that submachine guns and semi automatic rifles have all their actions cut and welded to the weapon body prohibiting cocking or dry firing. Revolvers were permitted to have unblocked cylinders enabling inert ammunition to be put into the cylinder but under the new specification rules this was no longer permitted. Old specification deactivation rules permitted submachine guns and semi automatic rifles to have working actions able to be fully stripped down to their major component parts. Old specification refers to weapons which have been deactivated before October 1995 whilst weapons deactivated after October 1995 are known as new specification deactivated weapons. Points on the terms 'Old' and 'New' Specification Deactivation.