Hercules Cycle & Motor Co Birmingham marked M/117?

Hi, if i can jump in, i have a Hercules Cycle & Motor Co Birmingham and it is marked M/117, their WW11 designation i believe, well i hope, no Trade mark that i can see. Hope that helps to part of your question. :thup:

Woolwich was just another Ordnance Depot, albeit a large one, just like Didcot, Weedon, Thatcham, Ludgershall, Ruddington. Most of these specialised in certain things. Old Dalby, electronics/optronics, Thatcham weapons and tentage, Ludgershall A vehicles, Ruddington C Vehicles, Woolwich Artillery and small arms. So no mystery about the Woolwich label.

a lot will be academic after April 8th in the UK. As Draconian New Directives on Deactivated weapons have been approved by the EU & imposed on us here.
this will include welding magazines into Smallarms & other stupid, unworkable,Unenforcable, Discriminatory Damaging new regulations. That will impacy HUGELY on the Collectors, reenactors, Living history, Ex Military Vehicle Owners & Shooting Community in General!

yet again, the Law Abiding, Harmless Are targeted in the pathetic & extremely WEAK excuse.
Of Combatting Terrorisem & criminal 'Activities'!...........

These pathetic new regulations will do absolutely NOTHING to prevent/combat the above.
Because as WE all know here. Criminals & Terrorists take no notice of the Law at all.
& will continue unchecked in their Nafarious activities!!!

All that will happen is, the Markets & Fields mentioned above. will collapse, as our treasures drop to a value of scrap levels!!!!!

I have been I contact with the London Proofmaster. Who is busily engaged in Negotiations with the relevant 'authorities' in London. In an attempt to adjust/regulate/Advise on the proposed new directives.

A LOT of it all, is contradictory, Ambiguous,Unworkable & down right WRONG!!!!

I cite as Two examples which I have put to an M.E.P Vick ford in an Email
HOW can you inspect any deactivation work has been carried out on a FORMER Weapon. If a Magazine, Etc. Has been welded up?....
HOW can an MG alliumium top Cover, have it's STEEL Feed mech welded together? I would LOVE to see that one explained!!!!! :mad:

This is all Knee jerk reaction from Meddling MPS who know bugger all about weapons in general! & who haven't a clue as to what is REALLY needed1
the UKs deactivation are the amongst the most stringent in the EU. & if other member states were to adopt our Deact specs, things would be a whole lot better for everyone!

Oh Yes, it will be retrospective too. Your old spec moving action LEGALY deactivated & certified FORMER Firearm. Will HAVE to welded up & brought upto the current spec & Marked & Recertified. BEFORE you can Legally sell it!!!!

there is a mountain of other stupid & unworkable stuff in all of this as well.
NO mention of compensation (As it nearly bankrupted the UK after the Handgun Ban over here!) No impact assessment was carried out prior to these Directives. Which as I understand it, is illegal under the EU Rules? They also are Banning Replicas AND Airsoft weapons as well!!!!! Can You even BEGIN to imagine the impact all of this WILL have?
The amount for dealers & Firms that will go under. And a lot of them are of an age where they will never work again. & add to the Financial Strain on the benefit system!
The Firms connecting with the shooting community & Militaria Field. Who supply accessories & equipment etc. Who's stock will be worthless & unsaleable overnight?.....

it is Potentially the destruction of the firearms related areas of collecting etc. In the UK & other EU member states. I'm informed it's not a done deal yet. However Camoron has backed all of this. & we all know the Government ignores what the Voting public wants.
& goes ahead with what benefits its's OWN Members!!!!!!!

I cannot believe what is going on here, I really cant!!!! :eek:

This is potentially disastrous for anyone who is a collector of Militaria, de-acts etc., the ramifications and knock on effect could be never ending, hopefully, with excellent actions like yours tankhunter , good sense will prevail, i live in hope, well done.

Tankhunter, you say about it being retrospective and that collectors would have to bring any de-accs they wish to sell legally up to the new spec. Do you know if this will only apply to guns that they wish to sell or to put it another way will a collector be allowed to keep the weapons in the spec in which he purchased them up until he wishes to dispose of them, please?

It sounds like the progressive disposal plan similar to Canadian firearms law (Bill C68) with regards to prohibited class firearms such as converted automatics and sub 4" barreled pistols.

The general description for those not in the know, basically if you had one of the above prior to 1995 you may continue to possess it, but should you want to sell the firearm it must be sold to a Prohibited class license holder (which are dwindling due to age) or the firearm must be deactivated or destroyed. There are a couple very specific exemptions but the vast majority of these firearms will fall to the gas axe or welder eventually.

The plan is solid enough, it appears to be externally "fair" to non-firearms owners, which heads off effective political backlash, and within a few generations these "prohibited" firearms will all be deactivated or destroyed, effectively "removing" the (legally known) firearms from the country. It is the "long game" approach and has changed the Canadian firearms landscape in very interesting, and some unintended ways.