I bought mine from an RFD auction house, before it was offered for sale, the auctioneer made a big 'speech' about the legality (or otherwise) of the SKN Armourers Training Aid 'rifles'. He had checked with the 3 county police forces adjacent to the auction house (Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire) and all had confirmed that in their view it was not a firearm.
It was sold (as have been all subsequent ones) as an 'off-ticket' (non-firearm) item.
I was under the impression that legislation could not be retrospectively applied.
In fact - the latest issue of the Home Office document "Guide on Firearms Licencing Law" specifically states :
"……. are not retrospective. Therefore, a gun de-activated to the old specifications prior to revisions, remains de-activated for legal purposes".
Also from the Guidance :
Section 8 of the 1988 Act is an evidential provision and does not preclude the possibility
that a firearm which has been de-activated in some other manner may also have ceased
to be a firearm within the meaning of the 1968 Act. For example, guns held by museums
that were recovered from wrecked ships and aircraft may be corroded to the point that
they cannot be fired. This should not be confused with wear or missing parts that can be
replaced. The final arbiter of whether the article fulfils the definition of a firearm at section
57(1) is a court
Section 57(1) of the act states : "A firearm is "a lethal barrelled weapon of any description from which any shot, bullet or other missile can be discharged"
"from which any shot, bullet or other missile can be discharged" has to be capable of discharging a missile either in its present state or with adaptation. To prove that a weapon is a firearm, it is essential to call evidence as to whether a bullet or missile can be discharged from the weapon or which can be adapted to discharge any missile: Grace v DPP (1989) Crim. L.R.365 where the conviction was quashed as there was no evidence that the air rifle could have been fired.
(From the Government CPS Website last updated August 2019)
