Deactivation

[J.P.]

Can anyone describe with some detail what is required to deactivate a firearm? what gets welded, or cut etc? I would imagine it is different for individual weapons, but what is the general principle? Welding the firing pin to the bolt? Drilling holes or grinding parts off? I have a cracked M1 reciever and a bunch of junk parts........

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[WW2GURU]

Wondering the same thing myself for the same rifle.

[tiriaq]

Generally: drill a hole larger than the chamber through the receiver and barrel, drive in a pin and weld it in place; cut away the boltface; weld so that the mechanism cannot be disassembled.
There are guidelines available through the CFC. While there are no legally defined standards, the CFC is unlikely to deregister a firearm unless it satisfies them. There is a form which the gunsmth fills in that can be submitted with the application to deregister.

[Claven2]

Agreed. the CFC wants to ensure that the bolt face canno support a cartridge. On an M1, I'd clip the firing pin and grind the bolt face away at an angle in such a way it's not visible with the bolt closed. then under the woodline drilling through the receiver and barrel and into the chamber. Drive in a tight fitting piece of rod and then weld over the hole.

Then you have to weld on a plate over the receiver shoe under the wood, or install the triger group and weld it shut. Or really any other means to prevent disassembly to the point where the dewatted bolt could be replaced.

[stencollector]

You only need to weld the trigger mechanism if it suports full auto fire.

The "guidelines" are here: http://www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/online-en_...DFs/1023_e.pdf

The form was just recently updated to include a signiture from a liscenced gunsmith, but if your pile of parts is presently unregistered, then you don't need to de-register it.

I would blind pin and weld the chamber with a pin the diameter of the bore, and anything else is just excessive, if it is not currently registered.
Definition of a firearm: Something in there about easily made to fire. The blind pin through the receiver and chamber is not easily reversed.

[tiriaq]

As far as an M-1 goes, there is no reason that it would not be possible to prevent removal of the bolt, with the barrelled action still being able to be detached from the stock.
My biggest concern with the whole concept of deactivation is that if it can be established that deactivation does not hurt value on the collectors' market - or even enhances the value of a difficult to sell full auto - the powers that be can claim that there is no financial objection to deactivation. And, of course, if its good enough for the War Museum, that guardian of Canadian heritage and history, then how can a collector object to being forced to comply with the same standard?

[sdh1911]

Here in the states, the term De-wat applies to deactivation of weapons. I have helped friends on occasion and which ever it's called. It actually means to disable the weapon so as to not be able fire said weapon, Ever! Its a said thing to do-SDH

[stencollector]

Here in the states, the term De-wat applies to deactivation of weapons. I have helped friends on occasion and which ever it's called. It actually means to disable the weapon so as to not be able fire said weapon, Ever! Its a said thing to do-SDH

The term Dewat stands for deactivated war trophy. The origional application would have been for things like all those MG08s and 08/15s that were brought back and distributed to Legions. The two terms dewat and deac are usually used to pretty much mean the same thing. Seems to me the older CFC guidelines actually had the word dewat slip in there somewhere.

The way things have been going here in Canada, we'll be deactivating our Cooeys yet.

[gunasauras]

The term Dewat stands for deactivated war trophy. The origional application would have been for things like all those MG08s and 08/15s that were brought back and distributed to Legions. The two terms dewat and deac are usually used to pretty much mean the same thing. Seems to me the older CFC guidelines actually had the word dewat slip in there somewhere.

The way things have been going here in Canada, we'll be deactivating our Cooeys yet.

Funny you mention it....I've inspected Cooey DP's at Cadet units that had the bolt removed & disposed of and the chamber pinned.....as per Military Deact guidelines at the time.....white stripes and all....

[J.P.]

Tiriaq, I do understand and am sympathetic to your concerns about the ethics of deactivation. Slippery slopes. I appreciate the info Gentlemen. Jeff