Proof Marks......

[Buccaneer]

Ahh the thorny issue of proof marks as required by law in the UK..... It is a legal requirement that any firearm / shotgun that is sold or even offered for sale in the UK must carry recognised proof marks either issued by the London or Birmingham proof houses or have been proofed in accordance the C.I.P. ( the international Proof Governing body), a list of countries covered by C.I.P. can be found on the internet.
I have attached three documents, two which outline the responsibility of RFD's and the third is a rather old copy of proof marks that will be found certainly on some of the guns that readers of this may have.
ALL UK military firearms will have been proofed at some point and marked as such, unfortunately these proof marks are not valid once the rifle leaves military service and passes into civilian hands.
It can be seen that there are different marks for "military" proof and "definitive" proof and a gun that only carries military proof marks MUST be resubmitted to the proof house for re-testing.
For example, if a rifle that carries only the Birmingham Crown over BM military proof mark is to be sold or offered for sale then it must be re-submitted for re-proof . Failure to do so potentially leaves one open to a very large fine but this does beg the question of how did successive British government bodies manage to sell off thousands of un-proofed guns to the general public!!!!!!!!!
I know that the London proof house "Definitive" proof mark has remained largely unchanged but the current Birmingham one now reads Crown over BNP. Proof marks can be very small and difficult to read especially on older arms but it is the responsibility of the seller to ensure that an arm is in proof so if in doubt get it checked.
From a business point of view if you buy an un-proofed firearm then technically the seller is breaking the law but as dealers we have all by accident or design bought out of proof firearms which means that you have to go through the expense and potential hassle of getting it tested and of course if it fails and the fault can't be rectified then you could end up with a pile of scrap on your hands.
Guns submitted to either the London or Birmingham proof houses will usually be marked on the barrel, action and bolt, the barrel marking is often engraved at the muzzle on the underside complete with the calibre ie proof mark .303, however if a gun is of historical importance and the owner does not want to degrade and original finish then the proof house can apply "minimal marks" but this has to requested at the time of submission.
Attachment 86489Attachment 86490Attachment 86491

Sorry guys it seems that the documents have not converted very well and are unreadable I will try to repost them....