IMPORTING

[Guest Warwicks 6 A Foot]

Can anyone advise me whether or not it is legal to import de-activated WWI Webley Officers revolvers or does the Handgun Bill of a few years ago forbid importing such items or do certain conditions apply.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[CROONAERT]

Are you wishing to import to sell on, or simply importing for yourself?

The import of deactivated weaponry (that don't hold London or Birmingham proof house certificates) is fraught with problems. To legally own or sell a deac. in Britain, it must have one of the two certificates. Importing a foreign deac (legally)involves customs declarations, permission seeking and an appointment in Birmingham or London, followed by possible "re-work", all of which costs. It might be better to try and buy within GB for an easier,cheaper life (it gets even more complicated if you are buying to sell!).

Then again, there's always the "undeclared" channel taken at great risk!

Dave.

[Guest Warwicks 6 A Foot]

Many thanks Dave, it is for a self import, not to sell onwards.

[Max Poilu]

To legally own or sell a deac. in Britain, it must have one of the two certificates.

I am not sure this is strictly true. A de-activated, proof-marked pistol can I believe be owned and traded without a certificate. It's value will however be reduced. It can however, be submitted to a proof house for the issue of a new certificate.

We also need to differentiate between a pre and post '95 de-act. A pre '95 de-act revolver is more valuable as it will still 'chamber' a round. The chambers had to be milled out to a certain degree but the cylinder did not have to have a welded steel ring inserted as per the tighter post '95 regs.

If the pistol was de-activated in France it will have to be re-de-activated to UK standards. This will mean post '95 type modification. The law in France is rather vague as to what exactly constitutes de-activation - rather as things were here before Douglas Hurd changed everything in 1988.

Prices of Webleys vary so much - a de-act WW1 dated Mk VI is currently worth around £500+ in the UK however, a WW2 Mk IV (.38) is only £150.

Everyone is a little in limbo at the moment, see the recent thread on 'worse fears condemned'. No-one can know for certain if things may change until the firearms consultation reports later this year. I will say however, that I have been struck by the number of individuals selling off their private collections of de-acts at recent fairs. I only wish I had a little more cash at the moment, there are some incredible bargains out there in SMGs in particular.

Then again, there's always the "undeclared" channel taken at great risk

Don't even think about this.

[Muerrisch]

Just a pedantic note: there is no such thing as an 'officers' pistol'. Officers were required to purchase their own, so long as it took Government pistol ammunition which [without looking it up] was .455".

[Max Poilu]

Just a pedantic note: there is no such thing as an 'officers' pistol'. Officers were required to purchase their own, so long as it took Government pistol ammunition which [without looking it up] was .455".

Funnily enough, although the Webleys were always know as .455 calibre the actual calibre was .441 in.

[CROONAERT]

Prices of Webleys vary so much - a de-act WW1 dated Mk VI is currently worth around £500+ in the UK however, a WW2 Mk IV is only £150.

I've been after a pre-1915 Mk.V for many years now (since before my Mk.V1 cost less than £100!) without success. How much would I be looking at for one of these now do you think?

...or how about a .455 Mk.IV? No, don't tell me, you'll only upset me!!!

Dave.

[Max Poilu]

Hmmm, I'm not so up on the early Webleys Dave - not exactly common now as you know. This guy below always has a good selection of Webleys but he can be a little pricey on some guns, he's got a Mk IV at £450:

http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/deactivatedguns.htm

BTW, did you not go for these?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...6512160965&rd=1

I think an eBay 'break-up' value could easily reach £800+ 10/20,000 maps getting on for £100 each now - the 40.000 area maps I have sold at £50.

I seemed to be the only one pushing the winner up?

[CROONAERT]

BTW, did you not go for these?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...6512160965&rd=1

No chance!!! As soon as I didn't reach the reserve at $500 , I thought "forget it"!!!!

Only 5 maps interested me, which I valued at no more than £300 combined. The 1:40,000 maps, I wouldn't have been able to get shut of, and were of no interest whatsoever to me, so I didn't take these into consideration.

Besides, after forking out just over £200 for another 6 trenchmaps last week ( ), I decided this wasn't a good deal. I won't be buying many more maps on ebay from now on anyway. Too many idiotic prices for them and too many people with seemingly limitless bank-accounts. (along with the fact that, for some reason, there seem to be more appearing in junk shops at the moment.)

Dave.