surplus service rifle question

[nearly there]

Hi this may be a silly question but if I bought a surplus service rifle would it need to be proofed to fire modern factory ammunition.thanks

[ovenpaa]

Even a surplus rifle will have to be in Proof if you pay someone for it as it is illegal to sell a rifle out of Proof. Regarding Proofing for modern ammunition, you can choose to have the rifle Proofed for a specific load as opposed to CIP standards. Down side is the load would be stamped along the side of the barrel.

[Mattnall]

...if you pay someone for it ...

Or not, I believe.
The Act mentions 'selling or exchanging' (GBPA 1868 122(3)) and I would think exchanging in this instance would also be interpreted as including transferring. Exchanging does mean that if someone brings a firearm or other item to me that isn't proofed but should be and it appears that it is not (possibly a personal import or out of proof) then I cannot give it back to him as that is exchanging it even though it is not transferring it.

[ovenpaa]

Good point Matt, it is a potential minefield for us all.

Bedfordshire insisted on me keeping a note of the state of Proof of all firearms going onto my register, Lincolnshire just shrugged and said there was not legal requirement for such details to be logged. If state of Proof does have to be checked it can be quite difficult to recognise the origin of the stamp and approximate age on old European Proofed firearms.