The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

There is probably two people in the trade that have done more in this area than anyone else in “importing s1 revolvers” into the UK. That would be Terry Geary of Merseyside Armoury and Alan Westlake of Westlake Engineering. Westlake is also heavily involved in the Sportsman’s Association and is utterly committed to reintroduce pistol shooting to the UK, in whatever form he can, that resembles as much as possible, pre ‘97. They should know a thing or two...

From Westlakes site;

So that I can manufacture Muzzle Loading Revolvers, Alfa supply me with part built .357 revolvers, that have never been completed and have no cylinders, thus they are not Section 5 prohibited firearms. I then carry out various modifications and fit a muzzle loading cylinder of my own design, the completed revolver is then proofed as a Muzzle Loading Revolver.

http://www.westlakeengineering.com/products/


So in order to manufacture a s1 firearm from an item imported, that imported item must never have previously been of a type that would fall into s5...

Yes your right, but that applies to the UK, if the gun comming in was a chainsaw or an M60 or mini gun outside the UK then as long as it's UK legal sec 1 upon importation then there's no problems..

the running man wrote:Yes your right, but that applies to the UK, if the gun comming in was a chainsaw or an M60 or mini gun outside the UK then as long as it's UK legal sec 1 upon importation then there's no problems..

What everyone else is saying here is that this assertion is common but sadly incorrect.

If the weapon has at any point in its life been an assembled item that would fall under section 5 here, it’s is always section five, no matter what then happens to it.

All our UK kit is assembled as section 1 first time round in whatever country it is assembled in.

If you want to go to Germany and build a load of .22 1911’s with 12” barrels and a coat hanger that’s fine, but you have to build them from parts (perfectly possible with a 1911), you can’t buy 5” guns in Germany, fit a 12” barrel and coat hanger and then import them.

Sadly.

So all Taurus lbrs and all gsg 1911 and all k22 and all the Ruger RedHawks are illegal then,is that is being said? Because that's the way I'm reading it....I find it very hard to believe that the authorities would allow all that lot to enter the uk in the first place.

I understand what u say in that a revolver bought and modified but imported as sec 1 is not right but I don't read it that way.

I've scoured the firearms act and I'm finding nothing to support your claims...

So
If it comes in as parts never assembled (even outside of GB) into what would be a sec 5 gun in the UK its legal
If its built from scratch outside the UK but complies with our SEC 1 regs its ok (Taurus lbrs and all gsg 1911 and all k22 and all the Ruger RedHawks these came in with a 20inch barrel)
If its a carbine which is converted in the UK to a lbr or lbp (buckmark etc) its ok
If its a muzzle loader converted to lbr its ok .

Does that sum it up ?

the running man wrote:So all Taurus lbrs and all gsg 1911 and all k22 and all the Ruger RedHawks are illegal then,is that is being said? Because that's the way I'm reading it....I find it very hard to believe that the authorities would allow all that lot to enter the uk in the first place.

I understand what u say in that a revolver bought and modified but imported as sec 1 is not right but I don't read it that way.

I've scoured the firearms act and I'm finding nothing to support your claims...

I think what safetyfirst is saying makes sense. This is coming down to the serial number. A gun first built in anither country will be identified as the type by its serial number, therefore you cannot take a firearm first built with a 5 inch barrel and recorded as such by the manufacturer, convert it and import it as a section one as it was first recorded as a section 5.

However, you can buy parts, or a manufacturer build a gun which is first recorded as section one compliant and import that legally.

Essentially, it has to be built and recorded from scratch as section one compliant wherever the country of manufacturer in order to get it into this country.

Once it is imported as section one, we can all relax and buy it safely..

Hrun wrote:

the running man wrote:So all Taurus lbrs and all gsg 1911 and all k22 and all the Ruger RedHawks are illegal then,is that is being said? Because that's the way I'm reading it....I find it very hard to believe that the authorities would allow all that lot to enter the uk in the first place.

I understand what u say in that a revolver bought and modified but imported as sec 1 is not right but I don't read it that way.

I've scoured the firearms act and I'm finding nothing to support your claims...

I think what safetyfirst is saying makes sense. This is coming down to the serial number. A gun first built in anither country will be identified as the type by its serial number, therefore you cannot take a firearm first built with a 5 inch barrel and recorded as such by the manufacturer, convert it and import it as a section one as it was first recorded as a section 5.

However, you can buy parts, or a manufacturer build a gun which is first recorded as section one compliant and import that legally.

Essentially, it has to be built and recorded from scratch as section one compliant wherever the country of manufacturer in order to get it into this country.

Once it is imported as section one, we can all relax and buy it safely..

Ile wait for that to come to fruition..

Serial numbers? Where on earth are you coming up with this stuff? The law is actually straight forward. Take a prohibited weapon and convert it to a separate category, it will remain a prohibited weapon regardless of what is done to convert it.

There is no mention of in another country, only in the UK, what it is “registered” as (whatever that is!) s7 FAA 1988 says “Any weapon which has at any time been a weapon of any kind as described in s5” any weapon, at any time.

I appreciate it’s not what people want to hear, but that is the law. Alan Westlake, gun maker and former director of the Sportsmans Association states as much on his own site as well!

The S&W LBRs as described on this thread would be s5 prohibited weapons. That’s a five year mandatory prison sentence...

Sim G wrote:Serial numbers? Where on earth are you coming up with this stuff? The law is actually straight forward. Take a prohibited weapon and convert it to a separate category, it will remain a prohibited weapon regardless of what is done to convert it.

There is no mention of in another country, only in the UK, what it is “registered” as (whatever that is!) s7 FAA 1988 says “Any weapon which has at any time been a weapon of any kind as described in s5” any weapon, at any time.

I appreciate it’s not what people want to hear, but that is the law. Alan Westlake, gun maker and former director of the Sportsmans Association states as much on his own site as well!

The S&W LBRs as described on this thread would be s5 prohibited weapons. That’s a five year mandatory prison sentence...

only according to your interpretation of the law...I'm sure the guys doing all this have looked into this properly and obtained the proper permission and or exemptions...

Sim G wrote:Serial numbers? Where on earth are you coming up with this stuff? The law is actually straight forward. Take a prohibited weapon and convert it to a separate category, it will remain a prohibited weapon regardless of what is done to convert it.

There is no mention of in another country, only in the UK, what it is “registered” as (whatever that is!) s7 FAA 1988 says “Any weapon which has at any time been a weapon of any kind as described in s5” any weapon, at any time.

I appreciate it’s not what people want to hear, but that is the law. Alan Westlake, gun maker and former director of the Sportsmans Association states as much on his own site as well!

The S&W LBRs as described on this thread would be s5 prohibited weapons. That’s a five year mandatory prison sentence...

So what you are saying is Rude Fat Dog and John Robinson are selling illegal guns?