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Just a thought generated by a couple of recent threads on "pistols and lbr's"

So, in Northern Ireland a Smith and Wesson 686 in .357, for example, is a Section 1 firearm.

Lets say you ordered one from a Northern Ireland dealer. When this dealer took possession, you had him replace the barrel with a 12" barrel and then add a rod on the back to take it's length to 24". Still Section 1?

But now, this S&W is also a Section 1 on the mainland. Ostensibly, it's never been a Section 5.......

What do you reckon? Doable? Probably a lot cheaper than the £4K S&W's fabled to have come from the continent.

I like the sound of this - fingers crossed that you get a positive response from someone in 'Authority'.

Used to shoot a S&W 686 (6") in Police Pistol comps back in the day, and can't help but reminisce over the quality compared to the Taurus's we have to settle for at the minute...

I like your thinking there Sim... I can't see how it could *ever* be called a section 5 by the authorities...

Isn't that how the Taurus revolvers are done? Except in Brazil?

I'm not familiar with the laws in NI, are you saying then that pistols in NI are section 1 and not 5 as in the rest of the UK.

lasbrisas wrote:I'm not familiar with the laws in NI, are you saying then that pistols in NI are section 1 and not 5 as in the rest of the UK.

Yes, the same as they are in Jersey/Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Its just us mainlanders that can't fight off the magical hypno-kill powers of handguns :roll:

I was under the impression the issue with LBRs is that they have to be available from the factory with a long barrel and the Taurus was the only one which is currently available as standard with a long enough barrel.

The Cupcake Kid wrote:I was under the impression the issue with LBRs is that they have to be available from the factory with a long barrel and the Taurus was the only one which is currently available as standard with a long enough barrel.

I think you are right here, I believe without having checked that because the Pistol was manufactured as an S5 it would be classed as a conversion if made into an LBR and it may be perceived that with some smithing skills it could be re-converted back to S5, for entry to the UK mainland would it not require re-classification and re-proofing?

Sendit wrote:...it may be perceived that with some smithing skills...

Or a hacksaw, which is what makes it so bloody daft in the first place...

Sendit wrote:

The Cupcake Kid wrote:I was under the impression the issue with LBRs is that they have to be available from the factory with a long barrel and the Taurus was the only one which is currently available as standard with a long enough barrel.

I think you are right here, I believe without having checked that because the Pistol was manufactured as an S5 it would be classed as a conversion if made into an LBR and it may be perceived that with some smithing skills it could be re-converted back to S5, for entry to the UK mainland would it not require re-classification and re-proofing?

But with the same said smithing skills there would be nothing to stop you converting an lbr back to sec5 or as above with a hacksaw.