When do you need to get a rifle proofed

[Alpha1]

Hypothetical question.
I have chambered and threaded a barrel blank and fitted the blank to the action. I have checked it with go and no go gauges and evey thing looks OK. It chambers and ejects with out any issues.
I have changed the calibre. Im not doing this for some one else and I intend to keep the rifle and shoot it my self. Do I need to get it proofed.

[ovenpaa]

The short answer is no, it does not need to be proofed unless you plan on selling it.

However you may find that your local club/range will not allow rifles out of proof to be shot and you may find that your insurance is not valid if the firearm you shoot is not in proof.

[dromia]

"In proof" always puzzles me as to what that means.

Just because a gun has proof marks does not mean that it is always "in proof".

The act of proofing a gun may actually make it out of proof afterwards.

[waterford103]

Proof just means the gun didn't blow up when fired with an overchaged cartridge . I theory the gun is fully ispected before and after . In reality this doesn't often happen , I had what appeared to be a perfect Swedish Mauser which had been newly proofed but which in fact was shot out and scrapped by the Swedish army and was marked thus. When firedevery cartridge case was black with soot and discernable gases vented from the chamber . Close inspection showed a very worn chamber and no rifling for 2" beyond the throat and a headspace of 24 thou. -- New proof - bah humbug.

[Alpha1]

Thanks.

[Dark Skies]

"In proof" always puzzles me as to what that means.

Just because a gun has proof marks does not mean that it is always "in proof".

The act of proofing a gun may actually make it out of proof afterwards.

Yes, I've always considered it a bit of a racket. It's like a car MOT - once out of the door it immediately loses its value beyond being a statement that at the time of testing it was considered to be fine and safe but you can't rely on that to be the case now.

I also agree that the gun may have been fine and would have remained fine for years had someone not come along and seriously overloaded it to the point that it left it on the cusp of failing (but not visibly failing there and then) and thereafter liable to failing some time hence.