rorkesdriftvc.com :: View topic - Accurate Full-Scale Firearms Made Of Quality Wood ?

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 1:53 pm

I've been wondering what the laws are regarding this method of obtaining detailed firearms, built solely from quality wood, for display ?

I know how odd this sounds, but they do exist, not really meant to be handled, except maybe as stage/film props.

Now, I'm not talking about toys, or the dreadful stand-ins used for the marching 24th soldiers in Zulu Dawn, but made professionally.

Unfortunately, I can only remember one company who do/did make such weapons, but included metal in some parts.

Question - as they are solely made of wood, no metal parts whatsoever, are they still termed firearm replicas that need certificates ?

If anyone knows of other companies who use this material (wood) to make detailed firearms, including requests for a particular historical firearm, could they please supply their details.

I'd be looking to obtain an Adams revolver, for displaying in a glass-fronted wall cabinet, not now, but eventually.

Any info greatly appreciated.

C.J.

PS. Yes, I know there is nothing better than the real thing, but in my case, this is not a possibility.

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 6:47 pm

Further to the above.

Having found a site (Classic Arms) covering the work of Robert A. Talbot, who makes high-quality, completely wooden pistols - Colt, Remington, etc. - which, being collectables, are very expensive to buy, I noticed he had also built a fantastic Webley 1915 MarkVI, boxed with accessories.

What interested me is, he had 'acquired a set of Small Arms Information Drawings (SAID) for the Webley. Apparently, from approximately 1810 onwards the British Army made it standard practice to prepare detailed scale blueprints of the weapons in use to facilitate maintenance.'

'The "SAID" for the Webley were to actual scale, complete with all measurements along with detailed dismantling and assembly instructions. This made it possible for Mr. Talbot to recreate each part and assemble a fully functional revolver...albeit with wooden bullets!'

Are similar 'SAID' available for others firearms, as in, those around at the time of the Zulu War 1879 - Adams, Tranter, etc., revolvers ?

Thanks

C.J.

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 5:09 pm

CJ,

Forgive me if I am wrong but I write this in anticpation that you are resident in UK.

The law governing imitation firearms that is most relevant to you is the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. This introduced further controls on imitation firearms and created a "subset" of them, to be termed realistic imitation firearms, which are subject to additional controls.

In short, items that are made to look like a firearm, whether by design/appearance or by the actions of the person in possession, fall to be considered as imitation firearms. There are general controls on those made to look like firearms which include the necessity to be 18 years old at least in order to buy them. There are further controls on not misusing them etc.

However, if you are 18yrs+ and simply intend to possess them then there are no further controls and no certificate is needed.

Realistic imitation firearms have a convoluted definiton but essentially this ends up meaning that they are so classified if the original firearm they are an imitation of was made from a design post 1870. Turn this around and it follows that if they are an imitation of something made from a design pre 1870 then they are not realistic imitation firearms.

Realistic imitation firearms are controlled in terms of their manufature, import into UK and sale here. A specific defence is needed. These include re-enactment. Even so, the controls do not require the possessor to have a firearms certificate for them.

However you will have already spotted that the Martini Henry rifle, for example, is not caught by this, so an imitation of it is simply an imitation firearm in law and you simply need to be 18yrs+ to purchase it here.

A number of near 1870 firearms have been subject to discussion as to classification. The most significant has been acceptance that the Colt SAA revolver, often referred to as the "1872 or 1873" Colt revolver, is not caught, as although production was post 1870, the design was pre.