A BRITISH PROBLEM

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jimhallam
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:16 am

A BRITISH PROBLEM

Post by jimhallam »

Hi everyone.
My name is Jim Hallam. I am a British RFD (= FFL) specialising in collectors' arms, and have the hard-to-get "Section 5 Home Secretary's Authority" for Prohibited Weapons (including machine-guns). I am a VP of the British NRA and V-P Emeritus of the Historical Breechloading Smallarms Association.

I am a regular at the January Vegas Show (the next will probably be the last as it is getting SO difficult to move firearms to and from the USA).

As you may know, most "short firearms" (Eurospeak for handguns!) are banned in the UK, although a small number of collectors have a "Section 7" authority to collect --- imagine it like trying to get a Class III in NYC.
In the UK "antique is not based on a DATE (as in the USA) but on CALIBRE (oops! sorry -- caliber) -- so, for example, a .44Russian does not require a licence but a .44-40 does.

I have just been sent a Remington M1875 which was the result of a court case a few years ago. Luckily the Judge did not make out a destruction order.
The convicted person had acquired the revolver as a "Curio or Ornament" -- the British term for an antique firearm which does not need a licence (unless you have ammunition). He then crudely bored the cylinder to accept nominal .45 cartridges and used the gun in a crime. In doing so he converted the "Section 58" revolver into a "Section 5 prohibited weapon" so it cannot be held as a Collectors' Item at present.
Incidentally, one of the stop notches has perforated and THREE of them have bulged into the chamber (presumably relieving the strain caused by rulling the notches in during manufacture).

You have guessed it! I am trying to source a replacement cylinder so that the revolver can return to being an "Antique".

Any ideas please?

Probably better to e-mail me on < j.i.m.@.j.i.m.h.a.l.l.a.m.(dot).e.u > --- removing all of the periods in the address.

Thanks.
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