The legaility of building muzzle loading firearms in the UK

[S. Heslop]

I've done a little bit of searching and never found any good information on this. It's also a question I feel a little bit stupid asking.

Mostly I can only find stuff on owning and firing said firearms, and it sounds like alot of paperwork and licensing since they count as shotguns and black powder counts as an explosive. Both of which require special containers to store them.

I imagine it'd be prohibitively difficult to get licensing, if it's even at all possible, but i'm still curious about it.

[Sid_Vicious]

There was a tread about one guy a while ago with a puntgun and a puntboat with links to how he made both the gun and the boat including the legal way to do it (a puntgun is basically a shotgun on steroids used from a boat in duckhunting) If Irc he had a pic of the boat in his avatar. The links were to a hunting forum. Hope this can help you, or maybe some recalls the tread and can help you out better than me. 

[Sid_Vicious]

After some search on youtube I found his channel

sadly he must have another nick here on madmodder.

[steampunkpete]

I believe that the law in the UK stands (unless it has changed from when I was a sprog) something like this:
You can own a muzzle-loader, or any other firearm without a certificate or licence if it is old enough to be exempt.
Other than that, you need a certificate for a shotgun.
A licence for a firearm.
A licence for an air-gun whose muzzle velocity / energy exceeds a certain limit.

In cases where you need a licence, you are required to have a licence / certificate for parts of a gun even if you don't have a complete set of parts.

Strictly, then, I think that you would need to apply for a licence before you started making it. It would then have to be proof tested and marked.

If you really want the gory details I suggest that you approach a historical re-enactment group such as the Sealed Knot who use such things in displays.

[Eugene]

Muzzle loading and black powder is alive and well in UK.

The people to contact about making a M/L from scratch are http://www.mlagb.com/ The Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain. Their HQ is at Wedgenock Shooting Ground near Warwick but they have groups up and down the land. One of their leading lights (might be the Chairman) is Peter Starley a business colleague of mine from way back. Pete is a Registered Firearms Dealer and has his own part time business supplying components plus buying and selling guns. Find him here ...... http://www.black-powder.co.uk/order.htm

Speak to Pete, he's a sensible bloke, and see what his advice is. At some stage your local Firearms Liason Officer will probably be involved. These guys are usually civilians and their degree of helpfulness varies, so my advice to get your story straight beforehand. The licensing procedure isn't all that tedious; a mate of mine has black powder guns and shoots game with them a couple of times a year.

To make a gun for your own use you do not need to get involved in Proof. That only applies to guns that are to be sold or given to a third party.

I've got a set of sketches / drawings for a repro Harpers Ferry black powder pistol. PM me with your postal addy if you'd like a copy. It'll be my project before long.

Eug

[S. Heslop]

Thanks for the advise. I've sent Pete an email and hopefully i'll get a reply.

Thanks for the offer of the plans too, but for now I think i'll wait and see if the requirements for doing this makes it at all viable.

[S. Heslop]

Got a reply from Pete. Hope he won't mind me posting it here.

Hi Simon,
Thanks for the message.
Your first point of call would be your local firearms licensing department & arrange a meeting with the Firearms Enquiry Officer who deals with your area.
Be completely open & honest with him about what you wish to do & he should be able to advise & assist with all the legal requirements.
Kind regards.
Pete

I guess i'll have to contact the Northumbria firearms licensing team. Looks like some heavy stuff though.

In all honesty, i'm not sure how far i'll go with this idea. I feel like i'm getting in over my head with it. But I suppose the firearms licensing department will be able to tell me exactly what's required.

[johnbaz]

Other than that, you need a certificate for a shotgun.
A licence for a firearm.
.

Dragging up an old thread but it's the other way round, The Cert is for firearms (FAC) and licence is required for a Shotgun 



John 

[Nicolas Hulme]

Dragging up an old thread but it's the other way round, The Cert is for firearms (FAC) and licence is required for a Shotgun 



John 

Dragging up an old thread but I can confirm that it actually is "Firearms Certificate" and it's "Shotgun Certificate" and it's printed at the top of the document,
Regards,
Nick

[Spurry]

Looks like the nomenclature changed a few days ago. This from the gov.uk website.

"Details
You can use these forms to:
•apply for a firearm or shotgun licence
•renew a firearm or shotgun licence
•vary a firearm certificate

Application guidance notes can be found at the end of form 201.

The firearm and shotgun application and variation forms above were revised on 31 December 2017 to facilitate electronic applications as part of the Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2017."

Pete.

[Biggles]

Ref: black powder. You will need an explosives certificate which you apply for at the same time as your firearms or shotgun certificate. It’s nothing to be afraid of as it’s a tick the box affair with two or three questions. Then you will need to have a specific wooden box to store the powder, these are readily available nowadays. In addition you need a metal gun cabinet and a safe room to store your arms. But the first thing you will need before all this is a good reason to possess a shotgun/firearm. Just saying I want one is not sufficient for the police. Most people belong to a club or stalk, in which case you will need the farmer’s details or get the club details (if you are going down the route of a club then you will also need to satisfy the club that you are a suitable person by having a probation period before you can apply for membership). If you are lucky enough to have your own land then it’s not a problem. Take a look at The Met Website: https://www.met.police.uk/firearms_licensing/
All this depends on you being a good boy, and you are only allowed 15kg total which includes contents of shells/ammo and other shooters powders.
Enclosed explosives pdf.