Turning a deac in to an airgun?

[wildoliver]

Quick question, I know the law states that a sec 5 firearm eg. pistol. Cannot be converted in to an alternative gun that is legal, eg. a revolver cannot legally be turned in to a sect 1 LBR as the law states once a sec 5 always a sect 5.

But when guns are deactivated they no longer remain a firearm, and even if you look at the home office legislation which has sections for all firearms including airguns deacs are clearly not sec 5.

So if you were to take a deactivated gun, eg. the luger thread take a luger and convert it to fire BBs and run on CO2, is this in any way illegal?

[RichardH]

I wouldnt have thought so a company used to do it with AK's and SKS's

That said deactivated Lugers are not only terribly sad but hideously expensive

Richard

[Phil G]

I recall some years ago a buddy wanted to convert a S&W 38 to TAC air gun but was advised not acceptable. It was made as a firearm and would always have that designation, even deacts. Might be worth checking it out again.






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[howard5760]

BE AWARE THAT THE POLICE WILL TAKE A VERY DIM VIEW OF ANY ATTEMPT TO ALTER A DE ACTIVATED GUN, ONCE DEACTIVATED THEN IT STAYS THERE YOU CANNOT TURN IT INTO ANYTHING ELSE. AS IT WAS MADE AS A FIREARM IT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN AS ONE BUT DEACTIVATED.AND THAT IS HOW IT SHOULD STAY FOR THE REST OF ITS LIFE .
HOWARD5760

[wildoliver]

Instead of angry faces and myth and rumour does anyone have any definite info either way? Bear in mind it is a common thing abroad to modify cartridge revolvers and the like to tac guns, obviously that would be illegal in this country.

My point is that deacs are a firearm still yes, but there is no law to state you cannot modify a firearm, to reactivate a sect 5 to working sect 5 is obviously a no no, but I can't imagine you would face resistance to reactivate say a sect 2 shotgun (although it would be pointless and hideously expensive unless a particularly rare gun) provided you had it re proofed and obviously placed on certificate, by that token I can't see an issue with converting one firearm class that doesn't need license to another firearm class that doesn't need license PROVIDED it doesn't at some point in the alteration stage become one of the licensable classes.

The modification I'd be looking at would logically be a drill and sleeve of the original barrel, however looking at it in the way of our fabulous leaders I can see that being a bit of a no no, so would remove the original barrel and replace with an airgun barrel cut down from blank, or even a piece of thin walled tube with plastic outer to make 100% sure no-one could get the wrong end of the stick, with the cartridge loading area milled out (again taking the deac stage even further!) for a co2 gas port system very similar to the makarov co2 system, with a bb feed built in again like the mak.

Would just make an interesting project thats all.

[jonno1972]

There is an issue and it is that once sec5 always sec5, there is an exemption for people to hold with deac cert, but even if turned back into a pea shooter it would not then conform to deac certificate and would be sec 5. This applies to parts as well as whole guns. I found this out when trying to buy a cheap .50cal barrel. I found original browning barrel lengths which hadn't been touched and would have been fitted to a sec 1 gun like any other barrel I could go out and buy, but no, they were made for a machine gun and therefore will be sec 5 forever. Stupid law, but law all the same. As someone else has said the police would take a very dim veiw of any alerations and the holder may find themselves getting 5 years of bed and board at her majestys pleasure.

[wildoliver]

Cheers Johno you answered the question perfectly, it was the word exemption that told the story!

Many thanks!

[RichardH]

I wouldnt have thought so a company used to do it with AK's and SKS's

That said deactivated Lugers are not only terribly sad but hideously expensive

Richard

It appears they made new recievers and barrels just using the ancillary parts of the original.

Heres the link

Richard

[Microtia]

It appears they made new recievers and barrels just using the ancillary parts of the original.

Heres the link

Richard

I absolutely agree that our bloody useless government should manouever to get Mann released. Hopefully that is what is happening judging by his 'trial'. To serve his sentence here- for a few months.

[wildoliver]

The last comment confuses me.....


I can do the trapper industry type thing, frankly it's easy, but unless you use the tac system (which is illegal) then it's pretty unsatisfactory, as an example look at the rifle at the bottom with the b3/4 underlever air rifle built in, if your building a replica air rifle based firearm it needs to be a replica, any major deviation makes it a bit pointless really. That said I suspect I could do a much nicer jub using a co2 or pcp bolt action action that would be far closer to original. It's a pity no-one makes a slightly longer pellet preferably of the slug design anymore (like a piledriver but about half as long again) otherwise I could make a really nice magazine system just like a live fire too. it would work with BB's but thats a bit uninspiring!