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Firearms licensing: frequently asked questions
How do I get rid of an unwanted weapon?
If you possess a shotgun, legally held on a shotgun certificate, and you decide that you no longer wish to keep it, you have various options as to its disposal.
Firstly you can sell, give or transfer its ownership to another shotgun certificate holder who has adequate safe storage for the weapon. Similarly you can sell, give or transfer ownership to a Registered Firearms Dealer.
You can surrender it at any police station, from where it will usually go for destruction, unless it is deemed of particular historical interest. In the latter case it could be given to a museum or other interested official party.
You can have the weapon deactivated, after which it ceases to be a "firearm" within the meaning of the Acts. Consequently it no longer falls within the restrictions imposed
on "firearms" by any of the Firearm Acts and Regulations.
Deactivation must be done officially and proved at one of The Proof Houses who issue the weapon with a deactivation certificate and also proof mark it. This renders the weapon incapable of being fired and, more importantly, incapable of being converted back to a firing condition.
You cannot "deactivate" a weapon yourself; for instance by filling in the barrel or filing
off the firing pin. In such circumstances the weapon will still remain a "firearm" and require to be held on a certificate. Deactivation needs to be carried out by a qualified gunsmith in order to meet the standard necessary for proofing.
If you hold weapons on a firearm certificate, the scenario is slightly different with regard to selling, giving or transferring them to another firearm certificate holder.
Unlike shotguns, firearm certificate holders can only possess those firearms authorised on their certificate. Thus, before transferring firearms to another firearm certificate holder, you must ensure that their certificate carries the authority for the calibre and weapon in question. No such restrictions usually apply to Registered Firearms Dealers, except possibly in respect of Section 5 (prohibited) weapons. Even Registered Firearms Dealers need special authorisation from The Home Office to handle prohibited weapons.
The option to surrender weapons at a police station or have them properly deactivated, applies equally to firearms as it does to shotguns.
You should never destroy and/or dispose of a shotgun or firearm yourself. Every weapon needs to be accounted for and irrespective of what you do with a licensed weapon, you must inform the police authority which issued your certificate, exactly what you have done with it.
Unwanted Section 1 ammunition can be disposed of through another authorised firearm certificate holder, Registered Firearms Dealer, your target shooting club
or surrendered at any police station.