General Principles

Guidance Notes

Prevent the disassembly of the firearms essential components by welding, bonding or by using appropriate measures with the equivalent degree of permanence. 

Appropriate measures includes the use of blind pinning using a hardened steel pin.

Depending on national laws, this process can be performed after the checking of the National Authority. 

Double submissions will be required in all cases where the certifying body cannot readily inspect the arm to ensure that all work has been carried out in compliance with the regulation.

Hardness of inserts: Deactivating entity has to ensure that pins/plugs/rods used have a hardness of at least 40 HRC and that material used for welding ensures a permanent and effective bond.

The hardness of pins, plugs and rods should be = 40 HRC prior to welding. The onus is on the submitter to ensure that the material sourced is of the correct hardness before welding it on the firearm. A sample of each should be supplied for retention by the Proof Authority as spot checks will be carried out by them and other official bodies.

Arms falling outside of the scope of the EU regulation should continue to be deactivated in accordance with ‘Specifications for the adaptation of shotgun magazines and the deactivation of firearms, revised 2010’.

Arms deactivated prior to the introduction of the regulation submitted for re-certification can still be issued with a UK valid only certificate. It must be noted that should the arm subsequently be sold, exported or fall within the remit of the regulation in any way, it must be brought up to the specification of the EU regulation.