Retired from action

Have you ever wondered how it is that military re-enactment enthusiasts are able to carry Bren guns and much larger stuff on their vehicles when in reality they are prohibited weapons? What do you do with that nice old gun you’ve got but can’t sell because it’s gone out of proof? The answer is deactivation, a process applied to a gun that means it legally ceases to be a firearm.

Although there are reckoned to be nearly half a million deactivated guns in the UK, it remains something of a niche market. There are four principal uses. They are popular