FN Minimi old spec deactivation .

Anyone got a spare £6495 laying around they don,t want ?

Yeah me neither but we can dream ....

http://www.cold-war-collectables.co.uk/deactivated-firearms/fn-minimi/

 

Carl.

Fascinating - are there really collectors who spend that much on a deact in the UK?

It just seems non-sensical.

There is a company that makes semi auto's here for a comparable price, which I think is wishful, but makes some sort of sense - http://www.machinegunarmory.com/civilian_firearms.html

No slur on Britain at all, I am an ex-pat - but just wondering about the collecting community there - curiosity really.

I just imagine the market for that SAW is quite rarified, no?

A matching MP38 - maybe - it's something extraordinary in terms of numbers produced and rarity, what war it was used in, who used it and will only go up in price, but a mass produced squad automatic weapon?  Or is the price to do with the old-spec status?

Hi Pitfighter ,

People do spend big money on deactivated items in the UK . We have little choice otherwise .

The SAW is the price it is because it is extremely rare in UK plus the old spec increases desirability over a completely welded up piece which would also be v expensive anyway .

Recently I have seen FA MAS - £3200 , Steyr Aug - £3000 , M4A1 - £3800 , Ruger M700 Marine sniper - £2000 .

These pretty much exclude most private buyers and may well end up going to film armourers / theatre or museums .

Pistols are no exception and you can easily pay £1000 for the likes of a recent Sig , HK , Walther .

I myself have my eye on a Sig P226 copy by Noriconia at a more sensible £650 for Christmas !!

Carl:santa: 

phobus wrote:

Recently I have seen FA MAS - £3200

Hi,
Wow! £3200??? In France a deactivated FAMAS cost about £450!!

Wow - good price ?

Can you send one over for me Dronne ?? 

Is that welded up or with working action ?

I know deactivated specs vary from country to country . For instance Worldwidearms over here lists the Famas at £1600 .

Not cheap and thats for a paperweight .

There are lengthy discussions on other UK sites about the viability of buying direct from other European countries at huge reductions over UK prices and likely to older specifications , then importing privately.

Carl

In France, deactivation allows stripping, working action and dry fire.
Obviously deactivated weapons cannot chamber any kind of ammunition.

http://www.nolasco.fr/
http://www.esistoire.fr/vente/93/armes/126/armes-neutralisees-ou-libres.html

N.B. "neutralisé" means deactivated in english
Of course, i guess that importation in Great Britain is hazardous

500 Euro for an old spec Famas - wow .

Great pictures on that website Dronne - I can,t seem to get it to translate tho ... 

Problem is , if it was stopped and seized by customs - highly likely I would say - you could well find yourself facing serious charges . Even though it is deactivated and certificated to be so .

What a pity .

carl

Unfortunatly, you're right.
And i guess that as a collector, the argument the good faith, will not work.

Thanks for the reply.

Dronne -

I need that Mat 49 in my indo chine collection!

http://www.esistoire.fr/produit/MAT49B/pm-mat-49-neutralis%E9-plaquettes-bak%E9lite.html

It is not importable here with the receiver in one piece unfortunately.

pitfighter wrote:

BTW - I have nothing against spending $10K on firearms, I have quite a few around that value in the armory, they earn their keep, so I can mitigate the cost - I was questioning the value of a totally inert piece, made from a VERY common firearm.
But, I gather that the fact it is an "old spec" effects it's value, more than anything else.

You're welcome,
Well, i can only talking about the application of the french firearms regulation :

So, here is a briefly explained overview :

Owning live firearms is not really expensive, if you are member of a shooting or hunting assossiation  (shooting or hunting licence & a medical certificate needed).

Full automatic weapons are strictly forbidden.
Limited magazine's capacity to 30

Regulation have 4 main categories : A B C, & D (all of them divided in a lot of sub categories)
A => forbidden

B => must be registered, and autorised by the firearms office of the residence place. Shooting licence is required. Semi auto rifles, pump action shot guns, semi auto pistols, revolvers.
The owner must have a safe-deposit box or cabinet and separate the ammo from the weapons.
The weapon must not be usable immediatly (bolt stripped, trigger guard lock, etc..)

C => must be registered to the firearms office of the residence place. Shooting or hunting licence is required. Manual repetition rifles (10 rounds max), shot guns (3 rounds max)
The weapon must not be usable immediatly (bolt stripped, trigger guard lock, etc..)

D => weapons designed before the year 1900 (unless some models in an exception list that are in C category) or replicas of weapons designed before 1900, but black powder only. But not pre 1900 semi automatic pistols (unless some models in an exception list).
No licence or registering needed.

Deactivated weapons are in category D, purchasing a deactivated weapons is fully allowed in France, the only condition is to be at least 18 years old, and not to carry it or transport it without legitimate reason.

Airsoft replicas and model guns are not considered as firearms.

pitfighter wrote:

It is not importable here with the receiver in one piece unfortunately.

Yes! It's really weird, in your country, in one hand, you can own and use weapons unreachable in France, and by the other hand, you can't import deactivated one!!

The law here is not so strange really - the receiver is the "weapon" - with regard to a machinegun or AW, to be imported the receiver must be destroyed according to ATF guidelines - 3 cuts that remove at least 4mm of metal - quite simple really.

If it's not cut (or, been cut at some time), it could feasibly be considered an unregistered machine-gun - even if it was full of welded steel and inoperable - as strange as that seems, destruction does have a clear definition within the ATF.

The dummies I own for film work, are all re-welded to inert/inoperable status, or assembled on an inert aluminum receiver.

My question has been answered - I think it is the old spec/new spec consideration, I wasn't aware of such a dramatic difference in price, living in another continent - but I guess it makes sense.

Hi pitfighter,
Thank you for this explainations, now i undernstand this ad :
http://www.ima-usa.com/british-bren-lmg-mk-1-parts-set-super-rare-early-mk-i-receiver-1940-dated-enfield-crown-logo.html

I read IMA in that link, I will not even press it, lol - every time I go to that site it costs me money.