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GUN BARREL PROOF ACT 1868 - LONG TITLE



An Act for repealing the Gun Barrel Proof Act 1855, and for making other
Provisions in lieu thereof; and for altering the Constitution of the Guardians
of the Birmingham Proof House; and for better ensuring the due Proof of Gun
Barrels; and for other Purposes{1}. [13th July 1868] Charter of 14th March
1637.

f3xtWhereas by Royal Charter, dated the fourteenth day of March one thousand
six hundred and thirty-seven, the Master, Wardens, and Society of the Mystery
of Gunmakers of the City of London (in this Act called "the Gunmakers
Company") were incorporated, with powers of searching for and proving and
marking all manner of hand guns, great and small daggs and pistols, and every
part thereof, whether made in London or the suburbs or within ten miles
thereof, or imported from foreign parts, or otherwise brought thither for
sale, and a scale for proof was thereby established, and in pursuance of their
Charter the Gunmakers Company have established a Proof House near the City of
London: and whereas by "The Gun Barrel Proof Act 1855," the Acts then relating
to the Guardians, Trustees, and Wardens of the Gun Barrel Proof House of the
Town of Birmingham (in this Act called "the Guardians") were repealed, and the
Guardians were continued incorporated, but by their present name of "the
Guardians of the Birmingham Proof House," and their Constitution was altered:
and whereas by the said Act of 1855 (herein-after called "the recited Act")
provision was made for the proving of the barrels of small arms by the
Gunmakers Company at their Proof House, and by the Guardians at the Birmingham
Proof House, and certain rules and regulations and a scale of proof were
thereby established, but subject to alteration from time to time as by that
Act provided, and the recited Act contains divers provisions for securing that
barrels, not including military barrels, made for the use of Her Majesty's
Forces or for the then and late Honourable East India Company, should be
delivered to the Gunmakers Company and the Guardians (in this Act called "the
Two Companies") respectively, to be duly proved by them at their respective
Proof Houses: and whereas the rules and regulations and scale of proof have
from time to time been altered, and the same respectively now in force under
the recited Act are not applicable to every description of small arm now in
use, or are in other respects defective, and it is expedient that the same
respectively be amended: and whereas it is expedient that the Constitution of
the Guardians and the Mode of Election of Guardians elected by the Birmingham
Gun Trade be altered and amended, and that further provision be made with
respect to the powers and duties of the Proof Master, Wardens, and other
officers of the Two Companies respectively: and whereas the provisions of the
recited Act have proved insufficient to prevent the forging and counterfeiting
of proof marks of the Two Companies respectively, and to ensure that barrels
of small arms made in England be submitted to the requisite proof, and have
been found defective in other respects, and it is expedient that further
provision be made against the forging or counterfeiting of proof marks of the
Two Companies respectively, and for ensuring that barrels of small arms made
in England be duly proved, and marked as proved, and that the exemption of
military barrels from such proof be confined to military barrels made for the
use of Her Majesty's forces or for the late Honourable East India Company
while the barrels are the property of Her Majesty, and that the provisions of
the recited Act be amended in other respects: and whereas it is expedient that
the Two Companies respectively be authorized to provide and maintain Branch
Proof Houses at or near to London and Birmingham respectively: and whereas the
objects of this Act cannot be attained without the authority of Parliament:


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© 1868 Crown Copyright

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