Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House

Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House

The Birmingham Proof House was established by Act of Parliament in 1813 to ensure small arm user safety, as far as it is practicable, by the compulsory and statutory proof of small arms. Over 200 years later the Birmingham Proof House remains at the forefront of international standards for the testing of firearms and ammunition, recently achieving ISO 17025 accreditation for the British Proof Laboratory located onsite.

In addition to proof and reproof of small arms, we are able to offer many additional services, including:

Cip ammunition control & ammunition testing
Certification of deactivated arms & magazine restrictions
Incident reports on damaged small arms
Chamber gauge & chamber casting inspection and analysis
Museum, arms & ammunition pattern rooms
Library of small arm & ammunition related source material- including over 1000 original cartridge drawings.

The Proof House, which is still very much in use, is not situated in the Gun Quarter but in Banbury Street, Digbeth. It still performs its original function and has a museum on site which may be visited by arrangement. It is a Grade II Listed building. There is a notable relief display of heraldry over three metres wide above the front entrance by William Hollins, which includes the Hanoverian coat-of-arms, the Birmingham shield with crossed swords, proof mark and a profusion of muskets, pistols, cannon balls, flags and drums. The present Jacobean-style gateway dates from 1883.

The Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House is a weapons proofing establishment in Banbury Street, Birmingham, UK. The building was designed by John Horton and consists of a centre bay, emphasised by a segmental parapet, which contains trophies by William Hollins. A Jacobean-style gateway was added in 1883. It is a grade II listed building

Over 200 years later the Birmingham Proof House remains at the forefront of international standards for the testing of firearms and ammunition, recently achieving ISO 17025 accreditation for the British Proof Laboratory located onsite. In addition to proof and reproof of small arms, we are able to offer many additional services

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