Earlier this year, the government changed the law to introduce for the first time a legal definition of antique firearms.

Ideally guns should be cleaned as soon as practicable after shooting, normally at the end of the day. If this is not possible the bore and other external metal parts should be thoroughly sprayed with WD40 to inhibit corrosion until proper cleaning can be carried out. Wads: Wads used for muzzle loading shotguns should be made from either felt or a compressed fibre material. Plastic wads should not be used as they are likely to melt. Fibre wads are available commercially in standard sizes such as the Eley Kleena wad. Pre-lubricated fibre wads are available from Henry Krank Ltd. Many muzzle loading shotgunners cut their own wads using either wad punches or rotary cutters that are a b c Rodger, Nicholas (2004). The Command of the Ocean:A Naval History of Britain 1649–1815. Penguin Books. p.420. ISBN 0-14-028896-1.Anyone wishing to dispose of a firearm can hand it in to their nearest police station. If people suspect others of keeping an illegal firearm, they can report it via 101 or Crimestoppers.

Elements of military art and history" By Edouard La Barre Duparcq, Nicolas Édouard Delabarre-Duparcq, 1863 The changes are aimed at protecting the public by making it harder for criminals to get their hands on these types of weapons.

a b Kristensen, Todd (2019-07-10). "Flash in the pan: The archaeology of gunflints in Alberta". RETROactive. Archived from the original on 2019-09-02 . Retrieved 2019-09-02.

Army regulations, as well as common sense, required every soldier to carry a plug for the end of the gun barrel to keep out rain, snow, mud, and dirt. A hunter closing in for the kill with his rifle loaded and ready to fire had to remember to remove the plug before firing. ideal. Typical shot loads for 16 bore to 11 bore guns are between 1 and 1 1/4; oz. The maximum load permitted in MLAGB competitions is 1 1/4; oz.. Shot may be dispensed from a shot flask, scoop or pre measured phial. The basic action is that the trigger is pulled and a spring causes the striker, the frizzen, to strike the flint which showers sparks on to the gunpowder in the priming pan. The risk posed by the criminal use of firearms remains high in the UK and so disrupting the supply of illegal firearms is a top priority for the NCA and our law enforcement partners.There are of course legitimate reasons for owning a firearm that is an antique or was previously regarded as an antique, and their owners are not involved in any wrongdoing. They may be owned by a collector or as a family heirloom, for example. Henry Tatham and Joseph Egg were Gunmakers to George III and are recorded in partnership at 37 Charing Cross, London from 1801-1814. Collecting inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co. New York: MetPublications. 2021. p.185. ISBN 9781588396907. To our knowledge there were very few specialist blunderbuss makers in the USA at that time (1790) so it would not be unusual for the U.S. Revenue-Marine to equip with blunderbusses from an Irish or British maker.