Each auction is prepared in advance and is on public view at before the sale.
Important Notices for Buyers
Sporting Guns, Rifles and Ammunition will not be released without the appropriate Firearm or Shotgun certificate. Overseas certificates are not valid in the U.K. firearms will be released by appointment only. The buyer of any section 1 firearm must hold the appropriate Firearm Certificate with the appropriate variation in order to purchase and acquire the firearm.
Firearms Act 1968
Lots marked with a . or S1 will not be delivered to purchasers without production of a valid United Kingdom Firearms Certificate or R.F.D. Permit.
Lots marked with a * or S2 will not be delivered to purchasers without production of a valid United Kingdom Shotgun Certificate or R.F.D. Permit.
All private buyers resident in the UK must send their original Firearms or Shotgun certificate to Gavin Gardiner Limited prior to making payment. Once the certificate has been checked and endorsed, it will be returned to the certificate holder and upon receipt then full payment can be made.
Certificate holders NOT in possession of the relevant variation or valid authority are required to pay a deposit of 95% of the total purchase price, with the remain 5% payable once the valid authority has been acquired, checked and endorsed by Gavin Gardiner Limited.
Trade buyers must supply a copy of their Registration as a Firearms Dealer.
Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997
Lots marked with a .. or S5 will not be delivered without the Authority of the Secretary of State under Section 5 to purchase or acquire prohibited weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the act applies. Only holders of Section 5 authority may bid on Section 5 items. Items eligible under Section 7.1 and 7.3 may only be bid for and purchased by holders of an appropriately varied Firearm Certificate.
ANTIQUE AND OBSOLETE CALIBRES
Antique and obsolete calibre weapons are sold under Section 58(2) of the 1968 Firearms Act expressly as Antiques and Curios only, they must not be fired and ammunition must not be possessed. Please note that by bidding on these items you declare that you are not a prohibited person as defined by Section 21 of the 1968 Firearms Act.
AIR WEAPONS
Please note that all air weapons manufactured post 1939 are subject to Section 32 of the 2006 Violent Crime Reduction Act. All transfers must take place “face to face” in person. These items can only be shipped to another Registered Firearms Dealer if you are unable to collect in person.
STORAGE CHARGES
Buyers are urged to arrange collection within 10 working days of the auction after which period risk of loss passes to the buyer. Instructions for shipping and delivery to a shipper or Firearms dealer must be received by this time.
All lots that remain uncollected after 28 days will be subject to storage charges of £1 per day (plus VAT) unless instructions have been received or alternative arrangements have been made.
Special Notice to Overseas Buyers
Firearms under 100 years of age, in addition to any other Export Licence requirements, need a DTI strategic licence in order to leave the U.K. Gavin Gardiner Limited will upon request, arrange through his nominated shipper and the appropriate Government agencies for the relevant Export Licence application. Shipping Instructions should include the nature of the consignees business, and the ultimate intended use for each firearm. In most cases an Import Licence or General Undertaking will be required before an Export Licence is granted. Gavin Gardiner Limited recommend that any queries concerning the shipment and Export of Firearms be addressed to our firearms shipping agent, P.D.Q. Freight Ltd.
P.D.Q. Freight Ltd.
Unit 4 Courtyard 1
Challenge Road
Ashford, Middlesex
TW15 1AX
Tel 01784 243695
Fax 01784 242237
To enable PDQ to apply for the Export Licence after the sale, they will require:
1 Import consent from the country of destination
2 Intended use and purchasers business
3 Non EEC buyers will require to supply an End User General Undertaking.
Proof, Condition and Certification
The buyer of any firearm must hold the appropriate Certificate (or other valid authority) to acquire the firearm.
Proof of Firearms
The term ‘proof exemption certificate’ indicates that a firearm has been examined at a Proof House but not proved, as either (a) it was deemed of interest and not intended for use, or (b) ammunition was not available. In either case, the firearm must be regarded as unsafe to fire unless subsequently proved. Firearms proved for Black Powder should not be used with modern smokeless ammunition.
The term ‘Certificate of Unprovability’ indicates that a firearm has been examined at a Proof House and is deemed both unsuitable for proof and use. Reproof is required before any such firearm is to be used.
Guns Sold as Parts
Barrels of guns sold as parts will only be made available for sleeving and measurement once rendered unserviceable, according to the Gun Barrel Proof Act of 1968 to 1978 and the Rules of Proof.
Condition of Firearms
Comment in this catalogue is restricted in general to exceptional condition and to those defects that might affect the immediate safety of a firearm in normal use. An intending buyer unable to make technical examinations and assessments is recommended to seek advice from a gunmaker or from the specialist in charge. All prospective buyers are advised to consult the lists of bore and wall-thickness measurements posted in the saleroom. Potential buyers should note that guns are stripped only where there is a strong indication of a mechanical malfunction. Stripping is not otherwise undertaken. Guns intended for use should be stripped and cleaned beforehand. Hammer guns should have their rebound mechanisms checked before use. The safety mechanisms of all guns must be tested before use.
Section 5
Gavin Gardiner Ltd holds a Section 5 authority for certain prohibited weapons. Those handguns that fall outside this authority and which may be acquired as ‘antique’, or under Section 7, will be highlighted on the view.
Taxidermy & Related Items
As a seller of these articles, Gavin Gardiner Ltd undertakes to comply fully with CITES regulations and DEFRA. Buyers are advised to inform themselves of all such regulations and should expect the exportation of items to take some time to arrange.
Conditions of Business
All lots are offered subject to Gavin Gardiner Limited’s Conditions of Business.
click for our full Conditions of Business
Estimates and Reserves
Estimates are published as a guide only and are subject to review. The actual hammer price of a lot may be higher or lower than the range of figures given and there are no predetermined starting prices. Estimates may be subject to revision. Published estimates are exclusive of buyer’s premium and VAT.
All lots are subject to reserves. The reserve price is never higher than the low pre-sale estimate.
Buyers Premium and VAT
A buyers premium of 25% is applicable to all the lots in this sale.
The buyer’s premium is subject to VAT at the current standard rate. Lots are normally offered for sale under the auctioneers margin scheme and VAT is payable of the buyers premium by all buyers. Lots marked with a dagger symbol (†) will be offered under normal UK VAT rules and VAT will be charged on both the hammer price and the buyers premium.
Pre-Sale Exhibition
All auctions are on public view for at least two days prior to the sale.
Condition Reports
All prospective bidders are encouraged to attend the pre-sale exhibition and view the lots in person. If this is not possible, we will be pleased to provide a condition report where practical. All condition reports are provided in good faith. Buyers are reminded that it is their responsibility to satisfy themselves over the condition of lots. Please refer to Conditions of Business for further information.
Bidding in Person
To bid with us you must register to obtain a bidding number. You will be asked to provide proof of identity. All lots sold will be invoiced to the name and address in which the paddle has been registered and will not be transferred to other names or addresses. If you instruct an agent to bid on your behalf, you will need to provide a letter of authority to this effect.
Absentee Bids
Gavin Gardiner Limited is pleased to execute bids on behalf of clients unable to attend the sale in person. All bids should be submitted in writing and in good time, at least 24 hours prior to the auction. Lots will be purchased as cheaply as possible (subject to other bids received, reserves and competition in the saleroom). It will be possible to arrange auction room telephone bidding, but subject always to the availability of lines and staffing. These services are offered free of charge and are subject to our Condition of Business.
A bidding form is available for download from the front page of this website when a sale is upcoming. Please forward your bids to us via e-mail.
We no longer accept bids by Fax.
Payment
Payment is due in sterling immediately after the sale and before purchases can be released. Payments in person can be made in the saleroom on the day of the auction. After this payments must be made by post, card transactions in person or electronic transfer to our bank. Gavin Gardiner Ltd welcome the following methods of payment:
Credit/Debit Card
We are pleased to accept major credit cards and debit cards for payments in person (regrettably we are unable to accept American Express card payments), however because of fraud issues we are unable to accept a credit card for a payment exceeding £500. There is no limit for payments made by debit card. Overseas card and remote payments will no longer be accepted and we ask that a bank transfer is made.
Sterling Banker’s Draft or Building Society Cheque and Electronic or Wire Transfer
Drawn on a recognised UK bank or building society. Wire Transfers can be made directly to our Bank, details of which are published in the buyers guide of our printed auction catalogue. Please contact us for further details.
National Westminster Bank PLC
60 High Street
Bognor Regis
West Sussex
PO21 1SL
Sort Code: 60 03 08
Account Number: 74044397
Account Name: Gavin Gardiner Limited
IBAN: GB77NWBK60030874044397
Swift Code: NWBKGB2L
Sterling Cheque or Cash
Please not that we require seven days to clear sterling cheques where the amount exceeds the cheque card guarantee limit, unless special arrangements have been made with the auctioneer in advance of the sale (normally the presentation of a letter of guarantee from your bank). We always reserve the right to hold goods until a cheque is cleared. Cash payments will not be accepted above £6,000.
Storage, Collection & Shipping Logistics
Buyers are urged to arrange collection within 10 working days of the auction after which period risk of loss passes to the buyer. Instructions for shipping and delivery to a shipper or Firearms dealer must be received by this time.
All lots that remain uncollected after 28 days will be subject to storage charges of £1 per day (plus VAT) unless instructions have been received or alternative arrangements have been made.
