The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Just watched Combat Dealers on Quest and a guy was looking to sell a German Hetzer tank destroyer to a Russian millionaire.The Hetzer is fitted with a roof-mounted Mg-34 that can be fired remotely from inside the hull and the Russian guy wanted to fire it, so the Hetzer is driven into an old quarry where some cars have been set up and they proceed to fire at the cars on full auto with live ammo ( the empty cases can be seen ejecting onto the top of the hull and are clearly not blanks)....... here in the UK!.At one point it jams so one guy gets out to clear it and it actually goes off as he is trying to clear the action which could have been nasty!!!.

My question is how is it possible to do this in the UK with a full auto Mg-34????

Nothing is 'banned' in the UK as such..... You just need the right paperwork, in this case section 5 authority.

I believe that's right, someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

snayperskaya wrote:Just watched Combat Dealers on Quest and a guy was looking to sell a German Hetzer tank destroyer to a Russian millionaire.The Hetzer is fitted with a roof-mounted Mg-34 that can be fired remotely from inside the hull and the Russian guy wanted to fire it, so the Hetzer is driven into an old quarry where some cars have been set up and they proceed to fire at the cars on full auto with live ammo ( the empty cases can be seen ejecting onto the top of the hull and are clearly not blanks)....... here in the UK!.At one point it jams so one guy gets out to clear it and it actually goes off as he is trying to clear the action which could have been nasty!!!.

My question is how is it possible to do this in the UK with a full auto Mg-34????

Easy if you know the right people. I fired my Mk II Bren on full auto last year before it was deactivated

Don't expect your local firearms licensing office to let you do it though, even if you have a 'good reason' in your opinion. Section 5 licensing is a Home Office prerogative, and normally needs a good business reason such as the manufacture, overhaul, supply, testing etc of 'prohibited' weapons for other authorised users - police forces, MoD, foreign governments or companies, security companies etc.

As a slight aside but sort of on topic I saw a machine gun demo at Bisley about 20 plus years ago.
A group of sec5 dealers got together and put on a live firing history of the machine gun.
From Vickers up to M60 including many sub guns and even a few pistols.
I have a few photos if anyone is interested.

mag41uk wrote:As a slight aside but sort of on topic I saw a machine gun demo at Bisley about 20 plus years ago.
A group of sec5 dealers got together and put on a live firing history of the machine gun.
From Vickers up to M60 including many sub guns and even a few pistols.
I have a few photos if anyone is interested.

That will have been my Bren man

The HBSA has several members who own and occasionally demonstrate all sorts of toys with 'happy switches'. Whether they do so under a S5-approved RFD ticket or more personal HO approval I do not know.

I know about the Section 5 conditions regarding good reason......the guys on the programme I refered to appeared to be shooting the Mg-34 in an old quarry rather than a formal range, surely there are restrictions on the types of Ranges where Section 5 firearms can be used?.

Nope,as long as the local police clear the land find full auto. You're good to go

True, nothing is banned under the firearms act just restricted, i have as part of my reenactment activities i occasionally use section five equipment, hired from home office approved dealers like movie armourers, i have used such nice things such as the vickers gun a yugoslavian made mg42 and the thompson SMG. i have also hired a (section one) 15 pounder QF gun.

As i also work in museums i come into contact with a lot of historical firearms, A museum firearms licence granted by the home office allows a museum to own anything from a 22 pistol to a multiple launch rocket system if it is historically relevant to a museum collection. Unfortunately private collections are intelligible, only accredited museums can apply and there are a few basic security stipulations.