Weapons testing; implementation

The Bavarian Proof House carries out the inspection of firearms for civilian use as part of its sovereign duties. This is purely a safety check, in which each individual weapon is checked by the employees of the Proof House.

Weapons must be checked for safety before they are used. The Weapons Act regulates the lawful possession and use of weapons in the public interest; the Firearms Act, on the other hand, regulates the obligation to fire handguns, firecrackers, barrels and essential parts of firearms in the interest of the safety of the weapon user.

The testing of handguns includes

• Preliminary inspection,
• firing,
• re-testing and
• stamping.

During the preliminary inspection, it is determined whether the weapons are correctly marked, functionally safe and dimensionally accurate. A visual inspection is also carried out. The durability test (proof test) is carried out with test ammunition whose gas pressure is 30 percent higher than the maximum permissible gas pressure for service ammunition. During the follow-up test, it is determined whether any impermissible changes in dimensions or defects have occurred during firing. After passing the test, the weapons are stamped with the proof mark, the place mark of the proof house and the year mark.

If you have any questions, please contact the responsible proof house (Munich or Mellrichstadt).