We do everything we can to make buying simple. If after you have read our Buyers Terms & Conditions you need any help, then please don’t hesitate to contact our team on 01524 233430 and they will be happy to assist.
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 UK and 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. Please find more comprehensive information further down this page.
Buyer’s premium and the final price you have to pay
All purchases are subject to a Buyer’s premium of 20% plus VAT. When you successfully bid on any lot the price you pay will be the winning bid plus the Buyer’s premium. Additional commission between 4% and 6% is payable if the bid is made via an internet platform.
Register for a Sale
Please sign up to our mailing list to be notified when our auction platform goes live.
To bid at Lonsdales for the first time you will need to create an account which can be done online or by telephoning us.
You will need to provide:
- Your name
- Your address
- Photo identification (driving licence/passport)
- Valid debit or credit card
- Appropriate authority for registering for restricted items eg SGC,FAC,RFD, Sec 7 or Sec 5.
Once you have an account with us you will simply need to register to bid in each sale. Further details will follow when we open for registrations.
Firearms Act 1968 (as amended)
Buyers must have a valid certificate/licence to purchase the item they bid on.
Lots listed as S1 will not be delivered to purchasers without production of a valid United Kingdom Firearms Certificate or R.F.D. Certificate.
Lots listed as S2 will not be delivered to purchasers without production of a valid United Kingdom Shotgun Certificate or R.F.D. Certificate.
UK Buyers must hold the appropriate authority to possess the firearms which they intend to purchase as required under the Firearms Act. A copy of your Firearms or Shotgun certificate must accompany your absentee bids and buyer registration. Private Buyers resident within the UK who have successfully bid on a section 1 or section 2 item must send their original shotgun/firearm certificate by recorded delivery to Lonsdales in advance of making payment. The certificate will be checked and completed and returned promptly by recorded delivery at which point payment must be made in full by the buyer. Successful Buyers not in possession of valid authority must pay a deposit of 95% of the invoice total with the remaining 5% payable once the certificate has been checked and completed. Please be advised that if a successful bidder is then unable to produce the correct paperwork, the lot(s) will be reoffered by Lonsdales in the next appropriate sale, on standard terms for Sellers, and you will be responsible for any loss incurred by Lonsdales on the original sale to you.
In the case of RFD certificates and Section 5 authorities please ensure an up-to-date copy is in our possession in advance of bidding.
Buyers of deactivated weapons must inform the Home Office that they are in possession of them as required by UK law.
Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997
Lots listed as 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)(abc) 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.
Please ensure you consult the notes at the beginning of the catalogue relating to the item you wish to bid on for further information.
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 and that you are 18 years of age or older.
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 where ID will be required.
OFFENSIVE WEAPONS ACT (2019)
By bidding on a bladed/edged weapon you are declaring you are 18 years of age or over. Upon collection, photo identification will be required if a person appears under 25. Please note it is prohibited for us to send bladed/edged weapons by post to a UK residential address.
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 Registered Firearms Dealer must be received by this time.
All lots that remain uncollected after 10 days will be subject to storage charges of £2 per day (plus VAT) unless instructions have been received and/or alternative arrangements have been made which have been accepted by Lonsdales.
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 UK. Lonsdales will upon request and at the Buyer’s expense, arrange through the nominated shipper and the appropriate Government agencies for the relevant Export Licence application. Shipping Instructions should include the nature of the consignee’s 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. Lonsdales recommend that any queries concerning the shipment and Export of Firearms be addressed to our firearms shipping agent.
To enable our firearms shipping agent to apply for the Export Licence after the sale, they will require:
- Import consent from the country of destination.
- Intended use and purchaser’s business.
- 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 the catalogue/auction description 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 a specialist. 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 by a professional. Hammer guns should have their rebound mechanisms checked before use. The safety mechanisms of all guns must be tested before use.
Section 5
Lonsdales hold 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.
Taxidermy & Related Items
As a seller of these articles, Lonsdales 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 Lonsdales Terms & 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 Buyers premium and VAT.
All lots are subject to reserves. The reserve price is never higher than the low pre-sale estimate.
Buyer’s Premium and VAT
A Buyer’s premium of 20% is applicable to all lots in the 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 Buyer’s 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 Buyer’s premium. Additional commission between 5% and 6% is payable if the bid is made via an internet platform.
Pre-Sale Exhibition
All auctions are on public view for at least two days prior to the sale and also privately by prior arrangement.
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 and all condition reports are provided in good faith. Just click on the lot to request one although we are likely to receive a large volume of requests close to an auction so please do so as early as possible. Buyers are reminded that it is their responsibility to satisfy themselves over the condition of lots. Please refer to Lonsdales Terms & 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 account 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
Lonsdales will be happy to execute bids on your behalf if you are unable to bid live on the day. 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 live auction). A bidding form is available for download from the Auction page of this website when a sale is upcoming. Please forward your bids to us via email at enquiries@lonsdalesauctioneers.com. We will always confirm your bids by email so please contact us if you do not receive this.
Please note that when we receive two or more absentee bids for the same amount we will prioritise the first bid received.
Telephone Bids
It will be possible to arrange auction room telephone bidding, but subject always to the availability of lines and staffing. We will contact you a few lots before your items comes up for sale and a member of our saleroom staff will bid live for you over the phone. All request for telephone bidding must be made by email at least 48 hours before the start of each sale day and must include your full details as per the Absentee bidding requirement above. These services are offered free of charge and are subject to Lonsdales Terms & Conditions of Business. Calls may be recorded.
Leaving commission bids online
If you would like to leave a commission bid on our website you can do so up until 9am on each auction day. Leaving a commission bid through our website is free for all registered clients.
Live internet bidding
Live bidding will be via our online auction platform. Please register on our mailing list and we will let you know how to register when this function goes live.
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 from 9am the day after the auction. After this payment must be made by post, card transactions in person or electronic transfer to our bank. Lonsdales welcome the following methods of payment:
Credit/Debit Card
We are pleased to accept MOST major credit cards and debit cards for payments in person, not American Express, however because of fraud issues, we are unable to accept a credit card for a payment exceeding £250. There is no limit for payments made by debit card. Where possible we prefer bank transfers.
These must be drawn on a recognised UK bank or building society. Bank Transfers can be made directly to our Bank as below, further details of which are published in the catalogue. Please contact us for further details.
HSBC Bank plc
35 Market Street, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 1JQ
Account Name: Lonsdales Auctioneers Ltd
Sort Code: 40 27 02
Account Number: 62017040
Sterling Cheque or Cash
Please note that we require seven working days to clear sterling cheques, 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 to our sole satisfaction. Should you wish to pay by cash this must be agreed in advance in writing and only to a limit of £10000.
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 10 days will be subject to storage charges of £2 per day (plus VAT) unless instructions have been received and/or alternative arrangements have been made which have been accepted by Lonsdales.
