London Proof House opens firearms storage to certificate holders

The London Proof House has opened a secure firearms storage service to certificate holders, gunmakers and registered firearms dealers (RFDs), using a previously unused armoury at its Commercial Road premises, proof master David Miles has told Gun Trade Insider. For the keeper between tied cottages, the shoot owner whose renewal has stalled, or anyone who would rather not keep guns at home, it adds a dealer-grade option run by the institution that has proved London’s guns since 1637.

What is the Proof House storage service?

Proofing and deactivation inspection remain the Proof House’s core business, but Miles said the storage offer gives it a service for individual owners alongside its established trade work, and that the income could help fund investment in proofing facilities and equipment without increasing proof charges to the trade. The armoury sits centrally within the building, in an area not open to ordinary visitors, and guns are held in secure racks rather than crammed into a restricted space. Access is limited to selected staff, and Miles said the service is insured and confidential, with no access to the armoury for customers or other visitors.

“The Armoury itself has all the security requirements of an RFD, but within the Proof House which itself has high security,” he said.

Who can use it?

The service is open to certificate holders, gunmakers and RFDs, although Miles told Gun Trade Insider that individual owners have so far accounted for most of the firearms placed in storage. Customers have used or enquired about it while moving home, travelling abroad, going on holiday or awaiting certificate renewals, and it offers a route for people moving into rented accommodation where they cannot fit a cabinet, or who prefer not to keep firearms at home. Dealers have enquired when relocating, refurbishing or running short of space, and Miles said it could suit businesses approaching the quantity or value limits of their insurance cover.

“We have offered our storage space to the trade, who are welcome to use it if they are running out of guns storage space themselves,” he said.

How does it sit with your certificate and the police?

The Proof House holds an RFD registration issued by the Metropolitan Police for the armoury and storage business, so guns placed there are held on registered dealer premises, subject to the security conditions that apply to any RFD. Its proofing and deactivation work is carried out separately, under the Royal Charter and a Firearms Act exemption, and storage is kept physically apart from proofing. New users sign a storage agreement and arrange a time to drop off or collect. Gun Trade Insider’s telling does not go into how a holder should record a long-term storage arrangement against their own certificate, and the prudent course is to ask your firearms licensing department before the guns go in, particularly where a renewal is the reason.

How secure and how dry is the armoury?

Miles put the climate alongside the locks. “We don’t just see security as an issue. The climate in the Armoury is also very important,” he told Gun Trade Insider. Temperature and humidity are monitored and controlled to prevent corrosion and mould, and the armoury is protected from ultraviolet light and pests. For a keeper’s working guns that spend the season in a damp yard, that is worth as much as the racks.

How do guns get there and back?

With notice, firearms can be shipped around the country, including transfers to another RFD. For those unable to collect in person, the Proof House can use Parcelforce to send guns to a local RFD or to one close to the customer’s shooting ground, and local collection and delivery can be arranged in some cases, though Miles said the business is careful not to compete directly with the specialist London storage providers. Repair work for storage customers can be outsourced to the trade. The Proof House can hold single guns or collections; Miles said it would not be practical to take the whole inventory of its largest trade proof customers, whose stocks run to tens of thousands of guns, but the capacity is substantial for normal private and commercial needs.

What does it cost?

No charge is quoted in Gun Trade Insider’s telling. Terms are agreed with the Proof House directly, and anyone weighing it against a dealer’s storage fee or a second cabinet should ask for them before committing.

What happens next

The service is live at Commercial Road. Miles said new storage customers often ask about proof marks and whether their guns are still in proof, which he sees as a chance to take some of the mystery out of proofing. “The Proof House is a trusted brand and secure building; we have been here for nearly 400 years and, God willing, we will be here for 400 years more to come,” he said. The full interview is in Gun Trade Insider.