Birmingham Proof House

Over het museum

The Birmingham Proof House was founded under an Act of Parliament in 1813, at the request and expense of the town's prosperous gun trade, to test firearms for safety by firing them with an overcharged cartridge. Later legislation, including the Gun Barrel Proof Act of 1868, made such testing compulsory before guns could be sold. The Georgian building on Banbury Street was designed by John Horton and has a Jacobean-style gateway that was added in 1883. It is a Grade II* listed building.

The Proof House is still a working establishment. It tests firearms and ammunition to international standards, and its British Proof Laboratory is accredited to ISO standards. It also certifies deactivated firearms and investigates damaged guns.

A museum collection has been discussed here since 1858, when a Birmingham gunmaker named Greener called a meeting to start a record of how small arms developed. In 1873 the Guardians bought a large collection of arms and armour from the Italian collector Claudio Calandra, and in 1876 they gave it to Birmingham Borough Council for public enjoyment. The present Ammunition Pattern Rooms opened in 2000, followed by further rooms, including the Firearms Pattern Rooms. Visitors see them on organised tours, which began in 1997, and the museum library holds more than 3,000 books and documents on the gun and ammunition trades.

Hoogtepunten

• Working proof house in a Grade II* listed Georgian building
• Firearms Pattern Room on the development of small arms and Birmingham gunmakers
• Ammunition Pattern Room and reference collection of failed or damaged firearms
• Library with over 1,000 original cartridge drawings
• Talk and presentation in the historic boardroom

Vaste collectie

• Firearms Pattern Rooms – The history and development of small arms, with particular attention to former Birmingham gunmakers and items on loan from the Calandra collection.
• Ammunition Pattern Rooms – A display on small arms ammunition and the ammunition trade, with a reference collection of firearms that failed or were damaged.

Opgericht

2000

Beheerder

Guardians of the Birmingham Proof House

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Tours are bookable for groups only; tour parties are limited to a maximum of 10 people.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk: niet aanwezig
• Lift: niet aanwezig
• Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The premises are Grade II* listed with narrow access areas and no lift, and visitors must be able to reach the first floor several times during the visit. Visitors with mobility restrictions should tell the museum when booking so that special arrangements can be considered.

Kinderen & gezin

Beperkt geschikt voor kinderenAanbevolen vanaf 12 jaar

The tour is not recommended for children under 12, and visitors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The building has narrow access areas and no lift.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The Proof House is on Banbury Street in Birmingham.

Service & horeca

• Café: niet aanwezig
• Restaurant: niet aanwezig

Refreshments and biscuits are served to tour groups in the boardroom. Gifts and memorabilia can be bought through the Proof House website. There is no on-site catering for events. Smoking is not permitted on site.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Zakelijke evenementen

The Georgian boardroom can be hired during working hours for small conferences and events; there is no in-house catering, but the Proof House can suggest outside caterers.

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