Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Czech Republic. 2008 ‘Steps to Implement the ITI - Marking.’ National Report of Czech Republic on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA), pp. 3-4. New York, NY: Permanent Mission of Czech Republic to the United Nations. 1 January
Relevant contents
Steps to Implement the ITI - Marking
The marking system in the Czech Republic has long tradition came into effect before the adoption of the POA and the ITI. The system is divided into two categories according to the type of SALW: the marking of hunting, sporting and personal arms, i.e. firearms for non-military (civilian) purposes, and the marking of SALW for military purposes.
SALW in the possession of the government armed a security forces for their own use are marked with the manufacturer's code (assigned to the manufacturer by the Ministry of Defence), serial number, and a military acceptance mark containing the last two digits of the year. The marks are affixed by the manufacturer… The imported SALW are marked in a similar manner, enabling their identification. Unlike firearms manufactured in the Czech Republic, they do not bear the military property mark.
Marking of firearms for non-military (civilian) purposes is regulated by the Firearms Proofing Act and its Implementing Regulation No. 335/2004. Firearms or small arms are marked in accordance with the Convention for the Reciprocal Recognition of Proof-Marks of Small Arms, to which the Czech Republic acceded in 1969. The Convention was published in "Sbírka zákonů" as Notice No. 70/1975. It imposes obligations on firearms manufacturers, importers and proofhouses in the field of the marking of firearms. Each weapon must bear the manufacturer's registered trademark, name or code of the person or entity submitting the weapon to the proofhouse, serial number, model name, country of origin and calibre. These marks must be made on at least one of the main parts of the weapon; serial numbers must appear on the barrel, frame and breech. The manufacturer affixes his marks during the production process, as a rule before the final assembly. Once this obligation is fulfilled, the Czech Arms and Ammunition Proofing Authority will affix its proof-mark.
Any unmarked weapons must be presented by the manufacturer or importer to the Czech Arms and Ammunition Proofing Authority for marking according to the Firearms Proofing Act. Manufacturers and importers are prohibited from marketing unmarked or inadequately marked firearms or small arms; as a result, nobody may legally acquire and hold such arms.
[SALW = Small arms and light weapons; ITI = International Tracing Instrument; POA = UN small arms Programme of Action]