C.I.P.

Introduction

In 1914 the Liège Proof Master (1908 - 1946) M. Joseph FRAIKIN, was involved from the very beginning in the creation of the Permanent International Commission(the C.I.P.) for the Proof of Small Arms

The C.I.P. lays down common rules and regulations for the proof of weapons and their ammunition in order to ensure the mutual recognition of Proof Marks by its member states. Fourteen countries are C.I.P. Member States.

In compliance with the 1969 Convention, its Rules and Regulations, and C.I.P. Decisions, every small arm together with all highly stressed component parts must undergo lawful testing in the Proof House of the C.I.P. Member State in which the manufacturer is located or, for imported weapons, in the Proof House of the Member State into which they have been imported for the first time. The same applies to commercial ammunition.

The aims of the C.I.P. are :

1. To select on the one hand items of equipment to serve as reference standards for the measurement of gas pressure and, on the other hand, to select the measurement procedures to be used by the proving authorities in order to determine, in the most precise yet practical way possible, the pressures developed by both service and proof cartridges:
   • in hunting, target shooting, and self defence weapons, with the exception of weapons intended for land, sea, or air warfare; however the contracting parties have the right to use the measurement instruments and procedures adopted for some or all of these weapons.

   • in all other portable devices, weapons, or tools for industrial or professional purposes not listed above and which use an explosive propellant load to fire either a projectile or some type of mechanical component and for which proof would be recognised by the C.I.P. as being necessary.

     This equipment is to be called "Standard Reference (Etalon) Equipment.

2. To determine both the type and the conduct of the official Proof to which the weapons and equipment designated in paragraphs 1a and 1b are to be subjected in order to ensure the highest level of safety.

   These proofs will be designated as "Standard Reference (Etalon) Proofs".

3. To introduce to the Standard Reference (Etalon) Measuring Equipment and the manner of its use, as well as to the Standard Reference (Etalon) Proof Procedures themselves, as much improvement as possible and also to bring in any modifications and additions required to keep abreast of both metrological progress and also the manufacturing techniques used for small arms and industrial or professional tools and their ammunition.
4. To strive to standardize the chamber dimensions of small arms being sold in the market and the methods of inspecting and checking their ammunition.
5. To examine the law and regulations relating to the official proof of small arms published by the contracting governments in order to check whether they are compliant with the arrangements adopted in applying paragraph 2 above.
6. To state officially in which contracting states the conduct of proof complies with the Standard Reference (Etalon) Proofs in line with Paragraph 2 and to publish a Table showing the types of Proof Marks used by the official Proof Houses of these states both currently and since the signature of the Convention on15 July 1914.
7. To rescind the official statement provided for in Paragraph 6 above and to amend the Table for as long as the conditions quoted in Paragraph 6 are not met.