Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Spain. 2008 ‘National Marking System.’ National Report of Spain 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. 17-18. New York, NY: Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations. 31 March
Relevant contents
National Marking System
The marking of firearms is one of the recommended actions and is of considerable interest for the tracking and tracing of firearms in order to combat their illicit trafficking. In Spain, the marking of firearms has been compulsory since 1929. Spain's regulations governing the marking of firearms are contained in articles 28, 29 and 30 of the Regulations on Arms, adopted by Royal Decree No. 137/1993 of 29 January and the Ministerial Order of 30 January 1994 …
(a) Manufacture
The principal parts of firearms leaving the factory shall bear a mark consisting of a numeric code representing the following information:
– Manufacturer's name;
– Number of the type of weapon;
– Serial number of each weapon manufactured, beginning each year with the number 1;
– The last two digits of the year of manufacture;
– The representative proof marks of BOPE.
These arms shall bear the stamp of the official proof house located in Eibar (BOPE) …
(b) Imports
Firearms which are imported and bear a mark from a proof house which is recognized by Spain and complies with CIP standards will not have to be marked by BOPE.
If incoming weapons are not stamped, Customs will submit them to BOPE; if BOPE does not stamp them because it does not consider them to be in line with Spanish regulations, they will be returned by Customs to their place of origin, and their import will be prohibited.
[BOPE: In Spain the official agency in charge of firearm testing is known as Eibar Official Proof House]