Yes, I'm afraid that it has been deactivated in accordance with UK law. (No I didn't have it done myself!!) However, this has been very sympathetically done and there is no visible sign from the outside and the pistol can still be cocked and stripped normally. Most unusually, the proof house markings that certify deactivation have been applied on the inside of the frame to preserve the exterior appearance.
On a separate note, I was wondering how it could have found it's way to the UK and it occured to me that Royal Navy units participated in the assault of Tsingtao and it could have come back with one of the Navy personnel. There is a great book, sadly out of print, called "The Fall of TsingTao" by Edwin Hoyt, which explains that much overlooked battle very well.
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