by Ian B Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:22 am
My suggestion, for what it's worth.
First, IF the mine has not already been made inactive, I would recommend NOT trying to do anything yourself. Leave it to experts. If it has been deactivated, then it's all good.
Second, IF still active and you want to keep it in your collection, and if you still have the paperwork that proves your ownership, then you might want to consider contacting either the nearest CF EOD folks, or a similar civvie organization to see if they can make it inert. Curators of any local military museums might be able to steer you in the right direction. I would suspect that if anyone can make it safe, you might expect it to be returned with holes and markings to indicate that the mine is "INERT".
Third, if you do go forward with this, I would suggest that you be prepared to have the item confiscated, either temporarily while you argue to get it back, or permanently as the government doesn't want stuff like this in private hands. Personally, I believe that within reason, as long you harm no one with items in your possession, you should be able to collect anything you want to. I'm just saying to be prepared to give it up, is all.
Hope this has given you something to think about. Maybe you've thought it all through already and have decided on a course of action. All the best. Stay safe and have fun!
Ian B