Topic 6 - UK firearms legislation

Question 1

what is the 1903 Pistols act?

Answer 1

• The Pistols Act of 1903 was the first legislation to
  ‘try’ and restrict the sale and ownership of firearms.

9 sections and applied only to pistols.

• It defined a pistol as a firearm whose barrel did not
  exceed 9” (230 mm).

The act made it illegal to sell or rent a pistol to
anyone without a gun licence

but anyone could get a licence from the post office so this was rather useless.

Question 2

what is the 1920 firearms act?

Answer 2

this act made people have to have a firearm certificate before buying a gun

certificates last 3 years

max amount of ammo was a thing

police chief constables decided who could have a certificate

at the start the act ignored smooth bore weapons so they were still purchasable to anyone

Question 3

what is the 1937 firearms act?

Answer 3

Amended the 1920 act

minimum age raised to 17

shotguns and smooth bore weapons less than 20” brought into legislation

conditions were added to the certificates

self defence was no longer a reason to possess.

fully automatic gun possession was banned

Question 4

what is the 1968 firearms act (current law)?

Answer 4

post WW2

act created 3 main firearm classification groups:
Section 1 - Firearms
Section 2 - Shotguns
Section 5 - Prohibited weapons

air weapons only come under act if they’re especially dangerous.

Question 5

what are the “good reasons” to apply for a shotgun/firearm certificate?

Answer 5

such reasons could be:
member of a gun club
sporting pursuits (within reason)
land management

medical checks are mandatory

medical declaration verified by a GP is a requirement by law.

Question 6

what are the important extra provisions?

Answer 6

firearms should be stored in a secure gun cabinet - ammo stored in a separate LOCKED area

1968 act permanently prohibits possession of guns or ammo for anyone imprisoned more than 3 years

imprisonment from 3 months to 3 years results in a 5 year ban of firearms

Question 7

what is the definition of a firearm under section 57

Answer 7

a lethal barrelled weapon - a barrel which can shoot a bullet or missile with a kinetic energy of more than 1 joule.

a prohibited weapon

a relevant component in relation to a lethal barrelled weapon or prohibited weapon
the folloowing are relevant components
- barrel, chamber or cylinder
- frame, body or reciever
- a breech block, bolt or other pressure mechanism

Question 8

definition of a firearm under Section 57?

Answer 8

• An accessory to a lethal barrelled weapon or a prohibited weapon where the accessory is designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by firing the weapon.

Question 9

Definition of ammunition under Section 57?

Answer 9

“Ammunition” refers to ammunition for any firearm and includes grenades, bombs and other like missiles
whether capable of use with a firearm or not and also
includes prohibited ammunition.

Question 10

what is a requirement of a firearm certificate - Section 1?

Answer 10

Subject to any exemption under this Act, it is an offence for a person:

• To have in his possession, or to purchase or acquire, a firearm to
  which this section applies without holding a firearm certificate in force
  at the time, or otherwise than as authorised by such a certificate;
• To have in his possession, or to purchase or acquire, any ammunition
  to which this section applies without holding a firearm certificate in
  force at the time, or otherwise than as authorised by such a certificate,
  or in quantities in excess of those so authorised.

Question 11

what firearm does section 1 cover?

Answer 11

Section 1 covers mostly bolt-action rifles
As long as the barrel is longer than 30 cm; and The overall length of the firearms is longer than 60 cm

But Section 1 also includes:
0.22” (or 5.5 mm) caliber rim-fire rifles, where semi-automatic and
pump action mechanisms are permitted with no magazine limit.
Smooth-bore revolver guns chambered for 9 mm rim-fire or is
designed to be muzzle-loaded.

Question 12

what weapon does section 2 cover?

Answer 12

A shot gun within the meaning of this Act, is:

• A smooth-bore gun (not being an air gun)
  which:
• Has a barrel not less than 24 inches in
  length and does not have any barrel with a
  bore exceeding 2 inches in diameter;

Either has no magazine or has a nondetachable magazine incapable of holding
more than two cartridges; and
* Is not a revolver gun.

Question 13

what are some criteria of section 2 shotguns?

Answer 13

Section 2 firearms will typically:
* Be traditional single or double-barrelled, in either side by side or over and under
configuration.
* Have a box-lock mechanism.

A firearm which meets all of the section criteria apart from it having a larger magazine capacity could then classed as a Section 1 unless it hits any of the Section 5 criteria.

• PUMP ACTION SHOTGUNS come under Section 5 and are prohibited

Solid slug shotgun rounds and cartridges containing less than 5 shot
(being greater than 0.36 inches in diameter) are classed as Section 1.

Question 14

What is a section 5 - prohibited weapon?

Answer 14

section 5 covers all firearm related weapons that cannot be owned by the general public.

this includes military and police hardware like automatic weapons, handguns, anti tank rockts, torpedos and misiles.

semi automatic weapons that arent chambered in 0.22” rim fire

any firearm that is disguised to look like another weapon like those briefcase automatic pistols.

Question 15

what are the section 5 prohibited ammunitions?

Answer 15

Prohibited ammunition such as:
* Armour-piercing rounds;
* Incendiary and explosive rounds;
* Expanding ammunition for pistols.

In effect these are weapons for which there can be NO legitimate “good reason” to possess.

Question 16

what section 5 weapons are subject to general prohibition?

Answer 16

any firearm which can discharge two missiles without multiple trigger presses.

self loading or pump action rifled guns

firearms with barrels <30cm or guns overall length < 60cm

any smooth bore revolver gun that is not chambered for 9mm RF.

any rocket launcher or mortar

Question 17

what section 5 weapons are subject to general prohibition part 2?

Answer 17

any air weapon adapted to use a self contained gas cartridge system

any rifle with a chamber from empty cartridge cases which are extracted using energy from propellant gas. or energy imparted to a spring

any weapon of any description adapted to discharge using noxious liquid or gas.

a BUMP STOCK which is adapted to add to a self loading lethal barrel of a weapon - or if it increases the fire rate of a weapon by using the recoil from the weapon to generate repeated pressure on the trigger.

any cartridge designed to explode on or before impact. or any bullet designed to contain noxious things.

Question 18

what section 5 weapons are subject to general prohibition part 3?

Answer 18

any firearm disguised as another object

any rocket or ammo which connsists of a missile designed to exolode on or before impact (that doesnt fall in previous paragraphs)

any launcher not falling within previous paragraphs designed to use with ammunition which is dangerous which falls within previous paragraphs.

any military ammunition designed to ignite upon impact.

any military ammunition which has a jacket and hard core - to penetrate armour plating, armour screening, or body armour.

any ammunition designed to use with a pistol, in which the ammo will expand on impact.

Question 19

what are the terms of expanding ammunition exemptions?

Answer 19

if your firearm certificate states you can purchase expanding ammo.

entitled under section 10 of this act - to have a slaughtering instrument and the ammunition for it in their possession.

Purchase of expanding ammunition is generally restricted to 200 rounds at a time, with a maximum possession of 250.

Question 20

what are the special exemptions from section 1 to 5?

Answer 20

police permitted to use firearms issued by a chief police officer in their area.

authorised dealing with firearms (firearms dealers)

carriers and auctioneers etc.

slaughtering of animals

sports, athletics and other approved activities.

Question 21

Restrictions on air weapons?

Answer 21

they may have spring, pre charged pneumatic, or CO2 bulb powered mechanisms.

air weapons may be deemed specially dangerous if they have a muzzle energy in excess of:
air pistol - 6ft/lb
air weapon other than air pistol - 12ft/lb

such weapons are classed as section 1 firearms and require a section 1 certificate.
although the pellets air weapons use are not section 1.

any air weapon that uses an adapted self containing gas cartridge is banned.

this inlcudes the once popular Brocock air gun cartridge system.

Question 22

age restrictions on air weapons?

Answer 22

• Anyone over the age of 18 can purchase an air weapon that is
  not ‘specially dangerous’ and use it safely on private property
  without a need for a firearms certificate.
• 14 to 17-year-olds cannot buy or own air weapons but can use
  them on private land (with permission) without supervision.
• Under 14-year-olds cannot buy or own air weapons but can use
  them on private land (with permission) and under supervision.

Question 23

what weapons don’t require a certificate?

Answer 23

• Air and gas-operated rifles with less than 12 ft.lb in muzzle energy (or 6 ft.lb for an air pistol). Anything other than air and CO2 is not exempt!
• Deactivated firearms.
• Shotgun cartridges containing 5 or more shot, none of which exceed 0.36 inches in diameter.
• Display boards and decorative items, e.g. key rings and cufflinks.

Question 24

what is the conversion for feet per pound to joules?

Answer 24

1 ft/lb = 1.36 J

Question 25

what is section 8 of the 1988 firearms amendment act?

Answer 25

section 8 of 1988 describes the neccessary certification that confirms deactivation of firearms.

if it is incapable of firing a shot.

if it is marked and certified

this process was replaced and made far stricter in 1995

Question 26

deactivation

Answer 26

it should be noted that weapons may have been deactivated in line with the 1988 act through other means

e.g. guns held in museums that have been recovered from wrecked ships that may have been coroded to a point where they cant be discharged.

this ^ must not be confused with only certain parts being damaged.

the final arbiter of all sections of the firearms act is the court system.

Question 27

what entails the 2003 anti social behaviour act?

Answer 27

• Not in itself a piece of firearms legislation.
• Allows the Home secretary to prohibit items/
  behaviour/events.
• S37 specifically prohibits possession of certain
  items in a public place:
• Loaded firearm of any kind (includes magazines).
• Air weapon if person under 18.
• Imitation or deactivated firearm without lawful
  authority or reasonable excuse.
• “Brocock” air weapons.

Question 28

what entails the 2006 violent crime reduction bill?

Answer 28

• Has many sections dealing with a vast range of social
  issues.
  The main firearms-related area is S30 – Manufacture, import
  and sale of realistic imitation firearms, which state that:
• A person is guilty of an offence if…
• he manufactures a realistic imitation firearm;
• he modifies a firearm or an imitation firearm so that it becomes a
  realistic imitation firearm;
• he sells a realistic imitation firearm; or
• he brings a realistic imitation firearm into UK or causes one to be
  brought into UK.

Question 29

what are legislations on realistic imitation firearms?

Answer 29

For the purposes of S30 in the 2006
Violent Crime Reduction Bill:
* An imitation firearm is not to be
regarded as distinguishable from a
firearm for any practical purpose if it
could be so distinguished only…
(a) by an expert;
(b) on a close examination; or
(c) as a result of an attempt to load or
to fire it.

Question 30

realistic imitation firearms

Answer 30

• A firearm certificate is required to possess, purchase or acquire an
  imitation firearm which:
• Has the appearance of being a firearm to which Section 1 of the 1968 Act
  applies; and
• Is so constructed or adapted as to be readily convertible into a firearm to
  which that section applies.
• Under Section 1(6) of the 1982 Firearms Act amendments, an imitation
  firearm is regarded as readily convertible into a firearm to which Section
  1 of the 1968 Act applies if:
• It can be converted without any special skill on the part of the person
  converting it in the construction or adaptation of firearms of any description;
  and
• The work involved in converting it does not require equipment or tools other
  than such as are in common use by persons carrying out works of construction
  and maintenance in their own homes.