Firearms law guidance to police 2013

[enfield2band]

An updated version of the guidelines can be found here.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...he-police-2012

[tacfoley]

I've only got to page 3 and noted the first 'deliberate error'. We do not 'carry' firearms in this country. 'Carrying' implies that we 'walk around' armed with any firearm we may have been given permission to own and possess. Only those living in Northern Ireland, with permission to carry a handgun for their own personal safety [around 3000 at this time], can legally 'carry' a firearm.

Mr Green goes on to say that 'we have one of the most robust' firearms licensing systems in the world, and ends up writing that 'we have the most etc' - you cannot have both - either one or the other. Where was his editor/proofreader when this document was produced.

Para 1.3 'Air weapons are not licensed in England or Wales'. No, they are not, providing that they are 12 ft lbs ME or less [rifle] or 6ft lbs ME [handguns]. Nor are they licensed in Scotland - yet.

So far I'm not impressed.

tac

[bullbarrel]

Thanks for this.

[airgunnut]

2.47 Ammunition for air weapons and other weapons using compressed gas is exempt from the certification procedure.
When I read this I thought great! Brocock air cartriges are back! But alas it's not to be as self contained gas cartriges are still section 5

[Iain K D]

Section 2.43:

Any air pistol which either has a barrel less than 30cm in length or is less than 60cm in length overall, with a muzzle energy in excess of 6 foot lbs is a prohibited firearm.

This seems to imply that we could have airgun long-barrelled pistols producing 12 ft.lbs - does it not - why else qualify the length an air pistol has be be under?

Once the 30/60 rule creeps into airguns and seeming to define what a pistol (or rifle) is or is not you start to have all sort of problems - bullpup rifles, 12 ft.lb carbines ?

Iain

Edit - thinking about it, would the process be - an air pistol over 6 ft.lbs might otherwise be S.1 but falls under the 'small firearm' definition and so becomes S.5. Does the guidance bother to provide a definition of 'air pistol' though - even if it's just "a matter for the courts to decide" or based upon the intended, designed use?

[Dave_303]

I'm not surprised in the slightest by 'deliberate errors'. I recently read through a Home Office document from 2008 regarding how criminals procure firearms. The evidence in the study clearly showed that legal guns rarely fall into the wrong hands and that current legislation has little/no effect on illegal guns. They still slipped in an unsustainable point by a certain Academic with an extremely biased opinion stating that it remains highly debatable and likely that the laws have reduced handgun crime etc...