Link to the Home office Brief

Click to access Offensive_and_Dangerous_Weapons-Consultation-.pdf

 

Link o They work for you – the best way to lobby your MP

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/

The home office Document

Offensive_and_Dangerous_Weapons-Consultation-

The message below cam to me via a source – it shows what further measures the Police would like. If you dont have a MARS and think a Lever Release isnt included or that this doesnt apply to you – they will get to you eventually so please act now to stop additional legislation

The below was obtained by a shooting organisation through a FOIA request, it is from an ACPO – whatever it is now called – position paper from 2015. We have no reason to doubt its authenticity and much fits with  long standing police aims. They are now working through their ‘wish list’ to be done in stages as the opportunity arises and of course depending how much fuss is kicked up by shooting organisations and the shooting community (that’s us).

 

1. End Section 2 – all to be Section 1.  They have been trying for this since 1973 – latest excuse is that it will be more efficient and cheaper to have one certificate. Rubbish and the potential impact on shotgun ownership is huge

 

2. All, yes all, semi-automatic firearms to be prohibited as Section 5. If it has to be done in stages they’ll do shotguns first and then .22 RF – starting by changing law to say that nothing bigger than .22  RF is permitted in semi-auto

 

3. Introduction of magazine capacity limits for rifles – not specified but assume 10 or possibly less, 5?

 

4. Reclassification of LBR and LBP to Section 5 and therefore prohibited – they have never liked them and claim people can saw down the barrels to make them pistols

 

5. End the miniature rifle range exemptions which the police claim allows an unregistered trade in .22 RF rifles.  Again they have never liked the old exemptions and have tried to deny their use over the years

 

6. Prohibit .50 calibre by moving to Section 5 as per current proposal

 

7. Airguns – ‘further restrictions should be placed on such weapons’. The announced consultation is to determine whether England should follow Scotland and licence as firearms. Police will claim it’s an anomaly in England and therefore the law should be standard across the UK so licensing for England is necessary

 

8. Old spec deacts – police want to make it a criminal offence to be in possession of a deactivated firearm that has not been deactivated to the CURRENT standard.  Anyone with an old spec deactivated firearm will have to have it done to the current standard if they wish to keep it. Creates lots of new criminals.  Coincidentally the Government has now stopped its prison closure programme…….

 

9. Antiques – requirement for antique dealers to keep registers like RFDs do for non-antiques. Reclassification of some antiques to Section 1

 

10. ‘Shotgun cartridges to be licensed’ – not sure what this means given you have to produce a certificate when buying – assume it  means the same treatment as Section 1 ammunition, limits on numbers held and entry of each purchase on certificate

 

11. Mandatory training and testing of individuals before a certificate is issued.  Not clear who does the training and decides if a person meets the standard

 

12. New powers of entry to search without a warrant – they may have got this already, or claim to have. Basically it’s to allow them to take firearms from a certificate holder without having to show good reason

 

13. Abolishing court appeals on firearms certification matters. Courts to be replaced by a ‘non-binding tribunal’.  Currently the police are bound by court decisions but a tribunal would limit the rights of the individual and for the police to be unaccountable. This is quite worrying as it would enable to Police to make up the law and do what they want without proper oversight

 

14. ‘Family members’ to be consulted prior to grant or renewal of a certificate on the suitability of the applicant.  Police want this to find ‘evidence’ of non-suitability.  ‘Have often do you argue with your spouse?’ ……

 

15. The current Home Office Guidelines on Firearms law to become mandatory and binding – but only after the police have re-written them.

 

So there you have it – as we said, winter is coming.  If they get the current proposals through relatively easily expect things from the above list to be presented for ‘consultation’ quite quickly.   The shooting organisations are moving into action and so will you by writing to your MP to object and request him/her to object to any changes to the current firearms legislation currently being proposed/suggested.