This section is provided to keep you all informed of the latest developments within the United Kingdom which affect the ownership of all smallarms. 

 

 

Work is still continuing on the Regulations required to implement this Act. 

Controls on the sale of metallic primers will come into force on 6^th April 2007.The commencement date of other provisions is uncertain, but there is strong pressure to implement them as soon as is practicable, following the spate of shootings in South London.

 

This Bill has received its second reading. Most of the interest is in the custodial sentences aspect, which is very contentious, and there was near-universal approval for the weapons aspect, with some MSPs favouring further regulation. Only two MSPs voted against the Bill, both Conservatives, and there were a number of abstentions, but the majority of Conservatives voted in favour of the Bill because they supported the knife controls and sword ban. Ministers have made it clear that they will provide exceptions to the ban on sale for legitimate religious, cultural and sporting purposes, including highland dancing, theatre, film, television, antique collecting, re-enactment and living history, fencing and those martial arts that are organised on a recognised sporting basis, and the Bill has been improved by incorporating such exemptions on the face of the Bill.

 

With regard to the proposed Arms Trade Treaty to control the legal trade in all types of conventional weapons, the United Nations has approved the setting up of a Group of Government Experts to report on the feasibility of such an ATT by 2008. As indicated in previous reports, the aim is to ensure that all the practical achievements made during previous Small Arms and Light Weapons workshops, including the work done on defining antique firearms and protecting the position of high quality sporting arms, are not lost.

 

The response of the H.B.S.A. to the Home Office Consultation Paper is available on this site.

 

On 12th May 2004, the Home Office published the awaited firearms consultation document. The H.B.S.A. and M.L.A.G.B. have produced a joint briefing paper, a copy of which may be found on this site.

 

This act received Royal assent on 20th November 2003, and comes into force on 20th January 2004. The section on firearms etc. should be read in conjunction with the Firearms Act 1968 plus amendments. 

 

We have recently received a statement from the Home Office regarding the status of collectors who make occasional use of the firearms within their collections. This will help to clarify the situation where collectors who do not necessarily have a statement on their firearms certificate to the effect that their firearms form a collection also wish to further their study and interest by occasional range practice. The H.B.S.A.'s unique character comes from the common acceptance amongst its membership that the study of our historic firearms heritage can only be conducted properly by both historical research and practical experimentation. 

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On 11th January 2001, the Home Office  issued revised guidelines in respect of antique firearms. A revised and extended list of obsolete calibres is included.

               

The report of the Home Office Select Committee has now been published, and we all await the consequent developments. It has been published on the Internet at www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/hmafhome.htm together with a very long list of written submissions.