Firearms

• The principal piece of legislation which regulates the possession of firearms and ammunition in Great Britain is the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended).
• However, there are a further 34 pieces of legislation which contain provisions relating to firearms.
• The Home Office has published various pieces of guidance relating to firearms, a collection of which can be found on the GOV.UK webpage: Firearms licensing.

Overview of recent policy developments

• The Law Commission identified several loopholes and made a number of specific recommendations to tighten the law.
• The inspectorate recommended that the Government review the status of guidance to police forces on their duties in relation to firearms.

Key issues in firearms regulations

Firearms licensing

• HMIC found several inconsistencies in the way forces dealt with firearms licensing.
• They recommended that the Home Office enhance the status of guidance on firearms licensing law, which currently has no statutory footing.

Antique firearms

• Antique weapons are largely exempt from firearms regulations so long as they are held as a curiosity or ornament.
• The Law Commission raised concerns that the law poorly defined antique weapons and that this provided a loophole by which criminals could easily obtain dangerous weapons.

Air weapons

Air weapons are largely exempt from the firearms licensing scheme in England and Wales though they are subject to licensing controls in Scotland and Northern Ireland. There have been longstanding concerns about the safe regulation of air weapons and the Government is currently reviewing the legislation. This briefing paper does not discuss air weapons regulation, a separate Library briefing: Air Weapons discusses the issue.

Other Library brefings about firearms