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The Firearms Act 1968
c 27
is a UK
*Is a self-loading or pump-action rifled gun except when chambered for .22 rim-fire cartridges;
*Has a barrel less than 30 centimetres in length or is less than 60 centimetres in length overall, except air weapons, muzzle-loading gun or signalling firearms
*Is a self-loading or pump-action smooth-bore gun which is not an air weapon or chambered for .22 rim-fire cartridges and has a barrel less than 24 inches in length or less than 40 inches in length overall
*Is a smooth-bore revolver gun except chambered for 9mm. rim-fire cartridges or a muzzle-loading gun
*Is a rocket launcher or mortar except when designed for line-throwing, pyrotechnic purposes, or for signalling 
*Air firearm which uses a self-contained gas cartridge system, i.e. the Brocock system of pump-up cartridges, each with their own pellet, but not a CO2 bulb system.
*Weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other
For ammunition it is prohibited if it;
*Are designed to explode on or immediately before impact
*Contain any such noxious item
*Consists of a missile
Prohibited firearms and ammunition may only be possessed, purchased, sold, gifted or manufactured with authority from the government; as enacted this was from the Defence Council, as of 2020 this is from the Secretary of State.
c 27
is a UK
Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...
, controlling use and possession of firearm
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
s.
Since 1968, the act has been extensively amended. Following the Hungerford massacre
The Hungerford massacre was a spree shooting in Hungerford, England, United Kingdom, on 19 August 1987, when 27-year-old Michael Ryan shot dead sixteen people, including an unarmed police officer and his own mother, before shooting himself. The ...
, the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988
The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 (1988 c.45) is an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which is still in force. The Act, as amended, tightens controls on the possession of firearms, and applies throughout the whole of ...
extended the class of prohibited weapons. Following the Dunblane school massacre
The Dunblane massacre took place at Dunblane Primary School in Dunblane, near Stirling, Scotland, on 13 March 1996, when Thomas Hamilton shot dead 16 pupils and one teacher, and injured 15 others, before killing himself. It remains the deadlies ...
, two acts were passed, the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997
The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 was introduced in the United Kingdom by the Conservative government of John Major, in response to the Dunblane school massacre and the recommendations of the Cullen Report that followed it.
It effectively banned ...
and, after the general election that year, the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997
The Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 was the second of two Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1997 that amended the regulation of firearms within Great Britain. It was introduced by the newly elected Labour government of Ton ...
, which in effect banned almost all handguns. The Policing and Crime Act 2017
The Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It received royal assent on 31 January 2017.
Synopsis
The act enacts various changes to existing rules involving PCCs, complaints through the IPCC, amendm ...
brought clarity to aspects of the act, following a recommendation from the Law Commission
A law commission, law reform commission, or law revision commission is an independent body set up by a government to conduct law reform; that is, to consider the state of laws in a jurisdiction and make recommendations or proposals for legal chang ...
.
Prohibited Firearms and Ammunition
Section five of Part One of the Act states that a prohibited firearm is one which; *Fires more than one ammunition when the trigger is pressed
*Is a self-loading or pump-action rifled gun except when chambered for .22 rim-fire cartridges;
*Has a barrel less than 30 centimetres in length or is less than 60 centimetres in length overall, except air weapons, muzzle-loading gun or signalling firearms
*Is a self-loading or pump-action smooth-bore gun which is not an air weapon or chambered for .22 rim-fire cartridges and has a barrel less than 24 inches in length or less than 40 inches in length overall
*Is a smooth-bore revolver gun except chambered for 9mm. rim-fire cartridges or a muzzle-loading gun
*Is a rocket launcher or mortar except when designed for line-throwing, pyrotechnic purposes, or for signalling
*Air firearm which uses a self-contained gas cartridge system, i.e. the Brocock system of pump-up cartridges, each with their own pellet, but not a CO2 bulb system.
*Weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other
For ammunition it is prohibited if it;
*Are designed to explode on or immediately before impact
*Contain any such noxious item
*Consists of a missile
Prohibited firearms and ammunition may only be possessed, purchased, sold, gifted or manufactured with authority from the government; as enacted this was from the Defence Council, as of 2020 this is from the Secretary of State.
See also
Firearms regulation in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, access by the general public to firearms is subject to some of the strictest control measures in the world. However, fulfilment of the criteria and requirements as laid out by the laws results in the vast majority of fir ...
References
External links
* United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1968 Gun politics in the United Kingdom {{UK-statute-stub