Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997

1. Introductory Text

2. Part I Prohibition of weapons and ammunition and control of small-calibre pistols

   1. General prohibition of small firearms etc.

      1. 1. Extension of s.5 of the 1968 Act to prohibit certain small firearms etc

   2. Special exemptions from prohibition of small firearms

      1. 2. Slaughtering instruments

      2. 3. Firearms used for humane killing of animals

      3. 4. Shot pistols used for shooting vermin

      4. 5. Races at athletic meetings

      5. 6. Trophies of war

      6. 7. Firearms of historic interest

   3. Weapons and ammunition used for treating animals

      1. 8. Weapons and ammunition used for treating animals

   4. Prohibited ammunition: expanding ammunition and missiles for expanding ammunition

      1. 9. General prohibition of expanding ammunition etc

      2. 10. Expanding ammunition etc.: exemptions from prohibition

   5. Provisions relating to the control of small-calibre pistols

      1. 11. Having small-calibre pistol outside licensed pistol club

      2. 12. Firearm certificates for small-calibre pistols: special conditions

      3. 13. Permits to have small-calibre pistols outside licensed pistol clubs

      4. 14. Transitional arrangements for certain small-calibre pistols

   6. Surrender of firearms, etc. and compensation

      1. 15. Surrender of prohibited small firearms and ammunition

      2. 16. Payments in respect of prohibited small firearms and ammunition

      3. 17. Payments in respect of ancillary equipment

      4. 18. Parliamentary control of compensation schemes

3. Part II Licensed Pistol Clubs

   1. Preliminary

      1. 19. Purpose of Part II

      2. 20. No pistol club to operate without a licence

   2. Grant, variation, and revocation of licences

      1. 21. Grant of licences

      2. 22. Criteria for grant of licence

      3. 23. Licence conditions

      4. 24. Duration of licence and renewal

      5. 25. Variation of licence

      6. 26. Revocation of licence

      7. 27. Exemptions from s. 1 of the 1968 Act relating to licensed pistol clubs

   3. Pistol registers

      1. 28. Registers to be kept at licensed pistol clubs

   4. Supplementary

      1. 29. Regulations

      2. 30. Powers of entry and inspection

      3. 31. Penalty for false statements

4. Part III Regulation of firearms and ammunition

   1. Transfers and other events relating to firearms and ammunition

      1. 32. Transfers of firearms etc. to be in person

      2. 33. Notification of transfers involving firearms

      3. 34. Notification of de-activation, destruction or loss of firearms etc

      4. 35. Notification of events taking place outside Great Britain involving firearms etc

      5. 36. Penalty for offences under ss. 32 to 35

   2. Firearm and shot gun certificates

      1. 37. Applications for certificates and referees

      2. 38. Grant of firearm certificates

      3. 39. Register of holders of shot gun and firearm certificates

      4. 40. Revocation of certificates

      5. 41. Appeals

   3. Registered firearms dealers

      1. 42. Authorised dealing with firearms by registered firearms dealers

   4. Miscellaneous

      1. 43. Power of search with warrant

      2. 44. Firearm certificates for certain firearms used for target shooting: special conditions

      3. 45. Approved rifle clubs and muzzle-loading pistol clubs

      4. 46. Coterminous pistol club licences and rifle club approvals

      5. 47. Museums eligible for a museums firearm licence

      6. 48. Firearms powered by compressed carbon dioxide

5. Part IV Final provisions

   1. 49. Financial provisions

   2. 50. Interpretation and supplementary provisions

   3. 51. Power to make transitional, consequential etc. provisions

   4. 52. Minor and consequential amendments and repeals

   5. 53. Short title, commencement and extent

6. SCHEDULES

   1. SCHEDULE 1

      Transitional arrangements for small-calibre pistols

      1. Preliminary

         1. 1. This Schedule applies to any person who—

      2. Delivery of pistols to police

         1. 2. (1) A person to whom this Schedule applies may, at...

      3. Free renewal of firearm certificates

         1. 3. (1) The delivery of the pistol into police custody does...

      4. Release of pistols in police custody

         1. 4. A small-calibre pistol being kept in police custody shall not...

         2. 5. (1) Any holder of a firearm certificate relating to the...

         3. 6. If the applicant for release is the person who delivered...

         4. 7. (1) Where a person other than the person who delivered...

      5. Period of safe-keeping by police

         1. 8. (1) If the pistol is not released before the end...

      6. Voluntary surrender of pistols

         1. 9. (1) A person to whom this Schedule applies may before...

         2. 10. The Secretary of State may make such payments, to such...

      7. Supplementary

         1. 11. The chief officer of police shall not be obliged to...

         2. 12. (1) In this Schedule— “designated police station” means a police...

   2. SCHEDULE 2

      Consequential and minor amendments

      1. Firearms Act 1968 (c. 27)

         1. 1. The Firearms Act 1968 shall be amended as follows.

         2. 2. (1) In section 3(5) (false statements with a view to...

         3. 3. In section 11(3), 23(2) and 54(5) (all of which refer...

         4. 4. (1) After section 28 there shall be inserted the following...

         5. 5. In section 32 (exemption from fee for certificate in certain...

         6. 6. In section 32A(4)(b) and 32C(7), for the words “section 4(2)...

         7. 7. In section 38(8) (surrender of register of transactions by dealer)...

         8. 8. In section 40 (compulsory register of transactions)—

         9. 9. In section 50 (special powers of arrest) for subsection (2)...

         10. 10. In section 54(1) (application of Parts I and II to...

         11. 11. In section 54(2)(b), for the words “section 26” there shall...

         12. 12. In Schedule 5 (provisions as to appeals under section 44),...

         13. 13. In Part I of Schedule 6 (prosecution and punishment of...

         14. 14. In Part I of Schedule 6 (prosecution and punishment of...

      2. Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 (c. 45)

         1. 15. The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 shall be amended as follows....

         2. 16. In section 7(1) (conversion not to affect classification), for paragraph...

         3. 17. In section 11(1) (co-terminous certificates) for the words “subsection (3),...

         4. 18. In section 12 (revocation of certificates) in subsection (1), for...

         5. 19. In section 17(10) and paragraph 4(1) of the Schedule, for...

         6. 20. In section 22(1)(c) (firearms consultative committee), for the words “the...

   3. SCHEDULE 3

      Repeals