Part I

Prohibition of weapons and ammunition and control of small-calibre pistols

Provisions relating to the control of small-calibre pistols

Permits to have small-calibre pistols outside licensed pistol clubs
13
1
A person whose firearm certificate for a small-calibre pistol is held subject to a condition that the pistol must be kept at licensed premises of a licensed pistol club may make an application in the prescribed form to the chief officer of police for the area in which he resides for a permit under this section authorising a person specified in the permit to have the pistol in his possession outside those premises for any proper purpose.
2
A permit under this section shall not, unless the circumstances appear to the chief officer of police to be exceptional, authorise any holder of a firearm certificate which relates to the pistol to have the pistol with him in any place other than the licensed premises of a licensed pistol club or the premises at which a designated target shooting competition specified in the permit is being held.
3
A proper purpose for having a small-calibre pistol outside the licensed premises at which it is required to be kept may be any of the following, namely—
a
conveying the pistol to those premises following—
i
the release of the pistol from police custody under Schedule 1 to this Act;
ii
the purchase or acquisition of the pistol; or
iii
a change in the licensed premises at which the pistol is required to be kept;
b
having the pistol repaired or maintained by a registered firearms dealer;
c
enabling the pistol to be used at a designated target shooting competition;
d
selling or otherwise disposing of the pistol; or
e
any other purpose which appears to the chief officer of police to be proper in all the circumstances.
4
Where a person makes an application under subsection (1) above in relation to a pistol, the chief officer of police may, if he thinks fit, grant a permit in the prescribed form; and any such permit—
a
shall specify the purpose for which it is granted and the name of any person who is authorised by the permit to have the pistol in his possession; and
b
shall be granted subject to such conditions as the chief officer of police thinks necessary to secure that such possession will not endanger the public safety or the peace;
and any conditions may include a time by which the pistol must be taken or returned to the licensed premises specified in the applicant’s firearm certificate.
5
It is an offence—
a
for a person to fail to comply with any condition contained in a permit under this section which authorises him to have a small-calibre pistol in his possession; or
b
for a person knowingly or recklessly to make any statement which is false in a material particular for the purpose of procuring (whether for himself or another) the grant of a permit under this section.
6
In proceedings against any person for an offence under subsection (5)(a) above, it shall be a defence for him to prove that he took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence.
7
An offence under subsection (5) above shall be punishable on summary conviction with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or both.
8
Where any person authorised by a permit under this section to be in possession of a small-calibre pistol outside the licensed premises of a licensed pistol club has the pistol in his possession outside those premises for a purpose authorised by the permit—
a
he shall not be guilty of an offence under section 19A of the 1968 Act; and
b
his possession of the pistol outside those premises shall not without more be regarded as a failure to comply with the conditions to which any firearm certificate relating to the pistol is subject.
9
The Secretary of State may by order designate such target shooting competitions as he thinks fit for the purposes of this section.
10
This section applies to a person holding a visitor’s firearm permit relating to a small-calibre pistol as it applies to a person holding a firearm certificate, except that any application for a permit under this section by the holder of a visitor’s firearm permit shall be made to the chief officer of police who granted the visitor’s firearm permit.