● A Home Office consultation is under way seeking to define the description of ‘antique firearm’ in law for the first time (see ATG No 2314, October 28). The consultation will also consider changing the cut-off date of manufacture (currently 1939) after which all firearms must be licensed. This could be put back to 1900.
● Legislation was introduced in 2014 in Britain that means someone who has served or received a criminal sentence can no longer possess an antique firearm. Any antique dealer or auctioneer who sells to someone they know to be an ex-offender is committing a criminal offence.
● On May 2 this year, Section 128 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 came into force, which means it is also illegal to sell, exchange, transfer or gift a deactivated firearm (even those carrying previously legal certification) that does not carry new EU certification, which was introduced on April 8, 2016.