Ban on 'made-safe' guns

Chris Osuh

January 07, 2008

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'Made-safe' guns are to be banned

GUNS which have been modified so they no longer fire real bullets are to be outlawed.

De-activated firearms are currently legal. Restrictions introduced in 1995 made it tougher for them to be reactivated, but as many 120,000 older weapons could still be on the streets of Britain.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "I will find a way to ban those guns and get them out of circulation."

Gangland armourers can re-activate weapons given basic engineering knowledge. It is thought most of the sub-machine guns used by criminals have been re-activated.

Re-activated firearms are different from converted firearms, which are `fake' weapons which have been altered to fire real bullets, rather than real guns that have made safe and brought back into use.

It is thought re-activated guns could be re-classified as replicas or subject to a new ban that applies specifically to them.

A judge at Bolton Crown Court called for tighter controls on de-activated weapons in 1996. Michael Lever QC spoke out as he jailed William Bispham, then 28, for re-commissioning a machine gun, and Arthur Shaw, then 52, for making and selling guns, for a total of 17 years.

The men faced trial after police uncovered a blackmarket gun factory in Lowton, near Wigan, where machine guns previously available as theatrical props were being converted.

Plans to outlaw the weapons are among proposals aimed at stopping shootings in places like Manchester, where 35 per cent of gun crime occurs.

Ms Smith said ministers and police needed to show they are on the side of `the majority of communities who want to make a difference'.

The reluctance of witnesses to come forward has been a key factor in gun murders in Manchester.

An M.E.N. investigation last year revealed that of 55 gun murder cases in Greater Manchester 29 remained unsolved. Many murders occurred in areas of south Manchester and Salford, where police battle a culture of silence.

Ms Smith said: "People need to know when they go to police with information that they are going to be protected."

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alvinlwh (07/01/2008 at 11:15)

They can ban as much as they like, but they did nothing about it on the ground. Just look at the recent shootings around here.

Mr Angry, Bury (07/01/2008 at 11:46)

What exactly constitutes a deactivated gun? Is a 17th century flintlock musket one? or something brought back as a souvenir from either World War I or II?

What is there to stop anyone manufacturing their own anyway?

I am not criticising anything which takes guns off the street I just think that this might not be enforceable

jonah, usa (07/01/2008 at 13:02)

You could ban every dangerous object in the universe and you'll still have thugs killing you. Instead I'd encourage every law-abiding citizen to carry a personal protection weapon and the killing will stop. Guns are not the problem!

peter-pie-eater, Wigan (07/01/2008 at 18:26)

I own a deactivated assault rifle and there is no way that it can be converted to fire live ammo as the way that they deactivate them has to be seen to be believed although the appearance is the same as a real weapon its the parts that are hid so as not to spoil the looks that are compleatly butchered the barrel has 1/4 inch wide cut that runs almost the length of the barrel also there is a steel rod welded inside the barrel the gas chamber is taken away i can assure you that it cant fire live ammo i also have a proof house certificate stating that it is unfireable.

BluePolarBear, ex of Stockport (07/01/2008 at 21:13)

Of course guns are the problem Jonah,or at least half of the problem.If you have an idiot with a gun,then you have a high chance of senseless slaughter.Were guns not a problem at Columbine? or other American,high school massacres?An idiot with a pen knife, isn't going to do as much harm as an idiot with a loaded weapon.
We already have too much American influence over our lives,taking us into senseless wars,and attempting to erode our welfare state decency.
I prey that Britain,never becomes a place where citizens,legally carry guns,and where profits from gun sales are more important than children's lives.

MancLadUK, Manchester (07/01/2008 at 21:30)

Jonah, you can keep your personal protection weapons in the USA. If we arm all UK residents we'll increase the killing.

If you think the killing would stop by arming all citizens then how come it's not worked in the US? It seems every few months you have another killing spree over there and people wondering why, perhaps it's the fact that people carry personal protection or that weapons are so much more easily available and often legal?

If the number of deactivated firearms in the UK is reduced then there are less firearms available to criminals to reactivate. Admitedly there'll always be some, but currently there's a massive amount available due to them being legal. Banning them will reduce the numbers available (not get rid of compeltely unfortunately) and that will reduce the number of firearms being made from them which can only be a good thing.

daveg (08/01/2008 at 17:43)

I am a museum professional and an avid collector of many things, including military antiques. I own a number of deactivated rifles from WW1 and WW2 which have been on public display a number of times. Many museums do not have a firearms licence so these places cannot include any firearms in displays unless they are officially classified as 'off-ticket' firearms, which covers most thing made before c.1880, and deactivated firearms. Banning these would take that option away, and an important tool in educating people about the horrors of war would be removed.

Also anyone who is capable of reactivating a firearm that has been modified in such an extensive way is capable of making a firearm from scratch as so many parts would need to be remade, that is essenitally what they would be doing. The public needs to open their minds a bit and try to establish all of the facts before yet more law-abiding, innocent people are once again damaged by ineffective government legislation. Does anyone really think that people who attempt to reactivate firearms would care if they were made illegal. They aren't going to hand anything in to the authorities.

I would also like to know where the ammunition is coming from as without it a gun is just a harmless mechanical object!

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