(1)If a chief officer of police is satisfied, on an application for the grant or renewal of a firearm certificate in respect of a small-calibre pistol, that the applicant’s only reason for having the pistol in his possession is to use it for target shooting, any certificate which may be granted to the applicant or, as the case may be, renewed shall be held subject to the following conditions (in addition to any other conditions), namely—
(a)the pistol is only to be used for target shooting;
(b)the holder must be a member of a licensed pistol club specified in the certificate;
(c)the pistol must be kept at licensed premises of that club which are so specified.
(2)A person who commits an offence under section 1(2) of the 1968 Act by failing to comply with any of the conditions specified in subsection (1) above shall be treated for the purposes of provisions of that Act relating to the punishment of offences as committing that offence in an aggravated form.
(3)Any firearm certificate in force immediately before the day on which this section comes into force which—
(a)relates to a small-calibre pistol; and
(b)is subject to the condition that the pistol is only to be used on an approved range;
shall be treated on and after that day as being held subject to a condition requiring the pistol to be kept at licensed premises of a licensed pistol club.
(4)Subsections (1) and (3) above apply in relation to a visitor’s firearm permit as they apply to a firearm certificate.
(5)A holder of a visitor’s firearm permit who commits an offence under section 17(10)(b) of the [1988 c. 45.] Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 (in this Act referred to as “the 1988 Act”) by failing to comply with any condition mentioned in subsection (1) or (3) above is punishable—
(a)on conviction on indictment, with imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or a fine or both; and
(b)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both.