The Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2023

Amendment to rule 3 of the Firearms Rules 1998

2.  In rule 3 of the Firearms Rules 1998(1) (firearm certificates), after paragraph (4)(iv)(a) insert—

“(aa) where the firearm to which the certificate relates is a rifle from which a shot, bullet or other missile, with kinetic energy of more than 13,600 joules at the muzzle of the weapon, can be discharged, the firearm is securely stored for the purposes of paragraph (a) above only if it is stored in accordance with at least one or more of the Level 3 security measures described in the Firearms Security Handbook 2020(2), published by the Home Office and updated on 20th January 2021, or measures that are at least as secure as Level 3 measures;”.

(1)

S.I. 1998/1941; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2013/1945, 2013/2970, 2014/1239, 2017/1281, 2018/1042, 2019/1419 and 2021/464. There are other amendments to S.I. 1998/1941 which are not relevant to these Rules.

(2)

The Firearms Security Handbook 2020 (“the Handbook”) is published by the Home Office and was developed by the Firearms and Explosives Licensing Working Group, the National Police Chiefs Council in England, Wales and Scotland and the British Shooting Sports Council. The Handbook was published on 1 October 2019 and last updated on the 20th January 2021. Part 2 of the Handbook addresses secure storage, with paragraphs 2.23 and 2.24, in particular, setting out Level 3 measures. An electronic copy of the Handbook may be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firearms-security-handbook/firearms-security-handbook-2020-accessible. A hard copy of the Handbook may be obtained from the Firearms Policy Unit, Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF.