Council Directive of 18 June 1991 on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons (91/477/EEC)

IV. For the purposes of this Annex: U.K.

(a)

‘short firearm’ means a firearm with a barrel not exceeding 30 centimetres or whose overall length does not exceed 60 centimetres;

(b)

‘long firearm’ means any firearm other than a short firearm;

(c)

‘automatic firearm’ means a firearm which reloads automatically each time a round is fired and can fire more than one round with one pull on the trigger;

(d)

‘semi-automatic firearm’ means a firearm which reloads automatically each time a round is fired and can fire only one round with one pull on the trigger;

(e)

‘repeating firearm’ means a firearm which after a round has been fired is designed to be reloaded from a magazine or cylinder by means of a manually-operated action;

(f)

‘single-shot firearm’ means a firearm with no magazine which is loaded before each shot by the manual insertion of a round into the chamber or a loading recess at the breech of the barrel;

(g)

‘ammunition with penetrating projectiles’ means ammunition for military use where the projectile is jacketed and has a penetrating hard core;

(h)

‘ammunition with explosive projectiles’ means ammunition for military use where the projectile contains a charge which explodes on impact;

(i)

‘ammunition with incendiary projectiles’ means ammunition for military use where the projectile contains a chemical mixture which bursts into flame on contact with the air or on impact.