1.  This Order may be cited as the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 1997.

2.  In this Order “the 1968 Act” means the Firearms Act 1968(1) and “the 1997 Act”means the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997.

3.  Subject to the provisions of this Order—

(a) sections 15 (surrender of prohibited small firearms and ammunition) and 51 (power to make transitional, consequential etc. provisions) of the 1997 Act shall come into force on 10th June 1997;

(b) the provisions of the 1997 Act specified in Part I of the Schedule to this Order shall come into force on 1st July 1997, and

(c) the provisions of the 1997 Act specified in Part II of that Schedule shall come into force on 1st October 1997.

4.  Sections 1(2) (prohibition of certain small firearms) and 9 (prohibition of expanding ammunition) of the 1997 Act shall not have effect until 1st October 1997 in relation to the possession, sale or transfer of a firearm or ammunition by a person who, immediately before 1st July 1997,

(a) has the firearm or ammunition in his possession by virtue of a firearm certificate or a visitor’s firearm permit;

(b) has the firearm or ammunition in his possession by virtue of a permit issued under section 7 of the 1968 Act, or

(c) has the firearm in his possession by virtue of being a registered firearms dealer.

5.  Section 1(3) of the 1997 Act (amendment of prohibition of self-loading and pump-action rifles) shall not have effect in relation to weapons prohibited by section 5(1)(aba) of the 1968 Act(2).

6.  Section 41 of the 1997 Act (appeals) shall not have effect in relation to a decision made by a chief officer of police before 1st July 1997.

Jack Straw

One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State

Home Office

10th June 1997