GCN - Archive: Imitation Gun Campaign

An Act to amend the firearms Act 1968 to make further provision for regulating the possession of and transactions relating to firearms and ammunition.

1.(1) Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 shall have effect with the following amendment

(2) After subsection (1A) there shall be inserted the following subsection:

“(1B) A person commits an offence if, without the authority of the Secretary of State, he has in his possession in any public place or purchases or acquires or imports into the United Kingdom or manufactures, sells or transfers any imitation firearm.”

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The Firearms Act 1968 defines an ‘imitation firearm’ as

‘any thing which has the appearance of being a firearm ….. whether or not it is capable of discharging any shot, bullet or other missile’.

REPLICA WEAPONS: WHAT ARE OTHER COUNTRIES DOING?

In the United States, Los Angeles became the first US city to outlaw the manufacture and sale of replica guns after the deaths of a number of youths shot by police officers who mistook the replicas for the real thing

Other states in the US that have comprehensive laws regarding the design, sale, distribution and ownership of replica firearms include Connecticut, Kansas, New Jersey and Wisconsin

In Australia a licence is required for blank firing guns used for film and theatre

In Malaysia imitation firearms are subject to licensing

In the Netherlands replica firearms that can be used to frighten people are banned

In Sweden possession of a deactivated gun without a licence is prohibited

In France blank firing replicas must be licensed

The UK has some of the toughest gun laws in the world, but not in relation to imitation and replica weapons. Lets put that right!

Fake Guns – who needs them!

FAKE GUNS; WHY ARE THEY A PROBLEM?

The growing interest in replicas by children, young people, and criminals should be of concern to us all:

it creates feelings of insecurity and fear in communities up and down the country;

by encouraging an early interest in guns, it may lead young people into the illegal market for real handguns;

it puts the police under pressure and requires the frequent deployment of armed response vehicles to ‘replica incidents’;

it puts the user at risk since the police must assume the gun is a real one even though it may not be;

it strengthens arguments for the police to be routinely armed and may make it more difficult to recruit and retain good quality police officers.

Gun Control Network Poster Campaign

Death by Imitation

November 2002

> Press Release

> Click on an Individual Poster for the Full Screen Version

Other Material from the Campaign Can be Found through the following links:

> Press Release - February 2005

> Replica Firearms - Research Report by Ian Taylor and Rob Hornsby

> Replica Firearms - Summary

> GCN's Campaign Launch Press Release

Gun Control Network has proposed new legislation to prohibit the sale, manufacture and import of imitation firearms and their possession in a public place

Firearms (Amendment) Act 2001

Gun Control Network Poster Campaign