by DAVID DYSON
THE MOST DRAMATIC changes to firearms legislation in the UK in recent times were totally reactive, resulting from public outrage following the murderous sprees of Michael Ryan in Hungerford and Thomas Hamilton in Dunblane. The recent tragic events in Cumbria have once again thrown firearms legislation into the forefront of public scrutiny; whether further restriction will follow once again remains to be seen.
The shocking nature of the crimes committed by Ryan, Hamilton and now Derrick Bird quite rightly leads to consideration of how such terrible acts can be prevented, but the same concerns apply to less well publicised types of firearms crime.
A blank-firing revolver made by a large Italian company has recently been the focus of police attention. The Bruni Olympic 38 revolver is made with a completely blocked barrel and partially blocked cylinder chambers, preventing the loading and firing of bulleted cartridges. However, many Olympic revolvers have been converted to fire projectiles often very crudely, allowing use by criminals.
The Firearms Act 1982 controls imitation firearms which are ‘readily convertible’ into firearms: those which can be converted without any special skill in the adaptation of firearms and without using tools other than those in common use in people’s homes. It was previously thought that the conversion of Olympic revolvers required either skill or tools of a degree which took it beyond the definition given in the 1982 Act. A reappraisal has concluded that the tools are easily found at well-known retailers, with the consequence that the Olympic has suddenly become readily convertible.
Anyone now in possession of such a revolver is potentially facing a mandatory five-year custodial sentence.
The basis of the change of classification appears to be the increasing availability of power tools which, perhaps 20 years ago, would only be found in engineers’ workshops.
Although only Olympics have been mentioned at present, there seems a danger that, if the definition of a ‘commonly used’ tool has changed, then other types of blank and imitation pistol might also have drifted into the class of ‘readily convertible’ without the dog trainers, re-enactors and race officials who might use them being aware.
The 1982 Act allows a defence if the accused did not know, and had no reason to suspect that the imitation firearm was readily convertible.