BASC recommends that any decision which affects the ownership of deactivated firearms should be deferred until a report has been received from the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NaBIS).  That NaBIS report should be based on at least 2 years evidence and should give a proper assessment of the criminal use of deactivated firearms.

 

The formalisation of the process of firearms deactivation by the Firearms (Amendment) Act of 1988 has proved to be successful and this is admitted in the consultation paper. Thus, from a wider political perspective, BASC is disturbed that a well-established public policy of over 20 years standing may suddenly be overturned, and on the flimsiest of evidence. BASC is deeply concerned that this exercise has been undertaken without any serious attempt being made to ascertain the extent of the criminal use of reactivated firearms. 

 

Anyone who trades in, owns, or uses deactivated firearms for legitimate purposes.