Members of Britain’s gun trade are warning that they may not survive the new firearms licensing rules that came into force on 5 August. Jason Harris, who owns Trulock & Harris Gunsmiths in Suffolk, fears the reforms will destroy the impulse purchases that keep independent dealers alive.
“Until now, if a buyer came into my shop and a shotgun caught their eye, they could buy it, provided they held a valid shotgun licence,” Mr Harris explains. “Customers like that are the lifeblood of stores like mine, but under the new licensing system, all that will change.”
Why are gun shops concerned?
The problem is twofold: existing shooters are abandoning the sport, while potential newcomers are being deterred by daunting new requirements. For gun shops, this potential drop in footfall represents a catastrophe.
What do the new rules require from applicants?
New applicants face a number of enhanced checks and requirements, including:
- Enhanced background checks
- Social media screening
- Mandatory GP assessments
- Police interviews with family members about domestic violence
- Providing two referees instead of one
The reforms respond to the 2021 Plymouth shooting, though inquests revealed the tragedy resulted from police failures to apply existing laws.
What is the impact on the gun trade?
Mr Harris, who has worked in the trade for over 40 years, calls the legislation a “knee-jerk reaction” that threatens his family business. “I had hoped that my daughter would follow me into the gunsmith trade, but now I fear for the craft’s future as a whole,” he says.
Are there concerns about misuse of the new rules?
While the shooting industry agrees domestic abusers should not have firearms, there are concerns about implementation. Paul Green, Technical Director of the Gun Trade Association, warns enhanced domestic abuse checks could backfire.
“Despite being well-intentioned, this measure risks misuse with malicious and vexatious claims,” Mr Green says. “The past has repeatedly shown that police will automatically confiscate guns whilst these malicious claims are investigated, which in nearly all cases takes many months. For the registered firearms dealer, the impact can be disastrous, with the loss of income and ultimately the loss of their business.”
Mr Green does welcome some changes, particularly restricting police forces from routinely using Section 7 permits to manage backlogs. With rural gun shops already struggling, the reforms threaten to hollow out the retail infrastructure on which British shooters have relied for generations.
