Public must surrender their blank firing pistols before law change

Guns seized from last year's amnesty 

Members of the public are being encouraged to hand over any of the soon to be outlawed blank firing pistols as part of a national police amnesty.

From March, five blank firing pistols manufactured in Italy by Bruni will be illegal to own due to concerns they can be converted into viable firearms capable of firing live ammunition.

During the national amnesty, which runs from February 2 to February 27, Nottinghamshire residents will be able to surrender these weapons at police stations without worrying about getting into any trouble.

However, anyone found with one of these weapons in their possession after that date faces the possibility of up to 10 years in prison.

Last year, more than 40 blank firing guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were handed over to Nottinghamshire Police when Turkish-manufactured TVBFs became illegal.

Officers are now encouraging members of the community to do the same this time around, and ensure these weapons are kept out of potential criminality. 

Detective Superintendent Christopher Sullivan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

"Gun crime in Nottinghamshire remains rare but we are not complacent.

"Surrendering these weapons now will help prevent them getting into the wrong hands in the future.

"Last year, the public surrendered more than 40 blank firing guns, for which we are very thankful. This time, we want as many top-venting blank firers to be handed in as possible.

"It’s important that anyone who owns one of these firearms knows about this law change now, as they could find themselves facing a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years if they’re caught with one.   

"By holding this national amnesty, police forces are giving people lots of notice, so there is no excuse for owners not to make the most of this four-week scheme and hand these BRUNI imitation firearms over without any fear of reprisal.

"As Nottinghamshire Police has shown in the past with our regular knife amnesties, this initiative is not a trick, so you won’t get in any trouble whatsoever if you hand in these weapons at any of the chosen stations.

"We’re also aware that some owners of these blank firers will be unsure as to whether theirs is one of the soon to be banned models, so if you’re unsure, hand it in and don’t take the risk.

"We are also aware that members of the re-enactment community have used blank firing pistols as part of their battle scenes.

"We would encourage members of this community to check the models of their weapons to ensure you are not carrying one that is soon to be made illegal."

 Weapons soon to be made illegal:

• 8mm PAK Bruni BBM Model 92 blank firing self-loading pistol
• 8mm PAK Bruni BBM New Police blank firing self-loading pistol
• 8mm PAK Bruni BBM Model 96 blank firing self-loading pistol
• 8mm PAK Bruni BBM Model ‘GAP’ blank firing self-loading pistol
• .380R (9mmK) PAK Bruni BBM ME Ranger single-action blank firing revolver

During the amnesty, Nottinghamshire residents will be able to pass these firearms over to police at any of the below stations:

• Newark Police Station, Queen's Road, NG24 1LJ
• Mansfield Police Station, Great Central Road, NG18 2HQ
• Oxclose Lane Police Station, Bestwood, NG5 6FZ 
• Radford Road Police Station, Hyson Green, NG7 5GX
• Beeston Police Station – Foster Avenue, NG9 1AB

Anyone wishing to take part in the amnesty has been urged to use common sense when transporting their weapons to one of the chosen stations – by placing them in a labelled bag or box.