A national campaign has begun, calling for owners of soon-to-be-outlawed blank-firing guns to hand them over to the police.
Forces across the country are taking part in a four-week amnesty aimed at removing certain models of top-venting blank firers (TVBFs) from circulation.
This follows tests by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which indicated that four specific types of Turkish-manufactured TVBFs could potentially be converted into viable handguns.
With this in mind, a change in the law will come into effect at the start of next month, making it illegal to buy or own one of these firearms in the UK. Anyone found in possession of one could face a prison sentence of up to ten years.
This potential punishment could apply to anyone who owns one of the Turkish-made TVBF models under the brand names ‘Retay’, ‘Ekol’, ‘Ceonic ISSC’, and ‘Blow’.
Owners of these blank firers can avoid legal trouble ahead of the law change by taking advantage of an amnesty—starting today (3 February) and running until 28 February—where they can hand them in without fear of reprisal.
Nobody will be required to leave their details when surrendering a TVBF. However, the history of any live firearms handed in will be checked to determine whether they have been used in a crime.
Nottinghamshire residents will be able to surrender these firearms at the front counters of any of the five police stations listed below during opening hours. These locations have been specifically chosen for the campaign:
- 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 is advised to use common sense when transporting their TVBF to one of the designated stations by placing it in a labelled bag or box and going directly to the location.
In certain circumstances, individuals who are unable to travel to one of these stations may call 101 to request an officer to collect the firearm from their home.
While this amnesty—led by the NCA, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), and the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS)—is focused on seizing TVBFs, anyone wishing to surrender unwanted firearms or ammunition will still be able to do so under normal surrender procedures.
Top-venting blank firers are currently legal to buy in the UK for individuals over the age of 18. In their original state, they are designed to discharge only blank cartridges and are painted in bright colours to distinguish them from viable firearms.
However, they are appealing to criminals who convert them due to the high profits generated from selling them. Since 2021, UK police have recovered more than 800 TVBFs in criminal circumstances.
Detective Superintendent Christopher Sullivan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Gun crime in Nottinghamshire thankfully remains very rare, but we are not complacent, which is why we are conducting this amnesty after tests showed that certain blank firers can be readily converted into viable firearms, making them illegal to possess.
“Surrendering these specific top-venting blank-firer models now will help prevent them from falling into the wrong hands and being used by criminals.
“We want as many TVBFs as possible to be handed in to ensure this doesn’t happen, so I’d encourage anyone in our county who owns one to take it to one of the five police stations listed at some point this month.
“There may be people who own these firearms but are unsure whether theirs is one of the soon-to-be-banned models. To them, I’d say: if you’re unsure, hand it in—don’t take the risk.
“Together with our partners, we continually work hard to educate people about firearms and the dangers associated with them, ensuring that gun crime does not become prevalent in the future.”
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for the Criminal Use of Firearms, said:
“These top-venting blank firers are used by criminals and can be converted into lethal firearms.
“Over the last two years, policing teams across the UK and the NCA have identified and disrupted several workshops used to convert these pistols into lethal weapons.
“During this period, large numbers of converted weapons were recovered across multiple locations, alongside thousands of rounds of blank-calibre and modified ammunition.
“One investigation recovered more than 400 converted weapons from a single crime group. There is strong demand for them, as evidenced by the numbers imported and their subsequent recovery from criminals.
“Stopping the sale of these TVBFs and preventing their conversion will go a significant way towards protecting the public.”
If you know of anyone involved in illegal firearms activity, report it immediately to the police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
