{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-amendment-act-1988/section-7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-amendment-act-1988/section-7.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1988/45",
  "legislation_title": "Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-amendment-act-1988",
  "path": "section/7",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "7",
  "heading": "Conversion not to affect classification.",
  "text": "(1) Any weapon which—\n(a) has at any time (whether before or after the passing of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997) been a weapon of a kind described in section 5(1) or (1A) of the principal Act (including any amendments to section 5(1) made under section 1(4) of this Act);\n(b) is not a self-loading or pump-action smooth-bore gun which has at any such time been such a weapon by reason only of having had a barrel less than 24 inches in length,\nshall be treated as a prohibited weapon notwithstanding anything done for the purpose of converting it into a weapon of a different kind.\n(2) Any weapon which—\n(a) has at any time since the coming into force of section 2 above been a weapon to which section 1 of the principal Act applies; or\n(b) would at any previous time have been such a weapon if those sections had then been in force,\nshall, if it has, or at any time has had, a rifled barrel less than 24 inches in length, be treated as a weapon to which section 1 of the principal Act applies notwithstanding anything done for the purpose of converting it into a shot gun or an air weapon.\n(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) above there shall be disregarded the shortening of a barrel by a registered firearms dealer for the sole purpose of replacing part of it so as to produce a barrel not less than 24 inches in length.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 7(1)(a) substituted (1.7.1997) by 1997 c. 5, s. 52(1), Sch. 2 para. 16; S.I. 1997/1535, art. 3(b), Sch. Pt. I"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/45/section/7",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:47:43.518640+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}