Blank firing firearms amnesty to be held next month in Dyfed Powys Police area

Dyfed-Powys Police is holding a four-week Firearms Amnesty for five types of BRUNI-manufactured side/top-venting blank firers (TVBFs) which are now illegal to possess following testing by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and policing.

The amnesty will take place between February 2 and 27, after which anyone in possession of one of the specified TVBFs could be subject to prosecution and up to 10 years imprisonment. 

Tests by the National Crime Agency have shown that five specific types of top-venting blank firearms are readily convertible and therefore illegal.

Side/top-venting blank firers are legal to buy in the UK without a licence by over 18s unless they are readily convertible. 

Tests by the NCA and policing have shown that the following BRUNI models are readily convertible and are therefore 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

The amnesty will provide owners an opportunity to hand in TVBFs at police stations around Dyfed and Powys.

The locations in Dyfed-Powys are Newtown, Brecon and Llandrindod Wells in Powys, Aberystwyth and Cardigan in Ceredigion, Ammanford, Carmarthen and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire and Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire.

People can visit the stations between the hours of 8am until 4pm Monday to Friday.

To ensure safety when transporting a TVBF, place the item in a bag or box to keep it out of public sight, make a specific journey solely for this purpose to minimise the time spent in public and upon arrival, inform the staff at the front counter that you are there to hand in a firearm before presenting it to them.

The police are asking people to hand in any TVBFs before February 27 in order to avoid prosecution and to prevent these pistols getting into the wrong hands.

Many TVBFs may be held in innocence and ignorance of their illegality or may be overlooked or forgotten in people’s homes. 

The amnesty gives holders the chance to dispose of the TVBFs safely by taking it to one of the local police stations listed above and handing it in.

During the amnesty period, those handing in one of the five identified BRUNI TVBFs will not face prosecution for the illegal possession and they can remain anonymous.

Dyfed-Powys Police Sergeant Haydon Mathias said: “Gun crime in the Dyfed-Powys area remains very rare but we are not complacent about it, which is why we are supporting the national BRUNI TVBF firearms amnesty.

“Surrendering these weapons now will help prevent them getting into the wrong hands in the future and being used by criminals, so we want as many top-venting blank firers as possible to be handed in.”

If you cannot travel to one of the locations during the amnesty, call the police on 101, where they can discuss this with you to ensure you can take part.  

Anyone ever in doubt, should make contact with the police for advice.