The British Shooting Sports Council

The British Shooting Sports Council (BSSC) is pleased to announce that sound moderators and flash hiders will be removed from the legal definition of a firearm. This reform was close to being achieved during the tenure of the BSSC’s previous Secretary, Graham Downing, following significant work and engagement. However, progress was halted due to a change in government. On this occasion, by working closely with its 15 member associations and in particular the Countryside Alliance, the changes have been accepted. The reform has been made possible through a government amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. This amendment was tabled in response to a proposal originally put forward by Lord Brady of Altrincham, President of the BSSC.

On the acceptance of the amendment, Lord Brady stated in the Lords, "My Lords, I rise very briefly to thank the ministers on the other side of the house. I am very grateful that they have accepted what I think was an entirely common-sense case, which the Government had already accepted in a report that was previously published. I would just say that, in what I think is now my 29th year in Parliament in one House or the other, the number of occasions when Governments and Ministers accept entirely common-sense arguments from the other side of the House and respond is so small that I cannot think of many others, so I really am grateful. It will help the police and reduce the bureaucratic burden on them. It will reduce costs for a lot of people and does not pose any harm whatever, so thank you."

The Government has introduced amendments to firearms legislation to clarify the legal status of sound moderators and flash suppressors under UK law.

The changes amend the Firearms Act 1968 and the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 to remove sound moderators and flash suppressors/hiders from the statutory definitions of “firearm” and “shot gun.” In their place, the legislation creates a new, standalone offence covering possession of these items for a Section 1 firearm without the appropriate certification.

• New offence created: It will be an offence to possess a sound moderator or flash suppressor (defined as a “relevant accessory”) for a Section 1 firearm without holding a valid firearm certificate or shotgun certificate, unless a statutory exemption applies.
• Updated exemption framework: The amendments insert references to “relevant accessories” throughout existing exemption provisions. This ensures that:
  • Registered firearms dealers,
  • Borrowers and users at approved premises,
  • Visitors holding firearm permits,
  • Authorised transport and shipping permit holders, and
  • Other lawful certificate holders may continue to possess sound moderators or flash suppressors where appropriate.
• Penalty provision: Possession without a valid certificate or exemption will attract a summary fine (level 3 on the standard scale).

Sound moderators are commonly used for noise reduction and safety purposes, particularly in rural and sporting contexts. The legislation ensures that their legal status is explicitly defined and consistently regulated across the UK’s firearms framework, and should alleviate a great deal of unecessary administrative work from already over-stretched firearms licensing units.