The following section is inserted after section 12 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990:

"12A. Shortening barrel of shot-gun or rifle.

(1) Subject to subsection (2), a person who shortens the barrel of -

(a) a shot-gun to a length of less than 61 centimetres, or

(b) a rifle to a length of less than 50 centimetres,

is guilty of an offence.

(2) It is not an offence under subsection (1) for a registered firearms dealer to shorten the barrel of a shot-gun or rifle to a length of less than 61 or 50 centimetres respectively if the sole purpose of doing so is to replace a defective part of the barrel with a barrel of not less than 61 or 50 centimetres, as the case may be.

(3) It is an offence for a person to convert into a firearm anything which resembles a firearm but is not capable of discharging a projectile.

(4) Subject to subsection (5), it is an offence to modify a firearm so as to render its reloading mechanism fully automatic or to increase its calibre, irrespective of whether the firearm, as so modified, is a restricted firearm.

(5) Subsection (4) does not apply to a firearm designed and manufactured so as to enable barrels of different calibres to be attached to it.

(6) It is an offence for a person (except a registered firearms dealer) to possess without lawful authority or reasonable excuse -

(a) a shot-gun the barrel of which is less than 61 centimetres in length,