BASC is telling members it’s not too late to help try to stop the proposed ban on .50 calibre rifles.
The government’s decision to pull a debate on the Report stage of the Offensive Weapons Bill on Monday has allowed more time to challenge the prohibition.
BASC is asking members to urge their MPs to sign amendments to the Bill submitted by Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP. You can find out who your MP is and their contact details here.
Christopher Graffius, BASC’s executive director of communications and public affairs, said: “The government, on police advice, is seeking to ban .50-calibre rifles based on imposing a maximum muzzle energy of 10,000ft/lbs (13,600J). BASC believes this is not an evidence-based decision.
“BASC is challenging the proposed ban on behalf of those shooters who currently own and lawfully use .50-cals without posing any criminal or national security threat.
“But more than that, those shooters who may never wish to own a .50-cal should also be alive to the dangers of a prohibition that would allow an unsympathetic government to reduce the energy limit further to ban smaller-calibre rifles used for deer stalking and pest control.
“BASC has been working with MPs and other shooting organisations to amend the Bill by deleting the ban and instead introduce a higher security requirement for the owners of such rifles.
“This delay gives us a chance for BASC members to contact those MPs who have still not signed Sir Geoffrey’s amendments to request their support. The more names, the better. We will not get another chance at this.”