BBC News | UK | 'Criminals buy gun parts on net'

Criminals are obtaining guns by buying parts removed from deactivated weapons on the internet, according to a report by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

The report's author, Deputy Chief Constable David McCrone of Greater Manchester Police, said any parts removed when firearms had been deactivated could be easily ordered over the internet, mainly from the United States.

The weapons, including handguns, sub-machine guns and assault rifles could then be brought back in to use relatively easily, he added.

Mr McCrone, head of ACPO's criminal use of firearms sub-committee, is calling on the government to buy 120,000 deactivated firearms so that they cannot be brought back in to use by criminals

The easiest method of obtaining a sub-machine gun is to legally purchase one deactivated to pre-1995 standards and then reactivate it

Deputy Chief Constable David McCrone

There are two standards of deactivation for firearms.

The more stringent, which involves a weapon having more of its working parts removed, was introduced in 1995.

But there are still around 120,000 that are only deactivated to pre-1995 standards.

Mr McCrone said one licensed firearms dealer had helped to reactivate 547 guns, some of them fully automatic.

He added: "The easiest method of obtaining a sub-machine gun is to legally purchase one deactivated to pre-1995 standards and then reactivate it.

"If I wanted to go out and get myself a Mac 10 machine pistol that is how I would do it."


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