Hampshire and Surrey police forces have launched an amnesty for Turkish-manufactured top-venting blank firers (TVBFs), which are now illegal to possess due to their easy conversion into lethal firearms.
The amnesty runs from today (Monday, February 3) until Friday, February 28, after which anyone found in possession of the weapons could face up to 10 years in prison.
Tests conducted by the National Crime Agency, in collaboration with police and funded by the Home Office, confirmed that TVBFs from four Turkish manufacturers - Retay, Ekol, Ceonic, and Blow - can be readily converted into functioning firearms.
Originally designed to discharge only blank cartridges, TVBFs have fully blocked barrels and release combustion gases from the top of the weapon.
They are typically sold with at least 50 percent of their surface painted in bright colours. Criminals, however, often repaint them black to resemble original lethal purpose (OLP) firearms and modify them for use as deadly weapons.
Since 2021, UK law enforcement has recovered more than 800 converted blank-firing guns used in criminal activity. In the past two years, these firearms have been linked to at least four homicides in the UK.
As the weapons can be readily converted using common household tools and without specialist skills, they are illegal under the Firearms Act 1968.
During the amnesty period, anyone handing in a Turkish manufactured TVBF will not face prosecution and will not have to give their details. However, the history of the gun will be checked for evidence if its use in crime.
Chief Inspector Hayley O’Grady, operation lead for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, said: “Gun crime in Hampshire and Isle of Wight remains very rare but we are not complacent, which is why we are supporting the Turkish top-venting firearms amnesty.
“Surrendering top-venting blank firers manufactured by Blow, Ceonic, Ekol and Retay now will help prevent them getting into the wrong hands in the future and being used by criminals.
“We want as many top-venting blank firers as possible to be handed in and I encourage anyone in possession of one to hand them in.
“Together with our partners we continually work hard to educate people about firearms and the dangers that come with them, to ensure that gun crime doesn’t become prevalent in the future.”
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for the Criminal Use of Firearms, said: “The top-venting blank firers are used by criminals and can be converted into lethal firearms.
“During the last two years, policing and the NCA has identified and disrupted several workshops used to convert these pistols into lethal weapons.
“In the same period, large numbers of converted weapons were recovered across multiple locations, alongside thousands of rounds of blank calibre and modified ammunition.
“One investigation recovered more than 400 converted weapons from a single crime group. There is a strong demand for them evidenced by the numbers imported and subsequent recovery from criminals.
“Stopping the sale of these top-venting blank firers from being converted will go a significant way to help protect the public.”
Other unwanted, unlicensed firearms and ammunition may be surrendered to police at any time, which will avoid the risk of them becoming involved in criminality and means that members of the community can dispose of firearms in a safe place.