Page "Gun politics in the United Kingdom" Paragraph 55

The Firearms Act 1968 brought together all existing firearms legislation in a single statute.

Disregarding minor changes, it formed the legal basis for British firearms control policy until the Firearms ( Amendment ) Act 1988 was put through Parliament in the aftermath of the 1987 Hungerford massacre.

For the first time, it introduced controls for long-barrelled shotguns, in the form of Shotgun Certificates which, like Firearm Certificates, were issued by an area's chief constable in England, Scotland, and Wales.

While applicants for Firearms Certificates had to show a good reason for possessing the firearm or ammunition, this did not apply to Shotgun Certificates.

Firearms had to be locked up, and ammunition stored and locked in a different cabinet.

This was introduced after the 1973 Green Paper, which advocated more controls on firearms.