Govt Mulls Tighter Control Over Firearm Parts

The government on Wednesday launched a public consultation on proposed legal amendments that will tighten the control of firearm components, citing a loophole in the definition of “arms” in existing laws.

It proposed to define a list of components as “items that are capable of being used as part of a firearm” in the Firearms and Ammunition Ordinance.

Currently, the prosecution has to prove to the court that the components are used or intended to be used for the discharge of a missile from arms – which the government said has been exploited by criminals to smuggle parts into Hong Kong before assembling them into weapons.

According to the consultation document, the list of components includes "a barrel, chamber or cylinder, a frame, body or receiver, a breech block, bolt or other mechanism for containing the pressure of discharge at the rear of a chamber".

The government also put forward a 90-day grace period for people to dispose of the listed components or apply for a licence.

It noted that there has been a “worrying” surge in the smuggling of suspected firearms and their components, with Customs reporting 35 such cases last year, up from single digit figures recorded in the previous few years.

The consultation will last for four weeks.