Law Commission Firearms Symposium The levels of firearm discharges in the UK have more than halved in the past decade, decreasing by 67%. A national firearm surrender in 2014 saw 21% of surrendered firearms being prohibited section 5 guns. In the past 12 months, 190 newly identified firearms were found in criminal hands, with 73% being handguns and 27 being potentially antique firearms. Fifty-two percent of recovered antique firearms were found with suitable ammunition, showing that criminals are aware of legal exemptions for antique firearms but still use them for illegal purposes.