Any info on the UK gun ban?
- Thread starter SB
- Start date
yea it isn't working Hot roberies are now the thing to do. "breaking into a house while the people are home" also wasn't there a female Brit reporter killed on her front steps this summer by a "banned" hand gun? Last I heard Englands crime rate in all catagories had passed those in the US except murder. Its working in england about as well as Austrailia. Also the Brit National Pistol team practises in France.
Practices in France? Isn't that rather insulting for a Brit to have to practice in France? 
To digress from the subject a bit, France doesn't have any sort of gun industry, do they? Belgium has theirs, and the German, Austrian, and Swiss gunmakers are all well known. But France?
jth
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Exodus 22:2 -- Biblical precedent for home defense.
[This message has been edited by Ulfilas (edited November 29, 1999).]
[This message has been edited by Ulfilas (edited November 29, 1999).]
To digress from the subject a bit, France doesn't have any sort of gun industry, do they? Belgium has theirs, and the German, Austrian, and Swiss gunmakers are all well known. But France?
jth
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Exodus 22:2 -- Biblical precedent for home defense.
[This message has been edited by Ulfilas (edited November 29, 1999).]
[This message has been edited by Ulfilas (edited November 29, 1999).]
The Lone Ranger
New member
You can find more information about the Dunblane massacre on my web site as well as a history of British gun law.
The gun ban has not produced any marked change in crime as it has effectively been illegal to keep a firearm for self-defence since about 1962. In theory it is possible to be licensed to carry a weapon, known as a Personal Protection Weapon (PPW). However, responsibility for the issue of a permit is down to the Home Secretary, whose official policy is not to issue them in the mainland UK (there are quite a few in NI). Salman Rushdie couln't get a PPW even though he is under sentence of death from the Iranians. I would point out there has been no legislative change to bring about this state of affairs, this has resulted from the broad and sweeping powers conferred on the Home Secretary by the 1968 Firearms Act. All of this has come about via official policy not legislation.
It has had no effect on the rate of burgulary of occupied premises (home invasions) which currently run at about 3 times the rate of the USA; note it did so even before the ban. Street crime is also more common in the UK. This is as a result of our converging crime rates; the US has been reducing for about a decade whilst ours has climbed gently since the '70s. And when the differences in the methods of compiling homicide statistics are considered the margin between US and UK rates is not as great as many would have you believe.
Since the gun ban there has indeed been an escalation in the criminal use of guns. This is primarily due to a turf war between Yardie gangs who control the crack trade, not as a direct outcome of the ban. You can find details of these on James McNair's web page (linked from my introduction). Jill Dando was a well known figure in the UK and was gunned down on her doorstep earlier this year. What you probably wouldn't have heard about was a man ran amock in Kingston (Nr London) armed with a handgun, fortunately no-one was killed and he was shot by the police before he could do any real harm. The nutters still have no problem getting hold of weapons.
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"Quemadmoeum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."
("A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands.") -
Lucius Annaeus Seneca "the Younger" (ca. 4 BC-65 AD).
The gun ban has not produced any marked change in crime as it has effectively been illegal to keep a firearm for self-defence since about 1962. In theory it is possible to be licensed to carry a weapon, known as a Personal Protection Weapon (PPW). However, responsibility for the issue of a permit is down to the Home Secretary, whose official policy is not to issue them in the mainland UK (there are quite a few in NI). Salman Rushdie couln't get a PPW even though he is under sentence of death from the Iranians. I would point out there has been no legislative change to bring about this state of affairs, this has resulted from the broad and sweeping powers conferred on the Home Secretary by the 1968 Firearms Act. All of this has come about via official policy not legislation.
It has had no effect on the rate of burgulary of occupied premises (home invasions) which currently run at about 3 times the rate of the USA; note it did so even before the ban. Street crime is also more common in the UK. This is as a result of our converging crime rates; the US has been reducing for about a decade whilst ours has climbed gently since the '70s. And when the differences in the methods of compiling homicide statistics are considered the margin between US and UK rates is not as great as many would have you believe.
Since the gun ban there has indeed been an escalation in the criminal use of guns. This is primarily due to a turf war between Yardie gangs who control the crack trade, not as a direct outcome of the ban. You can find details of these on James McNair's web page (linked from my introduction). Jill Dando was a well known figure in the UK and was gunned down on her doorstep earlier this year. What you probably wouldn't have heard about was a man ran amock in Kingston (Nr London) armed with a handgun, fortunately no-one was killed and he was shot by the police before he could do any real harm. The nutters still have no problem getting hold of weapons.
------------------
"Quemadmoeum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."
("A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands.") -
Lucius Annaeus Seneca "the Younger" (ca. 4 BC-65 AD).
The Lone Ranger
New member
BTW the British pistol team practises in Switzerland and Belgium not in France.
------------------
"Quemadmoeum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."
("A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands.") -
Lucius Annaeus Seneca "the Younger" (ca. 4 BC-65 AD).
------------------
"Quemadmoeum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."
("A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands.") -
Lucius Annaeus Seneca "the Younger" (ca. 4 BC-65 AD).
Quite a few guns went to the continent and were left with the clubs over there. This alllowed the English enthusiast to continue practising, but required a lengthy effort.
By the way, right behind Versailles is (to the left if you leave the garden) is a French Gun Club.
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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
By the way, right behind Versailles is (to the left if you leave the garden) is a French Gun Club.
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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
The Lone Ranger
New member
The UK will be hosting the Commonwealth Games next year. At the last games England won 6 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze medals including a superb 4 golds for British pistol shooter Mick Gault.
It is ironic that home grown pistol shooters will not be allowed to compete but foreign competitors will (by special Government dispensation).
------------------
"Quemadmoeum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."
("A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands.") -
Lucius Annaeus Seneca "the Younger" (ca. 4 BC-65 AD).
It is ironic that home grown pistol shooters will not be allowed to compete but foreign competitors will (by special Government dispensation).
------------------
"Quemadmoeum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."
("A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands.") -
Lucius Annaeus Seneca "the Younger" (ca. 4 BC-65 AD).
Bruce in West Oz
New member
Just a slight correction, guys.
While guns are definitely not PC here in Australia, handguns ain't banned yet. Our Olympic shooting teams do, in fact, practise on home soil. Young Mark Diamond (shotgun) is well up there as a gold medal hope next year.
The rumour (and it is only that at present) is that handguns will be banned after the Olympics, so as not to cause controversy and perhaps lose money for Sydney in 2000.
B
While guns are definitely not PC here in Australia, handguns ain't banned yet. Our Olympic shooting teams do, in fact, practise on home soil. Young Mark Diamond (shotgun) is well up there as a gold medal hope next year.
The rumour (and it is only that at present) is that handguns will be banned after the Olympics, so as not to cause controversy and perhaps lose money for Sydney in 2000.
B
Agent Orange
New member
Lone Ranger,
Thanks for the useful info contained on your homepage. It is truly an outrage that British shooters(some very skilled) cannot compete on their home soil, whilst foreigners are given special dispensation. How can this hypocrisy be tolerated? Why aren't U.K shooters given a break for the Commonwealth games?
Lucky (for now) to be in the USA
Thanks for the useful info contained on your homepage. It is truly an outrage that British shooters(some very skilled) cannot compete on their home soil, whilst foreigners are given special dispensation. How can this hypocrisy be tolerated? Why aren't U.K shooters given a break for the Commonwealth games?
Lucky (for now) to be in the USA
Fourdiamonds
New member
The Brits now must ban swords,or at least have a cooling down waiting period after what just happened there yesterday.That nut went into a church(I believe)and hacked up a bunch of people.Next you'll read about a drive-by sword slashing.My word,how worthless 95% of the laws are!!!!!!!