Gun Control in the UK: misconceptions, where do people get them?

I keep seeing people going on about how the British have no guns.

This is incorrect. There are currently 1.8 million firearms in the UK. You don't need to own land, and the majority of the adult population would be eligible to own one. As long as you are not a kid, suicidal, crazy or a criminal you are fine. Just join a gun club or start bunny hunting.

I own two shotguns. My neighbor owns four (a mix of shotguns and rifles). Our govt isn't particularly uptight about how many you own. The only thing they are uptight about is keeping them securely locked up when not in use. And they will take them off you after a suicide attempt (although if you 'try to kill yourself' in a houseful of guns by taking pills, I'm guessing you weren't serious).

My stepfather owned handguns prior to the ban, now he has a mix of rifles and shotguns.

So I'm asking, why so many Americans (and a few Brits) get the idea our govt doesn't allow any guns?

I keep seeing this over and over in threads, does the American media give people this idea? I keep seeing as a common concept that we have no civil rights because we don't have guns. Over and Over.

It's because they aren't all over our city centre with shops dedicated to them, we don't need guns all over a shops wall like tools to make us feel safe.

what i think people need to learn is that theres mainly 2 types of guns in the UK

1. Shotguns (includes pump action upto 3 rounds) and once you get the license you can have as many as you can safely store (read the size of your gun safe) and can be owned by anyone over 14 (but the rules are a bit messy till 17-18) and theres no need to secure the shells

2. firearms, these have one extra requirement from a shotgun license that is a need but hunting Thumper or Bambi is enough to get one but with a firearms license its each caliber is a separate entity so you need a separate entry for a .22 semi as for a 30.03 rifle and you have to be a lot more careful with ammo as well

but technically you can have anything you want if you can get the home secretary to sign the relevant paperwork...but i'd sense a mammoth session in the house of commons bar if you fancied getting permission to stick a vulcan cannon on your front lawn

But i think the shotgun is the traditional british firearm of choice....tally ho old bean and give em both barrels...what what

reply to post by Antigod


Americans tend to think the same about guns in Oz too. All I know is I feel a whole lot safer in the knowledge that anyone with a rifle or shotty in Australia has had to pass multiple checks and complete safety courses and that they are required to keep them in a gun safe when not in use.

Yes, there will always be the odd person who manages to get their hands on a firearm and cause some damage but nowhere NEAR as often as in the U.S.

reply to post by Antigod


Gun Control in the UK: misconceptions, where do people get them?

Answer; Fox News & the NRA!

Of course, they get a lot of help from our many other right-wing "fear salesmen like Alex Jones, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, etc., etc. etc...

I grew up in the British countryside and guns (mainly shotguns) were entirely commonplace.

As the OP says, it's not difficult at all to procure a firearm in this country if you are prepared to adhere to the rules about storage (which is an entirely sensible request) and be appropriately registered (again, an entirely reasonable request). Handguns are banned, however, which I personally agree with.

On the whole though, the vast majority of Britons don't feel any urge to own a firearm - the benefits and risks simply don't stack up. As someone who lives and works in a major city, a firearm is simply no use to me. For my childhood friends who now own farms, shotguns are essential tools.

They certainly don't sleep with them propped up next to the bed though!

What I don't get is why everyone tries to compare one country to another, apple to oranges. That goes the same here in the US state to state. Each state has entirely different culture and even worse differences rural to urban (just look at the violence stats for that). Many of us understand that there are guns there although they are heavily regulated. I don't know about others but I was given a BB gun at 5 and a .22 at 12. I took hunters safety that same year and dropped my first deer, the reality of killing something that large gave me a healthy respect for guns.

While I do not support gun regulation I do support common sense gun ownership, if your firearm injures someone and you were negligent in storage you should be punished. Responsible gun ownership is common place in my area, guns are locked up and unloaded and firearms for defense are inaccessible to children. In most states you must pass a course and minimally a background screening to buy and/or concealed carry.

reply to post by Sparta


Guns in the store don't make me feel safe. What is wrong with selling goods to responsible people?

reply to post by KingIcarus


And there lies the misconception of Americans.....sleeping with guns....really? It seems both sides of the pond don't understand each other..

Do you or your neighbor have a 9 mm glock?
How bout a colt 1911? That model is over a hundred years old now.
Brits can have guns, sort of I guess. You can't compare the constitutions of our countries. Apples to oranges. Have fun with your shotguns.

reply to post by Antigod


Only 1.8 million? That's it? They mostly shotguns?

May as well have none.

Even when guns were totally legal and the Police were routinely armed, there was no love for them. I remember one case from the early 1900's of a robbery where the Police had left their guns back at the station, forcing them to ask passers by for any they had - only one chap who was visiting from the country had a pistol on him.

We do have the same essential "right to bear arms" as well - as enshrined in the Bill of Rights 1689. Many Yanks are unaware of this and the fact this Bill (plus other English legal documents) are the foundation for their own, codified Constitution. Ours isn't codified though, being something that evolved naturally over centuries and is spread across many different documents.

Swills
reply to post by Antigod

 

Only 1.8 million? That's it? They mostly shotguns?

May as well have none.

edit on 13-4-2014 by Swills because: (no reason given)

We have no need of automatic assault rifles who sole purpose is to kill dozens of people in a few minutes. And street criminals with handguns are REALLY uncommon. You see it in inner city black gang culture, but they tend to not wave them around except when killing each other over turf. Only about 1/500 muggings here involve a firearm, and most are replicas anyway. Burglars are hardly ever armed. If I heard one downstairs I'd pick the sword off the bedroom wall, not faff about with the keys for the guns.

Some of the hunting rifles for deer here could take your head off at a distance.They aren't as low powered as you think.

The point is 90% of the adult population could have a gun or rifle. Very few choose to, we just don't need them. Except when in the country, where everyone and their nan has a shotgun. Rural burglars take their lives in their hands.

reply to post by Antigod


I'll be sure to pat every English on the back for a job well done.

Enjoy your shot guns, Big Bro surveillance, and corrupt gov't. I know we Americans do, and we enjoy our guns.

Statistics Prove: More Guns, Less Crime

reply to post by Swills


Yawn......here we go again....

This is the UK we've been apart since 1776 so we have more years apart than you can count even if you take your shoes and socks off to help working it out..what works for us don't work for you and no ones trying to troll but you so nice try but if needed "Vietnam called and they have your 2nd place medal to collect"

reply to post by Antigod

I keep seeing people going on about how the British have no guns.

US = Gun rights are natural rights not doled out by the government.

UK = Gun privilege where the government doles out the special privilege of ownership.

You have to ask if you can have a gun, we don't. It's your country and you're welcome to whatever restrictions by big brother you want. We have a different mindset here in the US.

Most of us are aware there are guns in the UK. Oz too.

Swills
reply to post by Antigod

 

I'll be sure to pat every English on the back for a job well done.

Enjoy your shot guns, Big Bro surveillance, and corrupt gov't. I know we Americans do, and we enjoy our guns.

Statistics Prove: More Guns, Less Crime

Over the same period in the UK the number of firearm offences dropped from 10,000 to 5000 that is a drop of 50%. Violent offences went from 550,000 to 400,000 a drop of 28%. Your figures have dropped from 1.42m to 1.2m a drop of 14%.

Now crime has been falling across the western world. But quite clearly yours is falling more slowly.....it must be your guns.

Look at the firearm figure though. 7 firearm crimes per 100,000 people. The US figure is 84 firearm crimes per 100,000 people. (firearm crime = robbery with gun + assault with gun + murder by gun). Hmm guns prevent crime in the US....NOT !!

FYI getting an overall US gun crime rate was tricky since you are obsessed with murders by gun...oh hang on US murder rate : 3.6 per 100,000 , UK murder rate : 0.04 per 100,000

Seriously how can you people go hunting for a deer with out this .. That is just insane I like my game food looking like swiss cheese.


But ya I am from Canada apparently we have no fire arms up here too lol , and frankly I am happy with our laws here to keep firearms away from unfit people .

reply to post by Maxatoria


Exactly, yawn indeed, another one of these threads.

Enjoy not enjoying guns, we care.

reply to post by Swills

Seems u cared enough to makes your statements .