Ok your approval of sensible control is all I need. I don't even need to look at those links, I know those stories and I understand what you say that even vetted people can flip.Archery1969 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 1:27 pmOfcourse, believe it or not, I am fairly sensible. I held Section 1, 2 and 7 when I was in the UK.greenmark wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 1:09 pmWould you approve of sensible checks/restrictions.....anywhere?Archery1969 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 12:52 pm
Some big differences with UK issue.
Section 1
- You need good reason for each calibre you wish to own. There are only 2 valid reasons being: a) Being a member of a gun club for Target shooting. b) Land to shoot over for Deer, Wild Boar or any other allowed quarry. If the latter then the land must be cleared by the Police for the calibre you wish to use.
- You can own a semi-automatic rifle upto and including .22 calibre. A bolt action rifle of any calibre upto .50 calibre. A shotgun holding more than 3 rounds. A long barreled pistol of any calibre. Muzzel loading firearms of any calibre. Any air rifle with power over 12 ft/lbs of energy.
- Each firearms serial number is logged on your license. So the Police know exactly what you have, unlike the USA.
- You cant buy ammunition for a calibre not mentioned on your license.
- Your allowed a silencer but its logged on your license.
Section 2
- You dont generally need need good reason but the Police will still ask what you want it for. This is usually for Shotguns limited to holding a maximum of 3 rounds.
Section 5
- These are usually classed as prohibited items and issued and approved by the Home Office. Extremely difficult to obtain unless you work in maritime security or a member of the royal family. Prince Phillip had a 9mm Luger pistol which he used at Chelsea army barracks.
- Any rifle of any calibre including semi-automatics. In some rare cases fully automatic.
- Any pistol of any calibre including semi-automatics.
Section 7
- These are firearms of signifcant historic importance. Again, very difficult to obtain.
- Must have been made before a specific date. Cant rememver but I think its 1937 but dont quite me on that.
- Must be kept and used at a secure location. Not your home. Usually Bisley.
General
- Your local Police force does PNC checks, contacts your doctor, sometimes but not always checks with your referees.
- All firearms and ammunition must be locked up in a Police and/or Home Office approved gun safe. If the Police happen todo a home visit and your firearms are on the table or safe unlocked with no valid reasons then your firearms/ammunition will be seized and license revoked.
- Depending on where you live in the country then holding more than 7 firearms requires a monitored alarm system.
- You are not allowed a firearm for personnel protection. If you put that down as good reason then your application is closed.
- If the Police are called to your property for any reason, its logged on your file. Any type of threatening behaviour at home or in public means your firearms being seized and licence revoked.
- If you get caught speeding, its logged on your file. You will get a phone call or visit to explain yourself as they may say you are an irresponsible person.
- Background checks are also done on any person(s) you live with. If someone at your property has a history of violence then it will go against your application.
- You must declare all convictions but not parking tickets. Failure todo so means application failure and possible prosecution for lieing.
- You dont need any licence for an air rifle less than 12 ft/lbs of energy or air pistol less than 6 ft/lbs. These rules are different in Scotland.
Obviously, in the USA, none of the above applies. You walk into a gun shop, fill out a form, its checked by a central system for any felonies or time spent in a mental institution. If all clear you can buy anything in the shop plus ammunition, as much as you can carry out. The form you filled out is then destroyed. So the Police, Government, FBI, CIA or Armed Forces dont know what you bought or how much. In certain states there is a 14 day waiting period for some firearms. Once cleared you then go and pick them up. Some states allow fully automatic firearms, you have to pay a $300 tax stamp fee, you are checked out by the FBI i think.
As you can see, its near on impossible to ban anything in the USA. You could but forcing people to hand them over or getting a judge to sign of on a nationwide search warrant would go against the constitution. You cant change the constitution unless all 50 states agree plus the Supreme Court would overturn such events.
Finally
- In the UK up until 1937 you could own anything you wanted with no checks including machine guns and hand grenades.
- In the UK up until 1968 you could own anything you wanted with no checks excluding machine guns and hand grenades.
However, as a shooter I do object to things being banned outright. As long as you are deemed sensible, of good character, no convictions, no issues from your Doctor then I dont see why, when some idiot does something bad then the entire shooting community gets a hard time.
In the UK there have been 2 major idiots, who the Police later agreed should never have been given a firearms license to begin with. So for me, the Police are equally to blame for allowing them firearms in the first place. The Police failed to carry out proper checks on both of them.
Check these links if you wish:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungerford_massacre
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunblane_massacre
I guess the problem is that someones mental state can change instantly, so your doctor may not know if you dont get help. As of today there are 1.3 million people in the UK who are licensed to own 1 or more firearms. They have to re-apply every 5 years.
But I find the concept of walking into a retail store and walking out with a lethal weapon hard to rationalise.
Perhaps I'm on the same page as you and Kamala, just different paragraphs.
