GUNS: Should they be legal in the UK ?

[SteveA]

errr, I mean deaths due to bullets graphs!

[chris hennelly]

Please discuss, would love everyone's opinion on this.

so..let guns be legal,ammo illegal............everyone happy.

[Stubby]

Strangely , started reading this and at the same time opening some post , and there was my renewal . Expires on the 07/04/2016 . Sussex police giving 16 weeks notice . So no excuses !

[Ian Flatters]

I think as a whole the UK isn't bad for gun control. Licensing is there for a reason.

 

I do think it's a stupid idea to allow the public to carry guns like in America though. Just my personal opinion but I think in my eyes that would make it a more dangerous place.

 

Although don't forget America has a high gun crime rate and the UK has quite a high knife crime rate in some places. Is this because anyone over 18 can buy a knife?

 

Just my pennies worth from how I see it.

[Shane]

To maim someone with a knife (or chainsaw, as mentioned above) you need to get next to your victim or amongst a group of intended victims and have the balls and strength to do it.

 

With a gun, any derranged 'Napoleon Dynamite' or Rambo wannabe can just walk about at a safe distance (safe for them) and treat real life like a game of GTA on the playstation.

 

It does appear to happen a lot in the US but rarely in the UK.

 

I would like it to stay that way in the UK.

[Darrin Turnbull]

FYI, All of the 'shootouts' in schools/public places in the US were all in gun free zones. The criminals are working the laws to protect them self's so that when finally confronted by law enforcement they usually kill them self's and or plead insanity and a liberal judge and or jury will leave them in prison for a while until they have been rehabed or cured and set free to repeat the crime or worse.

 

I am find with my second amendment right. More gun control is not the answer, the answer is to enforce existing laws on the books and prosecute and punish the offenders.

 

easy-lift guy

 

 

Sorry to say this but i think your right. Guns are in Americans DNA . Taking their guns away would make them even more scared.

[aspenarb]

I think as a whole the UK isn't bad for gun control. Licensing is there for a reason.

 

I do think it's a stupid idea to allow the public to carry guns like in America though. Just my personal opinion but I think in my eyes that would make it a more dangerous place.

 

Although don't forget America has a high gun crime rate and the UK has quite a high knife crime rate in some places. Is this because anyone over 18 can buy a knife?

 

 

Ians nailed this.

 

Its the illegal use of guns in the US that makes people feel the need for protection, its turned into a dog eat dog situation. They need to get super tough on illegal gun crime before they can disarm the vulnerable public though.

 

Bob

[Paul Smith]

The licensing laws in UK are already very strict.

 

Guns don't kill people, people kill people.

 

Far more people are killed by drink drivers than with firearms. Most firearms crime are committed with illegally owned firearms.

 

Should we ban alcohol and drugs or cars? All can be owned and used legally (prescription only) but if you combine them you could cause injury or death.

 

No different to a firearm or any other dangerous weapon or tool.

 

Not everyone chooses to own a firearm but those that do require a license.

 

Those that posses and use illegally should be heavily punished!

 

Somebody waving a gun around dangerously is obvious, a drunk or drugged driver not.

 

How many people do you know drive when they shouldn't?

[fergusonforestry]

The gun law in this country is an ass, like most other law.

 

I can't get a Shotgun license, yet there is a perfectly legal shotgun in our house.

 

Bonkers me thinks.

 

 

hah! sure is eggs, I have a SG cert but am not allowed to possess my own guns, why? a while back I ended up out the woods and driving for a living the company were a complete shower and probably the worst I have ever worked for but it was a job and I have bills to pay like everyone else this got me down somewhat so I went to the docs and was offered treatment all fine so far yep, finally I made the leap and ditched the job and felt so much better for it after a bit of agency driving I actually enjoyed I managed to get back to my old LA job in the forestry dept THEN came my renewal the police decided as I had received treatment for depression (which had long since ended i'll add) that I was not suitable to have guns in my possession despite never being suicidal (or homicidal for that matter!) so now they are in my mates cabinet I CAN however go to his pick up my guns and go do what I want with them as long as I return them within 24hrs I mean what!? if I was gonna do something stupid how in the hell do those requirements prevent anything? what a load of tosh eh! next year I will be "re-evaluated" to see if im in a suitable mental state! talk about stigmatising mental health eh oh well!

 

my apologies for this long winded tract

 

 

as for gun laws the psyche of the people has much to do with it Canada's full of guns too but they don't feel the same need to go slaughtering each other like americans do, here I think we should probably keep it much as is , perhaps a little less bureaucratic for those in rural areas with legitimate reasons I:e if you possess a .22 and a .270 why have to have separate justifications etc why do you have this why do you have that etc etc i'm sure to those who have no experience with firearms may find that difficult to understand I can't really think how to explain , but those who know the script should get my drift?

Edited December 20, 2015 by fergusonforestry
spelling

[easy-lift guy]

Hi Elg, no didn't phrase that very well, I don't think automatic weapons have ever been legal for personal protection although before the end of ww1 I think you could carry handguns for personal protection after the war the government were worried about unrest so began to restrict legal gun ownership, fully automatic weapons are now banned in the UK, you can have a semi automatic shotgun up to 3 shot on a shotgun licence but if you want one with more expensive capacity it has to go on a firearms licence, think semi auto rifles are only allowed up to .22 rim fire and licences renewed every 5 years, just sent my renewal in.

 

Thanks, Just so you know Automatic weapons are legal in this country usually owned by collectors who are really scrutinized by the government and rightly so. There was a time in this country back in the 20's when one could by a Thompson machine gun from the factory. Mainly for hunting, I believe just before WW-II that ended. Keep your powder dry, tougher times around the world are coming down the pike.

easy-lift guy