[tellner]

It seems that shooting is the new golf (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2535176,00.html). I guess that with golf open to people in *shudder* trade there has to be something. A hunting lodge in Scotland, beaters, gun bearers and gameskeepers is patrician enough to appeal to class consciousness.

[kieran]

good article.

[Fosbery]

Nice article :)

The number of gun owners in Britain has risen back up above the level at the time of the Dunblane massacre. Over 700,000 Brits own guns :)

[22-rimfire]

I also liked the article. Without a concerted effort, I believe the USA is headed in the same direction as the UK with regard to guns. Crime is up there and the study in Australia showing that the gun ban did not have the desired effect could work along with citizen activists to overturn the law.

I think that the politicans want to make gun ownership a "rich man's game" and only available to those that are finanacially able to jump through all the hoops to own firearms. Everyone knows rich people don't commit crimes. So far, at least in most US states, there aren't many hoops.

[McCall911]

A recent survey by economic consultants Pacec estimated that 480,000 people now participate in shooting and the sport generates 70,000 jobs. Many of the newcomers are women.

“We have constantly been increasing our membership, it’s across the board,” said Christopher Graffius of BASC. “It is far more accessible than it was.”

The number of gun owners in Britain has risen back up above the level at the time of the Dunblane massacre. Over 700,000 Brits own guns

All this really sounds encouraging! This trend might eventually help ease some of the anti-gun hysteria which is behind so many inane gun laws, both in Britain and elsewhere.

[A little aside: My great-grandmother was born in London of Welsh descent. She was a delightful lady that I was fortunate enough to get to know pretty well. When I half-seriously asked if she'd considered going back there to live, she got a little more serious than usual and said, "Oh, Britain would be the last place I'd want to live now! We have so much more here, and I don't mean in money and goods." Over the years, I slowly came to realize what she meant.]

[Geno]

Parlor-shooting Used to be a Favorite Social Pastime

It was highly popular to engage in some friendly indoor shooting in the parlor back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, you know, back when we had a Constitution and one wasn’t viewed as a criminal simply for owning a gun. I guess we used to truly have a gun-culture, as if that were bad. Anyone else think they woke up and smelled the coffee burning? Nope…they smelled the smoldering wood from the stocks and grips confiscated along with their firearms years back.

Negative button off.

Doc2005

[Fosbery]

I posted an article about George Orwell's childhood a short time ago. He talked about growing up in Britain and how he used to buy revolvers for 7 shillings from the local bicycle shop, make his own gunpowder, and enjoyed 'saloon rifle' shooting (presumably he means .22 lever action rifles, though I'm not sure).

The financial cost of being able to own a gun in Britain is £50 (around $100 with today's exchange rates) for the certificate (like a permit) and around £10 (around $20) for a lock or £100 (around $200) for a safe (your guns must be locked up - in the case of a single gun you can use a wall clamp or wire lock, with multiple guns you must use a safe). That's not a huge ammount really. A semi-auto shotgun can be had second hand for just £100 (around $200), though it will be rather worse for wear. £300 ($600) would get you a semi-auto in good condition. So all in all $500 for a legal shotgun with a safe, plus the cost of ammunition of course, which can be had for about £4 ($8) per 25 carts.

[kevin davis]

Good news for UK:p I would suggest that rich men commit a lot of crime, it is just usually not one on one violence, more in the nature of white collar fraud where they steal everyone's money. A personal defense weapon is not of much use there. :fire:

[Werewolf]

The financial cost of being able to own a gun in Britain is £50 (around $100 with today's exchange rates) for the certificate (like a permit)What are the requirements that must be met to qualify for a certificate? Isn't this the main impediment in the UK that results in most folk not being able to be gun owners even if they wanted to be?

[repo]

I read up[ on this a while ago. I think it's much easier to get a shotgun lisence than a FAC (firearms lisence). The basic requirements are a clean criminal record, a psychological interview, references from "upstanding citizens" (doctors/lawyers/teachers/land-owners) and a refernce from the owner of the land you are going to shoot or club owner. Also the police will drop by randomly to check you are keeping them in the safe.

[Notch]

No offense to the folks on the other side but the "upstanding citizen" part "doctors/lawyers/teachers/LAND-OWNERS" is a great reminder of why we got the hell out of that powdered wig hell-hole.

[kieran]

No offense to the folks on the other side but the "upstanding citizen" part "doctors/lawyers/teachers/LAND-OWNERS" is a great reminder of why we got the hell out of that powdered wig hell-hole.

no offense taken, but dont get out of the kitchen if you want to stir the pot. ;)

[Fosbery]

There are two types of certificate: shotgun and firearm. Shotgun certificates (SGCs) are for 'smooth bore guns with barrels not less than 24inches in length, that are not revolver guns and that have no removable magazine and no magazine capable of holding mor than two cartridges'. So that means muskets, break open shotguns and semi/pump shotguns with mags restricted to two rounds. An SGC allows you purchase any quantity of ammunition, and also purchase and keep any number of gun for which the certificate applies that you can securely keep i.e. as many as you can fit in your safe(s). Firearm certificates (FACs) are for everything else. An FAC will have a list of the type and number of guns you can own, and the ammount and caliber of ammunition you can own. Ordinary civillians will not get certificates for: a firearm with a barrel less than 30cm in length, or an overall length less than 60cm, a self-loading rifle (being greater than 60cm in overall length and with a barrel greater than 30cm in length) that is not chambered for .22 rimfire, a shotgun with a barrel less than 24 inches in length, any firearm designed to fire more than one shot without repeated pressure to the trigger, machineguns, rocket launchers, mortars, grenade launchers etc.

SGCs are hardly ever refused. Unless the police can prove that you are a 'significant danger to the public' then they must grant you one. When applying you must give the contact details one referee of good public standing (teacher, priest, vicar, professor, doctor, military officer etc) who will vouch for you. You must also give details of your doctor who may be contacted regarding your mental health (they never are). You must also not have been convicted of any offence pubishable by three years or more in prison, unless you were subsequently aquitted.

FACs can be refused on much more broad grounds, for instance if you are prone to, I think the phrase is 'intemperate habits'. The main difference though is 'good reason'. You can get an SGC just because you feel like it, but an FAC requires you to give a 'good reason' why you should get one. generally accepted reasons are target shooting, hunting and collecting. If you say target shooting, you need to have been a member of a target shooting club for 6 months and get a letter from the club secretary vouching for you. If you say hunting, you'll need a letter from whoever owns the land you intend to hunt on (unless you own it yourself). Generally they're not all that hard to get if you enjoy target shooting. I don't know anyone who has been turned down entirely. You can appeal if you are turned down, burden of proof is with the police officer who refused you. If he cannot prove that you are unsuitable or do not have good reason, you must be granted one.

It is a pain though. A police officer needs to inspect your house (or wherever you store your guns) to make sure it meets security standards before you can be granted a certificate, and the whole process can take months if you have a crap police force. You need to renew your certificate every year, and you need to gain a 'variation' for each new type or quantity of gun you want to get.

It's not really that they're too hard to get. 90& of Brits could get one if they tried, they just don't want one.