A big win for our good english friends

[wannabeagunsmith]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Disproportionate-levels-violence-backed.html

They now have the right to use deadly force after two burglars were shot by a legal gun owner over there a week or so ago.

 

[TurtlePhish]

Woah! This is huge!

The legalization of firearms for defense in a place where defense was previously NOT a permissible reason to own any is a gigantic step towards further (re-?)acceptance of firearms into British culture.

The positive response of the courts to the shooting is pretty unexpected, but I'm not gonna complain. Yay!

 

[JellyJar]

Oh dear! Surely the Brits are now on the slippery slope that will lead to allowing honest people to own in their homes and businesses all types of firearms, including handguns, for self defense as well carrying the nasty things in public.

What is this world coming to?

 

[Mike J]

This doesn't come close to them having the freedoms we do but it is a huge step closer to sanity.

 

[ApplePie]

Wow. I'm sure glad I live in the U.S. I just could not get my head around the thinking of the Brits with regard to criminals. At least some of them are now coming around.

Problem is, if the crime rate now goes down over there, the anti-gunners in the U.S. will say it's because the U.K. has stricter gun-control laws.

 

[303tom]

Right On...............

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Woah! This is huge!

The legalization of firearms for defense in a place where defense was previously NOT a permissible reason to own any is a gigantic step towards further (re-?)acceptance of firearms into British culture.

The positive response of the courts to the shooting is pretty unexpected, but I'm not gonna complain. Yay!

I lived there for two years in the mid 90s and had frequent onversations about this with colleagues. The general consensus was that if you shot someone who broke into your home even if justifable by USA standards, you would likely go to prison for it.

 

[backbencher]

Unlike Tony Martin, these folks had the good sense to own their shotgun legally. The right to self defense never went away in the UK; you just had to retreat upstairs while they walked out w/ your telly. You were allowed to shout nasty things at them as long as you didn't refer to their parentage. Of course, the fact that one was a frequent burglary target was sufficient reason to deny one a shotgun license...

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Problem is, if the crime rate now goes down over there, the anti-gunners in the U.S. will say it's because the U.K. has stricter gun-control laws.

If it goes down lower than the US then they might be doing something differently but they have a lot of progress to make before they can even get below South Africa.

 

[rduchateau2954]

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't it still incredibly hard to actually acquire a firearm in the UK?

 

[Deus Machina]

I didn't see where it says that defense is a 'reasonable cause' to acquire a firearm.
But if you have one and it just so happens to be the best tool to get someone the heck out of your house, it shouldn't be punished.

The judge replied: ‘If you burgle a house in the country where the householder owns a legally held shotgun, that is the chance you take. You cannot come to court and ask for a lighter sentence because of it.’

Such as this. I like this judge.

 

[lobo9er]

‘If you burgle a house in the country

its a step in the right direction, but I guess you city folk are outta luck.
UK gun stories are both scary and depressing. A glimpse of what could be in the U.S.

 

[Blackstone]

It doesn't mean you can get a gun for home defence, but there are many other ways of getting a gun legally, all this means is you have more freedom to use the gun on intruders because you had it at hand.