Aussie or UK Registration/Confiscation questions

[Midwest]

For the Aussie or UK members or any other countries.

When there was registration, licensing (and later on confiscation or firearms turn in). What was the procedure? Was there people or groups that refused to register? Was there people or groups that refused to turn in firearms?

What led to the registration and then licensing? Was there registration first?
Or both at once? Was ammo regulated? In what way. Was there ever a time when there was no registration or licensing required?


Registration

When was registration first required?

What needed to be registered?

What was the compliance rate?


After the registration and if some firearms were banned/prohibited/restricted...

Was there door to door confiscation?

Was there neighbor spying on neighbor (giving up their neighbors for a reward)?

What method were the firearms collected?

Was there a collection point for firearms?


The reason why I'm asking these questions is because given the climate in the U.S. lately, it might be educational for some of us to see how it was done in other countries in hopes of perhaps keeping it from happening here. Also I study gun control laws and like to know of your particular experiences when these laws can into effect.

 

[Blackstone]

Arguably the Pistols Act of 1903, where you needed a licence, but you could basically purchase that from a Post Office. It also didn't regular private sales.

The first major move to registration was the Firearms Act 1920, where the Firearm Certificate (FAC) was first introduced. It states what firearms and how much ammunition you can possess, just like it is today. Also, it was down to the local chief constable to decide, again like today. You had to give good reason to have the firearm, but unlike today, 'self defence' was an accepted reason.

The 1937 Act put an end to 'self defence' as a reason, and also banned automatic weapons. 1988 saw the ban on semi-auto centerfire rifles, and tighter restrictions on pump/SA shotguns. In 1997, all centerfire pistols were banned, and later that year, the 1997 act was further amended to include .22 pistols.

I can't comment on compliance. I don't believe there was door to door confiscation, people basically turned their guns in, sold them, shipped them abroad, buried or "lost" them. You could turn in your guns at your local police station. Many people stored their guns at authorised Section 5 dealers, while they hoped to find a buyer or move it outside of the country. I think some may still store them there, in the hopes that the ban will be repealed.

The government has been trying to kill shooting at every turn. British shooters have to train abroad. For the 2012 Olympics, the government allowed foreign shooters to train in the UK, yet not the native shooters. It's no wonder myself and many others call ourselves 'shooters in exile'. Even more obvious was the fact that instead of holding the shooting events at the world reknown Bisley National Shooting Centre, they built a temporary facility for £42 million and then demolished it again. Upgrading the facilities at Bisley would've cost 2/3 that price, and would've benefitted shooters for decades to come. I visit Bisley quite often, and it's in a sad rundown state. I've been told by people much older than me that it was a very different place before the turn of the millenium. In fact the 1993 IPSC World Shoot was held in Bisley.

 

[splithoof]

That is just plain sad. Wake up folks, he may have seen our future if we don't.