General election candidates' views on firearms ownership

[Sim G]

The only real chance of getting rimfire pistols back to s1, was gone at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics....

[Daniel11]

Some very good points made, and certainly the olympics were a missed opportunity. I think based on recent surveys the conservatives would be very receptive to a call for .22 pistols on section 1. It is perhaps time to re-run (if possible) the 'Unity Campaign' and a petition.

[Gaz]

You think so? With all respect to the guys who ran that, they barely scraped 20,000 signatures out of 150,000 FAC holders alone in the UK. If anything, such apathy suggests a re-run of the campaign wouldn't get anywhere either.

[Daniel11]

Perhaps, but in concert with letters written to MP's etc, reminding of previous Tory Pledges to allow .22 pistols, might get somewhere. All I'm saying is that we have a better chance now than we did under the coalition or the previous government. And at the end of the day, signing a petition takes around 30 seconds. Its probably worth it just on the off chance.

[joe]

You think so? With all respect to the guys who ran that, they barely scraped 20,000 signatures out of 150,000 FAC holders alone in the UK. If anything, such apathy suggests a re-run of the campaign wouldn't get anywhere either.

I think you find there are 600,000 legal gun owners across the union ! (FAC and SGC) And that was a few years ago

[ovenpaa]

I think you find there are 600,000 legal gun owners across the union ! (FAC and SGC) And that was a few years ago

Agreed however we are not a unified 600k firearms owners and we even have some disciplines that flatly refuse to accept others let alone some of the national organisations who bicker amongst themselves as opposed to presenting a unified front so my view is getting even half the gun owners in the UK to vote yes to .22LR pistol is a bridge too far right now.

Sad state of affairs isn't it.

[Fedaykin]

will we get .22 pistols back now ? no lib dems to worry about

It was a Labour government who banned .22 pistols after a Conservative government banned centre fire pistols. So I am not entirely sure how you have come to the conclusion that the Liberal Democrats were a critical element in that particular issue.

Return of .22lr pistols to S1 authority was on the Conservative manifesto for the previous election. I assume Joe believes that it was the Lib Dems that stopped that happening.

Personally i think it was the Cumbrian shootings/Derrick Bird that scuppered any chance of that happening, i don't think it ever got to the stage where there wasa debate about it between the Cons/Libs

I agree, don't even think it ever came up within the coalition.