EU to propose banning semi auto "weapons"

[Chuck]

Indeed the EU is clearly the problem, not the solution.

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I think it has already started with the label "assault rifle".

And continues with "firearms that resemble military rifles"

They are more concerned with labels than with facts aaarggh

That's because otherwise they haven't a leg to stand on - they do they same with people in case you have all not noticed,, disagree and you're a racist, terrorist etc etc.. These people are as dense as a bag of hammers! Just thieves, liars and fools who somehow have managed to float to the top!

Seriously, unless the people affected start saying "NO, not happening" things will only get worse! Government should be afraid of the people, not the other way around. This, like the USA is another agenda and nothing to do with terroists, the biggest of whom seem to be the EU nazis.

Terrorism is obviously NOT a problem when the government will allow a terrorist group to operate in the UK

http://news.yahoo.com/british-pm-rules- ... 46698.html

Seems a terrorist organisation is once again safer than law abiding gun owners! When will the penny drop?

[ordnance]

Terrorism is obviously NOT a problem when the government will allow a terrorist group to operate in the UK

Nothing new there.

[morph007]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... ssels.html

[joe]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... ssels.html

In the article one of those stupid MPs mentions getting rid of dangerous firearms in Europe ! Can anyone tell me what constitutes a dangerous firearm and how will banning anything will actually stop any terroism ? Case in point the IRA !

[Mike95]

While the EU borders remain wide open to just about anyone and anything, any "banning" of weapons is a complete waste of time. There are millions of ex Soviet/Yugoslav era guns washing around and inside the EU borders and no doubt being transported around the EU countries. The expansion of the EU from half a dozen modern, civilised western states, to include 20 odd assorted backward states has been a totally failed experiment. The unelected EU commissars will never admit it however. The thought of Turkey and Albania becoming EU states is your worst nightmare. I understand that Albanian citizens already have EU Schengen travel rights. The only chance the UK has is to "Brexit".

Mike95

[JSC]

Here's the reply I just received from one of my MEPs. Mostly the same as we've seen from other relatively 'pro' politicians but a few interesting comments I thought.

Thank you for contacting Richard Ashworth MEP. Mr Ashworth has read your email and has asked me to respond on his behalf.

As you will be aware on the 18th November the European Commission announced measures which concern firearms in the EU. The proposals have been foreseen since the European Security Agenda which was adopted in April 2015, but have been accelerated as a result of the tragic attacks in Paris. In light of the threats posed by terrorism it is necessary for Europe to work closely together in matters of national-security and counter-terrorism.

Conservatives in the European Parliament agree on the need for a new directive; but believe there does need to be wider consideration of some of the proposals, particularly in regards to sporting activities. The Commission has agreed its drafting of the proposal is not perfect and has asked parliamentarians to work on it. Mr Ashworth believes it is important to crackdown on the illicit use and holding of weapons while producing clear rules for legal ownership.

Many parts of the proposal are unclear, which has led to confusion about which semi-automatics are to be banned. The exact nature of the responsibilities for museums, collectors and those doing historical re-enactments is also remains unclear. Furthermore many concerns have been correctly raised in regards to the impact the legislation on activities such as paint balling and the use of guns in films and television productions.

Mr Ashworth believes the responsibility for ensuring internal security is first and foremost with Member States. However there are many cross-border challenges that defy the capacity of individual countries to act alone and require EU support to build trust and facilitate cooperation, exchange of information and joint action.

The use of firearms by criminal and terrorist organisations poses a great security threat to citizens, as we have witnessed on several occasions this year. These tragic events call for a more coordinated European approach to control the use of weapons and fight against trafficking of firearms, as well as to combat crime and terrorism.

The Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Theresa May MP, reiterated these concerns and support for a more coordinated approach in a statement to the House of Commons following the attacks in Paris. On Friday 20th November, Mrs May attended an extraordinary meeting of the European Justice and Home Affairs Council, where she pressed for the need of greater information-sharing, passenger name records, and action on firearms.

As you will be aware, the UK has some of the strictest firearms laws in the world, including deactivation procedure. In a number of areas, it is hoped the directive will bring other Member States up to the same high-level as the UK.

There is clear evidence that criminals and terrorists can and do make use of the lack of common standards on deactivating firearms, the lack of a common system for marking firearm components, the poor control on internet sales, and the lack of common definition for “essential components”. Conservatives in the European Parliament agree on the need for a new Directive, and welcome many of the measures proposed by the Commission; but there does need to be wider consideration of some of the proposals, such as the de facto ban firearms which are now included in the category B7.

Semi-automatic rifles that “resemble” military weapons are widely used in some of the most popular forms of shooting sports, hunting and especially practical shooting (IPSC) and its derivatives. In some member states, they are widely owned and used for active reservists. Thus, a very large number of such weapons are currently owned by civilians in the EU. Conservatives in the European Parliament believe it is important to be careful that the EU does not ban the use of all firearms for sporting and reservist activities, and indirectly affect the national defence doctrines in some Member States.

It is essential that the legislation that is being adopted actually creates more security. Furthermore the new rules and restrictions must be areas where there are loopholes, and making sure that this Directive corrects the implementation failures of the last the firearms package.

Mr Ashworth is supportive of the elements of the proposal that will improve the sharing of registers between Member States, enhance the marking of weapons and enable the tracking of deactivated arms. However questions are being raised over the punishment of gun owners and especially the rights of hunters and sports shooters who have a tradition of using hunting rifles. Parliament will now initiate its own report on gun control, where Conservatives in the European Parliament hope for a greater inclusion and consideration of the rights of legal gun owners.

Thank you again for contacting Richard Ashworth MEP.


Kind regards,

Simon Saunders
Office of Richard Ashworth MEP
Conservative MEP for South East England

[Chuck]

Maybe your MP's could do something about this instead of lying to the public that stealing your guns will make anyone safer, which it will not!

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015 ... Newsletter

but there is a Facebook Group, based in Libya that is completely centered around the illicit small arms trade in that country. There is nothing surprising about the huge trade of illicit small arms in war torn countries, but the absolutely blatant exist of such a group is what really got me. The group has almost 9,000 members and is completely public on Facebook, - See more at: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015 ... 9AH6n.dpuf

[morph007]

http://firearmsuk.org/wp-content/upload ... V-2015.pdf

[Pete]

Slightly off-topic, but maybe of some interest:

Government National Statistics 2015
Firearm certificates
there were 153,603 firearm certificates on issue as at 31 March 2015, an increase of 1.4% (2,190) compared with the previous year’s figure, and the highest number since 1988
there were 525,125 firearms covered by such certificates, an increase of 3.4% (17,258) compared with the previous year’s figure, and the highest number since these figures first became available in 1995
there were 9,053 new firearm certificate applications granted in the year to 31 March 2015, an increase of 1.4% (123) compared with the previous year’s figure
Shotgun certificates
there were 582,494 shotgun certificates on issue as at 31 March 2015, a decrease of 0.1% (-429) compared with the previous year’s figure
there were 1,338,399 shotguns covered by such certificates, an increase of 0.7% (9,023) compared with the previous year’s figure and the highest number since the year ending 31 March 2010
there were 21,438 new shotgun certificate applications granted in the year to 31 March 2015, a decrease of 9.5% (-2,242) compared with the previous year’s figure

Because of the generally held belief that the APS Survey does not provide representative information a new survey structure is being devised. The new system will be less reliant on telephone surveying and will include more web based activity.

The slight reduction in shotgun certs. is surprising, given the apparent popularity of Practical shotgun. Could this be knee-jerk over the EU proposals?

Pete

[Chuck]

Every time this threat happens in the USA gun sales spike - maybe this should be happening here! Gun sales in Austria are UP quite a bit apparently!


https://www.nraila.org/articles/2015121 ... e-concerns

As of press time, only thirteen of the twenty-eight member states have submitted formal comments to the Commission on Firearms measures adopted on November 18, nine of which express concern with proposed semi-automatic reclassification (ban). The responses range from general reservations with the language and definitions to outright objections from member states such as Austria, Finland, Germany, Lithuania and Slovakia, with the latter emphatically noting that the envisaged ban “bears no relation to the core problem of the illegal ‘black market’ with firearms, which is the main source of weapons used in crime including terrorism”.