EU to propose banning semi auto "weapons"

[HALODIN]

I've just had another encouraging reply:

Dear HALODIN

Thank you for your correspondence about this very sensitive subject. I recall in the wake of the Hungerford and Dunblane tragedies here in the UK there was a very swift – and some felt, indeed, hasty – legislative reaction which ran the risk of penalising entirely law-abiding citizens because of the actions of deranged individuals. In those very sad cases the argument could have at least be made that those people had used legally held firearms to carry out their dreadful crimes and it was therefore a challenging and finely balanced judgement that legislators had to make between the rights of individuals and the overall perceived risk to society.

In the case of the Paris attacks, none of the perpetrators used legally obtained – or indeed obtainable – firearms and these hideous terrorist outrages are not in any way connected to normal people or normal laws, or normal patterns of ownership.

I am, therefore, nervous to say the least to see this proposal being made at this time and feel there will have to be very persuasive arguments made for me to agree to anything like what is being proposed. It is the context and the Europe-wide scope of this proposal that particularly concern me, as distinct in some respects from the merits or otherwise of the proposal in its own right.

Regards

ANDREW

Andrew I Lewer

[Fedaykin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKQQGialkno

A good video albeit I have some reservations about the end bit we he talks about the increase in violent crime in the UK after the 97/98 ban.

Is he talking about all violent crime or those with guns? If you take out the crimes that don't involve guns that stat comes right down. Also I am not sure there is a correlation between the marked increase in violent gun crime and the introduction of the ban. As I understand it there was an increase in US style gang and drug related violence within certain inner cities fueled by access to guns smuggled in from Ireland and the Balkans. In effect it is a coincidence rather than a causation and it is dangerous argument to make albeit it does rather show the disconnection between legally owned guns and crime.

As I have said before here when quoting statistics in a comparative manner be sure that those stats have been normalised to take account for variables that skew the results. For example Prof Squires at Brighton University often talks about the level of UK gun related crime by those who hold certificates without normalising the data to take account of the large amount of technical faults each year. That could be exceeding your ammunition storage limit for a calibre by a small number of rounds due to miscounting after a shoot then buying too much ammo to replace it then a regular FEO visit turning up the fault. It is under the letter of the law a crime and recorded as such but it is in effect a technical fault rather than a violent crime.

Be careful of statistics they can be used to make any point depending on interpretation as this video should be a reminder of:

[phaedra1106]

Of course if we all give up our firearms there'd definitely be no more mass killings ................. hang on, what about China?, zero firearms ownership for the masses so that should be a perfectly safe place to live .......... however, there's been at least 5 violent attacks with knives in schools in the last 2 months with dozens dead and injured.

http://www.americas1stfreedom.org/artic ... s-killings

[RDC]

Don't forget terrorist attacks in the South West regions of China too.

[Chuck]

http://www.horace.org/blog/wp-content/u ... 4-Huff.pdf

There are lies, damn lies and statistics.

Stats will prove whatever you want them to prove. FACT: Taking ALL our guns will not make one iota of a difference, it never has and never will.

Maybe we should all have guns - after all if it saves ONE life!

[John1]

I notice that so far the total votes to the online petition against the EU proposals have reached over 290K in 17 languages. There are in the UK (2011) 562K shotgun certs and 141K FACs a total of 700 K shooters . Even given that many have both FAC' and shotgun certs we could make a dramatic difference. Have you signed? Please do so.

I recall the handgun ban when so many 'other' shooters did not support us handgunners. Just semi autos this time what next? The writers of the proposals have to be told we here in the UK only have .22LR semi autos even your humble 10:22s and derivatives could be banned and do not imagine semi auto shotguns are safe, they are not.

And your MP? If mine is anything to go by, a waste of space and he is not an anti. Without being political only Mr. Farage's lot seem to be on our side

Happy days, and oh yes after over 32 years of shooting (FAC & SGC) I have just joined the forum. So hallo.

John1

[ukrifleman]

As well as signing the petitions, I e-mailed my local (Conservative) MP and received an encouraging reply.
They were in favour of public ownership of firearms as long as the appropriate safeguards of checks were in place.

I call that a bit of positive feedback!

ukrifleman.

[huntervixen]

During the last election I encouraged everyone to contact all the major parties to verify their position on Firearms, the Conservatives said a quite decisive "No changes planned" I wonder if they will stick to this?

Surely a Politician didn't lie to me did he??

Let us not forget the fact that it was the Conservatives who happily and swiftly took both our full bore semi autos and our handguns away, both actions undertaken in a swift knee jerk voter appeasing way, with little to no public consultation.

So, do I trust them to stick up for the British shooter in the European Parliament, their track record over the last 30 years on firearm issues would strongly suggest NOT

I sincerely hope they prove me wrong on this, have a feel about in their trousers, find some collective balls and do the right thing!

[Airbrush]

If the EU want it they'll get it, f all our MP's can do about it.

[John1]

Airbrush and huntervixen. Everything you say is correct the whole EU legislation is nothing to do with Jihadists or terrorism in general it's all about yet more firearm controls.

One question, nowhere in legislation does it mention controls on revolvers so, if we have to abide by EU firearms laws can we have old favorites back Smith and Wesson 686s, custom 1500 PPC and Bianchi revolvers? What do you mean I'm having a laugh? Still got a couple of Safariland jet loaders. There is a British guy producing 1500 and Bianchi custom revolvers based on S&W for the European market