A return of Handguns, a discussion.

[Mike357]

I was travelling back from NI yesterday and was thinking about handguns being legal across there and what great fun it was to be able to shoot handguns when I am across there. That got me thinking about the UK.

There is very little chance the handguns will ever be legalised again on the same basis as other firearms. My train of thought was, what if alternative security conditions were introduced for them and would people pay extra for this.

So, if handguns were legalised, how would people feel about a requirement for them to be on a seperate FAC with perhaps a mandatory GP check, stored at a Police station/HQ and booked out in advance and and returned on or around an agreed time. Dispensation to take them to competitions at Bisley, ROI, NI etc. Ammo could be kept by the individual.

Discuss.

[sconie]

Interesting idea, but that wouldn't do me. I am by nature a tinkerer, fetler, collector of many thinks mechanical, such as automatic watches, motorcycles, shaving gear, so I enjoy stripping, cleaning and learning about my hobbies.

Having to be treated like a child by handing over my toys every day to a police officer would make me feel like a methadone addict hanging around a pharmacy.

I have never shot in northern ireland (well not in civvies) and I enjoy pistol shooting when I'm in the USA, so it is something I will look into further.

[techguy]

Happy to have to jump through a few extra hoops to be able to shoot handguns on the mainland, however I too am a tinkerer by nature which is one of the things I get a massive amount of satisfaction from owning guns of all sorts. Call me weird, but I also like to clean and oil them regularly too! I would not want to have to have it stored anywhere other than in my cabinet with the rest of them...

[Individual]

There is very little chance the handguns will ever be legalised again...

Discuss.

About as likely as the Queen releasing a twerking video on youtube.

[saddler]

Already possible under Section 7 rules - but only really for handguns of historical interest

I reckon for now we are all better off doing such activities in those free countries that still allow such pursuits to take place, i.e. MOST of the rest of Europe, for one!! (Plus N.I. & the Isle of Man of course)

[Ares590]

With .22 pistols I think people are too pessimistic. I can see them being re legalised if part of a bigger change to gun laws.
for example some one goes on a shooting rampage with a section 1 sagia 12. The government decides to ban semi auto shotguns (they may call them assault shotguns) but they say were having a complete overhaul of UK laws I can see them putting a dispensation in for Olympic style target pistols. (after all its an Olympic sport)
I wouldn't mind storing guns at a club or a police station, despite the fact there more likely to get stolen there. I think the only thing they could do is what was suggested in the Cullen report.
that was the slides (of semi auto pistols) or the cylinder (of revolvers) is stored at clubs frames are stored at home.

in the Unlikely but the hypothetical situation were the passed a law allowing pistols again, there is a few things to consider.
It would be ages before a pistol shooting scene could build up.
1. there would be a rush of people applying for varations and more people taking up shooting. clubs would have waiting lists several miles long and variations would take months to do.
2. there isn't many around at the moment and from what I have seen getting guns imported into the UK takes a long time with them being kept at customs, proofing etc.
Also the types of pistols would be quite limited. when you bear in mind that a vast majority of the legal handguns a (market that had been growing in variety for the best part of a centaury when the ban came in) are no longer here atlest not in any firing condtion there would be only modern handguns for a short time at least because that's what would be imported.

[Gaz]

It'll never happen. ACPO will shout it down claiming it'll cause a huge spike in licensing demand and they'll say they can't afford to administer that, so therefore it's too dangerous to legalise them. Unless, of course, all FAC/SGC owners pay through the nose for anything related to certificate administration, thus enabling full cost recovery.

Case closed.

As for the proposition of increased restrictions on relegalised pistols - absolutely not. That will become the new licensing standard ACPO will push to be applied to all certificate holders. We've got enough of a fight on our hands to keep Section 2, never mind openly welcoming more restrictions.

[Ares590]

It'll never happen. ACPO will shout it down claiming it'll cause a huge spike in licensing demand and they'll say they can't afford to administer that, so therefore it's too dangerous to legalise them. Unless, of course, all FAC/SGC owners pay through the nose for anything related to certificate administration, thus enabling full cost recovery.

That's already being discussed, a rise to £250 from the current £50. the figures I have heard from various news articles are that FAC&SGC holders pay about a quarter of what it costs and that's why there putting the cost up.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... cheme.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... hiefs.html

[dromia]

Why on earth should we pay for something that is part of the policing of the country due to legislation?

We don't pay for other parts of the policing system and as users we never wanted most of the restrictions anyway, it the general public that wanted them through their elected government therefore they should pay for it through the taxation system same as they do for other policing measures for the public safety.

So I'm for doing away with fees altogether not increasing them.

Who the hell are acpo anyway and why are they given such weight and credence to their self interested pronouncements.

As far as I can see they are at best a small trade union or a vested interest, self serving, jobs for the boys/girls mens/womens club.

Why on earth government gives them the time of day I have no idea.

[dromia]

And no I wouldn't jump through any further hoops to have handguns back, the whole legislation is a mess, unworkable and serves no purpose at all, so no need to add to the shambles with more half baked restrictions. It is acquiescent thinking like that by shooters and their failed representatives dancing to the tune of self serving politicians who only view gun ownership in this country is as a vote winner on the back of innocent peoples tragedies that have got us into this mess in the first place.

License the individual, allocate a number of firearms (type is irrelevant) commensurate with the reason and security, put a statutory responsibility on each license holder to keep a record of their firearms and notify the police of all transactions. It works well enough for RFD's.

Instead we piddle around use and disciplines that just divides us and obfuscates the issue instead of all coming together around the one thing that binds us all, responsible gun ownership and use.