Speaking from an Englishmans point of view, please fight to safeguard your rights. Before 1932 in Britain no gun licences were required apart from a licence from the Post Office which permitted you to carry any firearm anywhere. In Victorian England when anyone who wished could carry a handgun did so, serious crime was not prevelant, the biggest murderer of the age was Jack the Ripper who killed with a knife or scalpal. In 1910 in the Siege of Sidney Street several Anarchists had an armed stand off shooting at least two Police Officers. Winston Churchill, the then Home Secretary ordered the army out, but until they arrived, Police Officers were stopping passers-by asking them if they had a firearm, and if so, could they borrow it. In 1932 the Govermnent introduced the first of many Firearms Acts. Initially it was registration of the firearms (Rifles and Pistols) but later the restrictions were gradually increased until you had to be like a Circus Dog Act with dozens of hoops to jump through just to get a Firearms Certificate, In 1961 I got my Firearms Certificate, I was a member of a couple of Pistol Clubs and shot regularly. In 1964 I became a Police Officer and after two years became an authorised Police firearms qualified officer. Shortly after than I was an instructor. Outside the job I was still an enthusiastic shot having taken up Practical Pistol Shooting.
Over the years insideous inroads were made into the ownership of firearms, many not backed by legislation but introduced by Chief Police Officers at a mere whim. In 1997 Handguns were effectively banned and owners were told to hand them in at their local Police Office. The Police knew who had the licenced firearms but not who had the illegally owned handguns. Overnight thousands of shooters who had never fired a round at anything but a paper target lost their firearms with little if any recompence from the authorities. Late 1997 was a great year for anyone living outside of the United Kingdom to buy reloading equipment for next to nothing.
Of course the criminals didn't hand in a single weapon and the Police couldn't do a thing about it because they didn't know which crooks had them. Today the crooks know they are safe carrtying out an armed raid and because the Police are retro-active and they get to the scene too late. Since 1997 handgun crime has risen 400% over the previous figures.
It doesn't take a genious to work out, that if you ban firearms only the crooks will have them. Firearms Legislation has never worked except to the benefit of the Criminal Classes.
Rant over.
Harry
