John and Toby make good points. I think there would be very little statistically about handgun usage in the UK that would correlate with any argument, for or against, in another country.
Unlike John and Toby I have come across pre-ban handgun ownership in the UK, other than for target shooting, though since I was then a serving army officer that is perhaps not surprising. The first handgun I ever shot as a boy was a .38 Webley service revolver, owned by a farmer friend who had had it in WW II. He also had a Baby Browning .25 which he had carried in that war as a concealed personal defence back-up. That he still had them in the late 1960s was perhaps a reflection of his large (to my eyes) armoury of sporting guns and rifles, used mostly on his farm. I don't suppose he was alone in having such a collection, as a farmer, at that time. Its different now, of course.
I did five tours in Northern Ireland (1970s & early 80s) and used concealed handguns often, usually the issued Browning 9mm, though the Walther PPK and, on one memorable occasion, a large frame Webley revolver, also got used. Remarkably the army only had a limited number of shoulder holsters available and they were of poor quality. I ended up buying my own holsters (from the US). Many others in the army, the UDR, the RUC used to carry concealed issued weapons. There were very few non-combat incidents with these.
Several of my service friends also had licensed handguns. I remember obtaining a firearms licence myself for a .357, though I never got around to owning one. Why handguns then? A general interest in firearms and a desire to learn to handle and shoot a handgun competently, I guess. Of course, we had easy access to ranges where they could be fired and suitable armouries to keep them in. I don't think we were odd or unusual in this, though we were certainly in a minority.
Dave, sorry not to have been able to answer your question directly. I hope the background may be of passing interest and of some small contextual help.
Tim
