Did I really live in the U.K. for 18 years? I did. Without a gun! And I lived to tell the tale. Before you remind me of the rising level of violent crime—including gun crime—in The Land of Hope and Glory, I want you to know that the Brits are not like you and me. For example, this from Auntie Beeb: “Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire police plan to scrap blanket home visits, with people renewing [shotgun] licences on the phone.” No wait. Not that. This: “I would say it’s an irresponsible way of going about it because you can’t tell what people are like when you’re just talking to them on the phone.” That, my friends, is a gun owner speaking. And this, dear readers, is a gun dealer . . .
I would say it’s an irresponsible way of going about it because you can’t tell what people are like when you’re just talking to them on the phone. You can’t stop people going mad but there’s no way you can tell that people are going mad. You can have some form of screening in a face to face meeting.
Anyone who wants the Old Bill to come for a cuppa and a quick firearms inspection (excuse me sir, is that safe bolted to the wall?) is barking mad, if you ask me.
Positively daffy.
My understanding is that for Class III the BATFE&RBFs can do just that.
The cops in the UK don’t need guns cuz the criminals surrender as soon as a bobbie pulls out his silly little billy club.
The inhabitants of the land formerly known as England have long ago given up their stiff upper lips and damn-the-torpedoes-full-speed-ahead ethos. Though in process ever since the empire collapsed, this first and most prominently manifested for the world to see in the frightfully embarrassing public wailing and rending of clothes that took place after the death of a bubble-headed clothes horse who became known as “the people’s princess”.
The same souls on whose flag the sun never set are now, unfortunately, beyond redemption. They’ve given their once-great land over, slowly but surely, to the socialists, the multi-culti nannies and the Islamists. It’s beyond depressing.
The UK is a land of boot-lickers, no two ways about it. They love their servitude. Their formerly collective stiff upper lip has morphed into a limp wrist.
You have no idea how wrong you are mate.
We are for the foreseeable future stuck with the currently in force laws as to the ownership of firearms & what firearms owners do NOT want (after my old friend Derrick Bird killed 12 people last year) is for the PTB to have another excuse for blanket legislation.
Having one’s local Firearms Licensing Officer call round for a chat once every five years is a damn’ sight brighter prospect than being limited to 50 rounds of ammunition a month – a Damocles’ Sword still hanging over Californian firearms owners.
Firearms owners in the US are rightfully proud of the 2nd Amendment but it is unique to yourselves (much as I wish it were otherwise) & you should take this into account when considering what happens elsewhere.
This isn’t criticism: more of a plea that you treat us poor souls with a little more understanding than you give to those who voluntarily give up freedom for “security” in the US.
You DO have it right in the US.
PS
Wes: Your story looks fine BUT the truth is that some 7,000 rifles in multiple calibers & varying condition were sent over; many without ammunition & none of the correct kind available.
This was NOT in response to some British advert but to an NRA appeal for arms.
After the war, the US declined their return on the grounds that they didn’t know who they belonged to & the NRA declined the opportunity to administer their return.
There are still firearms owners in the UK today, so how exactly are we defenceless?
Sorry about the rambling reply folks but there are far too many myths circulating in the US about what things are like on this side of the Pond, so I thought I would lay one or two of them to rest. 🙂
Britain’s government put ads in U.S. magazines during WW2 to ask private citizens to ship their guns over because they didn’t have enough and feared invasion. And U.S. citizens responded and shipped their personal guns over — which they were told they would get back. After the war, having learned nothing, the British government destroyed those weapons, and went back to keeping its subjects defenseless.
True story.