“Nearly 3,000 guns were lost by or stolen from people registered to hold them in the past five years, according to figures obtained by the BBC,” Auntie Beeb reports. Uh, well, the category “guns” includes barrels, “sound moderators,” muskets and a cannon. Not to mention “slaughtering instruments” and “humane killers” (livestock-related products one hopes). More data crunching after the jump, revealing the percentage of lost or stolen firearms compared to the total. [Hint: it’s less than one percent.] Meanwhile, the Gun Control Network (“Working towards a gun-free environment”) is miffed. Chrissie Hall reckons “People lose their glasses and they lose their umbrella but to lose their gun is unbelievably irresponsible.” What part of the word “stolen” doesn’t she understand? In other words . . .
“We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that rural crime is rising and that is doubtless going to have an effect as opportunist criminals target lonely houses, farmhouses where they suspect there may well be firearms and look for them there.”
God forbid the registered gun owners use their registered guns to stop criminals from stealing registered guns. There’d be hell to pay, mate. Besides, the guns have to be in a locked container bolted to the wall in a discreet location. Bad guy at the door? Run Forrest run!
Anyway, that’s Bill Harriman, director of firearms for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (currently fighting the Royal Mail’s plans to refuse to transport firearms or firearms parts). Mr. Harriman had a look at these numbers . . .
“There are nearly two million licensed firearms in the UK and 3,000 represents a tiny 0.15% of that figure,” Mr Harriman opined. “Generally my experience of people who shoot in the UK is that they are very careful and very responsible people.”
Unless they’re bad guys. Oh look, here’s a firearms-related homicide dated August 24. I wonder where they got their gun from? And whether or not [both] legal UK gun owners are responsible.