By Michael Holderer
Scenario: You’re a real go-getter. You have a great job and you’re doing so well that your company has decided to promote you. Your new position will pay in the seven-figures range. There’s just one catch; in order for you to secure this salary, you must relocate to London for five years. There are many wonderful things about London: the British Museum, the London Symphony Orchestra and great beer. Unfortunately, British gun laws do not fall into that list . . .
Nevertheless, as a true-blooded American, you are determined to own a gun wherever you go. To that end you’re looking at two very high-end guns that are going to be commensurate with your new salary and London-friendly.
British gun laws prohibit civilian ownership of semi-automatic centerfire guns. Gun licenses are divided into numerous categories. The two most common categories are the Shotgun Certificate and the Firearms Certificate.
A Shotgun Certificate requires a visit to the local police station where you’ll be interviewed and asked for a reason for owning the gun. The Caesar Guerini would require minimal paperwork and you could use it for hunting. With the addition of a set of longer barrels, you could also use it for clays.
A Firearms Certificate requires a visit to the local police station where you will be interviewed and asked for a reason for owning the gun and you must provide two character references. The Blaser R8 would take more work to own, but you can easily swap barrels and the magazine/trigger group and go from .204 Ruger to 500 Jeffery on the same gun. You’d effectively be able to shoot everything from paper targets to Daleks with one gun license.
So which will it be?