Firearms laws. UK vs US.

As we have no football to discuss thought this would be a good debate starter. 

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on this? 

I have an FAC and own 3 firearms, a shotgun, a 55ft/lb .25 cal PCP and a .22 rimfire rifle. 

Was showing them to a friend yesterday when his super liberal Mrs, who had had a few wines decided to pipe up and told me I was disgusting, that animals should be given the right to live without a risk of getting shot, that guns kill people and simply as a firearm owner I myself was personally responsible for things like Dunblane and the Cumbria Sniper. What a load of crap. 

I'm a responsible gun owner, I participate in target shooting, fox and vermin shooting take rabbit, wood pigeon and partake in the occasional game bird shoot. Everything edible that I shoot gets consumed and I don't shoot anything unless its causing a genuine problem to farmers etc (the exception being game birds obviously as they are simply bred to be shot and eaten) 

Needless to say, it got pretty heated. In the end I dragged myself down to her level and told her that should our family's ever be under threat from anything like an ISIS killing spree or example, that her children would be murdered first. Her response was that nothing like that would ever happen here and if it did, our army would protect us...    of course it would. especially after all the cuts made in recent years   extreme point I know, but a valid one i feel nonetheless.   

Anyway, it got me thinking that the relaxed gun laws in the US, for all its problems it causes, could also be considered a good thing as people would think twice about starting a major kick off as over 50% of the population is armed to the teeth with military standard weapons. Along with its military ( that I have had a brief first hand experience of dealing with in the past) that is by far the best in the world, anyone would be nuts to attempt an ISIS style invasion there. whereas the UK on the other hand would have lost 50% of its ground by the time our governments plan to deal with it had finally got out of Northwood as our population is unable to defend itself. 

Just wondering what everyone elses thoughts are on this? genuine topic for discussion and id like it to get to at least page 2 before the usual off-topic bullshit starts. 

Discuss.

I think events like Hungerford and Dunblane had a negative impact on responsible gun owners in thje UK but I would rather have it that way instead of the American system where everybody and his brother seems to carry firearms. The right to bear arms is part of the US constitution and the NRA carry a lot of clout but I can foresee a future where America is forced to take steps to curb the amount of gun owners because the waste of so many innocent lives on a yearly basis is pitiful and inexcusable.

The issue is simple. I'd like to have one because I trust myself to use it wisely, however nobody else should be allowed to have one.

I presume this is a joke post Rebel. More people will die in the US from a gunshot wound in the next 6 hours than will die in the UK in the next 12 months.

And the fact you think having a gun will prevent a terrorist attack is laughable. You can just see the ISIS meeting can't you. "We'll bomb New York, London, Paris and Rome on Tuesday but I think we'll save Buckshaw Village for Wednesday when we can give it the personal touch and put boots on the ground".

Your guns are simply a compensation for something. Small penis? Lack of height? Thick as pigshit?

i wouldn't trust myself with a gun let alone anyone else.  unless a zombie apocalypse hits.  then i have a plan anyway!

You paint quite a picture......

Chavvy mental stupid shitty dogs and now guns.

Why do you think you have the right to kill animals?

Copper Dragon wrote:You paint quite a picture......

Chavvy mental stupid shitty dogs and now guns.

Edited, realised i'm a bellend

Guns are a way of life here in Naaaaaarfolk but nobody ever seems to get shot these days - not since that farmer got done for giving a burglar both barrels.
Their acceptance in America has meant that they are perceived as commonplace and are therefore taken less seriously IMO but at least they are making their contribution towards stabilising out of control breeding and population increase as we hurtle towards Malthusian doom.

bwfc1874 wrote:Why do you think you have the right to kill animals?

He only kills the ones he considers "vermin". He's almost a Saint.

Oh, and the ones he breeds just to kill.

Natasha Whittam wrote:I presume this is a joke post Rebel. More people will die in the US from a gunshot wound in the next 6 hours than will die in the UK in the next 12 months.

And the fact you think having a gun will prevent a terrorist attack is laughable. You can just see the ISIS meeting can't you. "We'll bomb New York, London, Paris and Rome on Tuesday but I think we'll save Buckshaw Village for Wednesday when we can give it the personal touch and put boots on the ground".

Your guns are simply a compensation for something. Small penis? Lack of height? Thick as pigshit?

I was waiting for your post... il play today. 

Not at all Nat. 

I have a degree and probably more money than you.  Of course, field sports are renowned for being a council house chav thing though so I will forgive your presumption. 

Your attitude sounds just like my friends Mrs. 

I'm not glorifying the use of guns at all and to basically make them a 'free-for-all' would be a ridiculously stupid thing, I just think the UK's firearms laws are a little over the top and more governed by public outrage rather than common sense. 

You are aware that most gun crime in the UK is performed using handguns I assume? 

A handgun is a prohibited weapon under section 5 of the firearms act, you need permission from the Home Office to possess one, they are essentially the strict preserve of the military and law enforcement agencies... However, according to statistics, 4,275 offences were committed in 2009 involving handguns, so its fair to assume that there is still a lot of these guns about in the UK - they come from the 'black market' - criminal gangs smuggle them in, usually from former Soviet states or south america. Now, if they are banned so much, how come there is still so many on the streets? The fight to control them was lost before it had even started. 

All due to one fucking nut-job in Scotland getting angry and shooting up a school, even responsible owners had to surrender them. Do you think the criminal gangs moved on to long rifles instead or simply kept their guns? The problem is not responsible gun owners, but criminals and until the police realise this instead of tarring everybody with the same brush and go after the harder targets (instead of the easier, law abiding ones) nothing will change. 

I believe responsible gun ownership is a privilege to be afforded to anybody who has a valid reason, no major history of mental illness and the proper means to store them. 

Using the dunblane massacre again - the same guy could have gone to his kitchen and got a carving knife, or even gone to machine mart and bought a chainsaw to do it with instead and probably would have if he hadn't had his guns. please forgive my graphic example, I tend to tell people the truth and not pussyfoot around it. with proper non-draconian measures in place, Michael Ryan would never had firearms in the first place, probably due to a lack of willing referees, however - I feel he still would have killed those children. 

Guns never kill anybody, its the people standing behind them that kill.

Copper Dragon wrote:You paint quite a picture......

Chavvy mental stupid shitty dogs and now guns.

Shitty dogs? Explain please. 

Chavvy? what makes you think that?

Natasha Whittam wrote:

bwfc1874 wrote:Why do you think you have the right to kill animals?

He only kills the ones he considers "vermin". He's almost a Saint.

Oh, and the ones he breeds just to kill.

DO you eat meat? 

Explain to me.... 

Whats the difference between shooting a rabbit (that causes untold damage to farmers infrastructure) and eating it, or killing a cow or a lamb to also eat it? 

Livestock is kept to be eaten. There is no difference between a cow being killed for its meat and a rabbit, except one dies instantly (the rabbit) and the cow takes a few more seconds due to the methods used in its killing.

I'd never kill an animal with a gun just people.

Jake McHale wrote:I'd never kill an animal with a gun just people.

Most sensible post today

Reebok_Rebel wrote:
I have a degree and probably more money than you.

I think that comment sums you up nicely.

Jake McHale wrote:I'd never kill an animal with a gun just people.

Anything constructive to add to the discussion?

See above, i'm not joking i'd rather shoot a child killing piece of scum than an animal.

Reebok_Rebel wrote:
DO you eat meat? 

Explain to me.... 

Whats the difference between shooting a rabbit (that causes untold damage to farmers infrastructure) and eating it, or killing a cow or a lamb to also eat it? 

Livestock is kept to be eaten. There is no difference between a cow being killed for its meat and a rabbit, except one dies instantly (the rabbit) and the cow takes a few more seconds due to the methods used in its killing.

It's called nature Rebel, you can't just shoot something because you don't like it. Rabbits and foxes were here long before you were and will be here long after the human race is extinct.

You come across as a right bellend, I bet you're soft as shite in real life. Perhaps that's why you need a gun and the chavvy dogs, to pretend you're a hard man.

I'll kick the shit out of you any day of the week.