Tape wrote:Les, what is exactly the laws in the UK for owning firearms? I thought they were outlawed. I remember reading that when it happened all citizens were to take their firearms to law enforcement and hand them over.
Gun ownership over here can be very complicated, but here goes.
Up until 1996, it was legal to own rifles, shotguns and handguns, but after a shooting incident at a school in 1996 in which 16 pupils were killed, it became illegal to own handguns.
We can still buy handguns, but they must conform to certain measurements. The barrel has to be at least 12" long, and the overall length must not be less than 24", so a metal bracket is fitted to the grip to make the gun longer. They are the ugliest, most stupid looking things you've ever seen, but people still buy them. This only applies to mainland Britain. Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man can still buy 'normal' handguns.
The only semi auto handguns we have are in .22, and they must also conform to the above size measurements.
Rifles can be purchased, without caliber limitations, but only .22 rifles are available in semi auto. Everything else will be bolt action.
To own any firearm in the UK, you must show "good reason" for wanting to own them. The two most common reasons are for target shooting or pest control. If you are a member of an approved target shooting club, then you can apply for a firearms certificate -
FAC. Similarly, if you have your own land, or you have permission to shoot on sombody else's land, you can apply for a certificate. The land must be passed by the police as being suitable for the caliber that you're using. You won't get permission to buy a .50 cal if you only have half an acre to shoot on, for instance.
Every firearm must be applied for, and a 'slot' is put on your certificate before you can buy anything. For example, if you want to buy a .38/.357, you must sent your certificate to the police, telling them what you want the rifle for. They will then - if you're lucky - send you your certificate back with the permission to buy the rifle. The system is a pain, but it works.
Shotguns need their own certificate. Once you have a shotgun certificate -
SGC - you can buy as many shotguns as you want, providing you have adequate safe storage facilities.
There are various classes of FAC's and SGC's, but the above is the basic formula. It sounds like a pain in the neck, and sometimes it is, but it's a case of playing by the rules, I suppose.
