Another unhelpful headline from the Independent

[Charlotte the flyer]

Wasn't this a section 58?



I fear the Indy may have a point.

[dromia]

Wasn't this a section 58?



I fear the Indy may have a point.

wtfwtf

[Meaty]

Yes, it was a 9.4mm Dutch KNIL.
Original press reports stated that the P.O.S. had fired at the police but had blown his thumb off in the process-later reports stated that the police had shot his thumb off when they were challenged and that the pistol was "incapable of firing in its present state". Anybody know the latest reflection of events?
The had tried (and failed) to buy some .38 rounds for it a few days previously but was turned down by the 'crim with a conscience'
I do wonder if the high profile events of Woolwich had any bearing on why this story was published :roll:

[Blackknight1974]

Standard EU gun laws would be interesting - especially if we use theirs as the blueprint...

[dromia]

I know it was an obsolete pistol but how does that mean that the indepenent has a point?

That poor thinking is what shafts shooters, follow that anti gun logic and you are saying if the pistol had been licensed that that outrage wouldn't have happened.

Anyone with a modicum of intelligence especially a shooter should know that is not the case.

[Charlotte the flyer]

I just can't get my head around why your average person needs the ability to buy a section 58. I'm not saying ban them like they did with SLRs and Pistols. Just make them section 7(1) or de-ack them then the genuine collectors can keep collecting and the crims lose access to a ready supply of firearms. It's only the same as the rules applied to airsofters, I can't see the issue.

[Demonic69]

It's probably thought that, if they went to the effort of making ammo for an obsolete calibre, they'd have plenty of easier ways of acquiring, modifying or manufacturing firearms.

[dave_303]

Read the paper the Home Office did on the procurement of illegal guns, most come from Ireland via Liverpool, next is the conversion of replicas and then the pool of shotguns that continue to circle from the 50s and 60s, with a small number being from break-ins. S58 simply doesn't come into it, the don't hold 'street cred', ammo is even harder to get r make than for the replicas and re guns themselves are in te whole bloody expensive.

[huntervixen]

Unfortunately its the usual hysterical "GUNS ON THE STREETS AND WERE ALL GOING TO DIE" reporting......a real non issue, compared to the amount of knife crime and drunken after hours brawling that's prevalent in our cities......though some sec58 firearms are relatively cheap £300 and up, (tatty pin fire revolvers for instance), the cost of say a good percussion Remington NMA or Colt Navy or Army is £1,850 and up and 19th century cartridge revolvers are rising in value very rapidly !!

Now, apparently underworld types can buy Makarovs from "the bloke in the pub" for a few hundred quid (or so the papers would have us believe) so why would anyone bother with an expensive antique?

Still, stories like this are good to shock the (largely firearms ignorant) gullible and easily outraged British public over their cornflakes in the morning!!

[dave_303]

Having just looked back on my notes, the 2006 Home Office study (yes it is a few years old now, but the most recent one to hand.

It reported that Handguns could be bought for £150 and Automatics (SMGs etc) for £800,

This next bit is copied from my notes from the paper and may prove of some interest, Can any of our members who are in the Police give a more up to date account? Sim? Dangermouse?

80 recent firearms offenders were studied, 58 of them had previous convictions, 6 of them were firearms offences. 40 had previously been threatened with guns, 29 had been shot at, 8 had been shot and 28 had been stabbed.
106 firearms had been used between 76 of the offenders, of which, 13 were imitation guns, 6 BB guns, 4 converted imitation guns, 4 blank firers, 2 airguns, 1 deact, 1 react, 4 unspecified. ‘Real Guns’ were 41 handguns, 20 shotguns, 6 automatics (UZIs, MACs and a Sterling), 3 stun guns and 1 CS canister. Some of these were of WWII vintage, 1 revolver and 1 SMG. Nationally (England and Wales) in 04/05, rifles made up <0.1% of guns use in firearms offences, Shotguns only 3%.