The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

[quote][/quote]I would agree with any PRO comments provided they are based on logical arguments....even from NF who is only saying what most of us think anyway.

I have an array of rifles up to 338 Lap mag that I am formally trusted to own and use, I am properly licensed, not a 'nutter' and enjoy stalking and target shooting (darts with a bang attached!) etc etc

How could I be any less safe / responsible if I had a handgun for target use?

There is no logic to the ban ....it was political pandering to public opinion plain and simple.

From what I could understand of past cases of abuse (horrendous though they were) they were very much a failing of the system that should assess peoples suitability / stability etc ...from memory didn't the gun club that the Dunblane killer belonged to warn authorities that they thought him 'iffy'?....no action was taken that I am aware of.

SevenSixTwo wrote:Polls now at 60+ in favour.

Stop hiding and support our sport.

The ones that want to hide, let them hide; how will we benefit from them?

A local paper with an edition that covers the Dunblane area has asked me whether I'd write an opinion piece for them in support of shooting. (they ran this artice on their front cover today, I'm told: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/scotla ... n-1.187111 )

Given some of the comments here, it seems that to accurately reflect the British target shooting world at the moment I should write that the pistol ban was a good thing and needs to be maintained...

... not a point of view I want to give any oxygen to, frankly. It's precisely that sort of craven kowtowing that resulted in the pistol ban.

Gaz wrote: It's precisely that sort of craven kowtowing that resulted in the pistol ban.

Absolutely!

Shooters are their own worst enemies.

Gaz wrote: Given some of the comments here, it seems that to accurately reflect the British target shooting world at the moment I should write that the pistol ban was a good thing and needs to be maintained...

The number of comments on this thread that seems to approve of the handgun ban surprises me...my experience, over 20 years, shooting pistol, target rifle and now gallery rifle, is that the overwhelming number of shooters would support a repeal of the ban. Could I suggest that you at least run a poll on this site, over the next couple of days, to determine the level of agreement with your statement above, before giving the message that in general shooters support the ban in a published article? You certainly would not be speaking for me, or all of my friends in the shooting community, if you did so.

David.

The Telegraph poll is surprising. The Guardian comments thread is what you'd expect.

All the replies so far have ignored one vital point.
It is not Labour, Lib Dems or the Tories who will decide whether you can, or cannot possess any sort of firearm.

Nigel Farage voiced an opinion, which just happens to resonate with a lot of people on this forum.

The person who will decide if you may, or may not own and use firearms, is the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Maelstrom and her agenda has made it VERY clear, she doesn't want you to have them.

At least UKIP has the courage to speak out on the subject, even though the potential votes of 650,000 or so firearms owners in the UK are not going to swing the next election in their favour.

The only way to be in charge of our own destiny is to re-negotiate the terms of European Membership for the UK.
ukrifleman.

UKrifleman

I thought you were headed for the local police & crime commisioners.

An interesting exercise is to look up your local PCCs absolute vote and majority, then look up the number of FACs and SGCs on issue in their area, and think about the electoral possibilities.

I would be more than happy to go through psychiatric evaluation if it meant I could have access to pistols for target shooting. I'm perfectly sane and I can prove it... IMO this should be part of the certification process to include shotguns.

IainWR wrote:UKrifleman

I thought you were headed for the local police & crime commisioners.

An interesting exercise is to look up your local PCCs absolute vote and majority, then look up the number of FACs and SGCs on issue in their area, and think about the electoral possibilities.

The point I was making is, that the EU is actively looking to implement standardised Europe wide gun control legislation and Cecilia Maelstrom is the driving force behind it.

The UK Government will have to comply as a fully paid up member, regardless of what opinion is, here at home.

The situation is out of our politician's hands, regardless of how many certificate holders there might be in any one constituency.
ukrifleman