How much does it cost to own a gun in England?

[ganymede]

ironicly in the US that would be considered a short barreled rifel and be illegal (kinda)

 

[armyof1]

there are swings and roundabouts either side of the pond just clad i"m not in the middle. !! just wish we had your gas prices here as we are upto £1.09 per lt now, thats $1.81 per lt or $ 8.14 per uk gallon ,if it keeps going up we will all be walking to the range,

 

[Calibre44]

zoogster wrote: In the UK firearms are for sporting purposes only,

Not so ... hunting and vermin control are also valid reasons

zoogster wrote: Shotguns with a magazine holding over 2 rounds are uncommon and require a "firearm certificate" (have to prove a need for every firearm and self defence is not a valid reason) rather than just a "shotgun certificate".

Semi auto shotguns with a mag capacity of 3 shells are very common, as are pump–action shotguns. Once a shotgun certificate is obtained you can buy as many shotguns as you like on one certificate and a reason for each shotgun bought is not required. This rule applies to Firearms only. (yes I know shotguns are firearms – but who said are gun laws made any sense)

You are however, spot on with your comments about self-defence … sadly. Actually we have just as much right to defend ourselves as an American citizen. We, do of course, lack the proactively that you do to do so. This is where our laws are pathetic and yours are to be admired.

What I don’t understand though, is way so many Americans don’t take advantage of your RKBA and CCW laws and become a total armed society. We are often called ‘sheep’ on THR despite the fact that we can't carry guns by law for self-defence. Surely an American who does have the RKBA but refuses to do so is the real sheep.

 

[JoeSlomo]

What I don’t understand though, is way so many Americans don’t take advantage of your RKBA and CCW laws and become a total armed society.

Most people don't appreciate what they have until they lose it...


Our voting record is another fine example of American apathy in action.

 

[Nick5182]

To illustrate this further, imagine that I’m cleaning my 12g one night and just happened to have the ammo near me – someone breaks in and attacks me with a knife … I fear for my life and shoot him dead. I would go to court but probably win. Again the subtle deference here is that I can’t keep the shotgun out of my gunsafe just in case someone breaks in.

There have a number of cases where a homeowner has killed the intruder and has not been prosecuted. It’s all about whether the force used to defend yourself is deemed reasonable – in the heat of the moment though that isn’t something that is going through your mind!

Man, if the laws here were anything like that I'd be "cleaning" my shotgun 24/7.

 

[tkopp]

I like to keep my bore minty fresh.

 

[Zoogster]

Not so ... hunting and vermin control are also valid reasons

Hunting is the definition of "sporting" in our country according to our ATF, and when it is defined in law. So while I was also including target shooting in my more generic application of the term applied to your situation, it included hunting.
Vermin control in England if I recall requires authorization leaving it little different than hunting something requiring a hunting license in the USA.

Self defense, or resistance to tyranny (a 'radical' concept discussed by the US founders and prime reason for the 2nd Amendment) though are not valid reasons. In fact storage requirements specifically and intentionally make self defense with a firearm impractical.

Semi auto shotguns with a mag capacity of 3 shells are very common, as are pump–action shotguns. Once a shotgun certificate is obtained you can buy as many shotguns as you like on one certificate and a reason for each shotgun bought is not required. This rule applies to Firearms only.

I said 2 round magazine capacity. The limit is 3 rounds on a shotgun certificate, and that includes one in the chamber. So it is a 2 round magazine capacity limit.
Greater requires a "firearm certificate" and justification for each firearm and proof of things like a legal place to shoot (shooting club, farm etc.)



However asinine restrictions on similar items extend beyond just firearms. Even most pocket knives common in the USA are outlawed in the UK.
Airguns and even airsoft toys are heavy regulated in the UK.
Ammo is also restricted, and there is even limits on the quantity and type of ammo a person can legally purchase in a year in the UK.


The primary reason to point these things out is not as an attack on those from those areas, but rather an attack on the pervasive and widespread mentality in such places that allows similar legislation to incrementally enact such losses of liberty.
Because such mentalities are recognized in the USA as well, and spread beyond just the die-hard anti-gunners when such an anti-liberty mindset and what it leads to is not pointed out and despised.
When people are allowed to forget, for even a couple years, suddenly new "common sense" legislation is able to be enacted.

 

[sidibear]

Calibre44 has answered everything better than I could have.
25PDR. I own a Taurus LBR in .45acp, the coathanger at the back has been changed to a thin bar and balance weight to counteract the extra barrel length. When held you never notice its there and is very nice to shoot.
I also have a Competitor pistol in both .357 & .44Mag, 23" barrel with cannon breech loading, again nicely balanced if a little heavy.
Another LBR I own is a Mateba Griffone in .454 Casull, and to be honest, I would hate to shoot it as a pistol, that damn thing is brutal.

Amongs my other toys are a Boar Mauser in 7x57, .243 A Bolt and various shotguns.

Zoogster, with regards to the airgun penalties. As the vast majority or airguns are not licensed anyone can get hold of one, and as we all know not everyone is a responsible grown up. Airguns have been used to shoot at paramedics, the fire brigade on a call out and even children playing in the street. The penalties involved are so the police can secure a decent conviction against these lowlife scumbags.
Also take into account that a lot of co2 air pistols are exact replicas of the real thing, which makes them a "fashion accessory" for wannabe gangster types who cannot get their hands on the real deal. So the laws were introduced so a conviction could be done rather than a smart assed lawyer arguing the case that it wasn't a real firearm.


A lot of my friends have FAC air guns (exceed 12psi) and use them for hunting small vermin. A couple of them have been stopped and air guns and firearms found in the vehicle and no charges have ever been bought. They are usually parked down dark side roads late at night, police get suspicious of thing like that over here.