What is the differnce in gun control laws in the U.S. and Britan?

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clint_slicker

Britain does have a much stricter control on gun ownership, even to the extent of air guns and BB guns, and yes gun crime does reflect this. It is still easy to get a license for a gun.

Firearms are licensed in accordance with the Firearms Acts 1968-1997 and other associated Acts.

Applicants for Firearms Certificates have to show 'good reason' for the possession of each and every firearm. In practical terms that means which firearm they want, what they want to use it for and where they are going to use it. For example a .22RF rifle may be authorised for shooting vermin on a specific piece of land or a 7.62mm rifle may be authorised for target shooting whilst a member of a specific club.

How do Cleveland Police check that?
All applications are subjected to standard checks with PNC, Criminal Intelligence and several other departments. Firearms applications must be supported by two referees and shotgun applications must be countersigned. All applicants are visited by the FEO (Firearms Enquiry Officer), to establish their bona fides.

How are applications refused or certificates revoked?
A firearm certificate can be revoked if the holder is:

of intemperate habits;
of unsound mind;
unfit to be entrusted with such a firearm;
no longer has good reason for possession;
a danger to the public safety or to the peace.
A shotgun certificate can only be revoked if the holder is a danger to the public safety or the peace.

The burden of proof is 'within the bounds of probability' not 'beyond reasonable doubt' as with a criminal offence.

choccy_002

In UK, only farmers who require a shotgun for livestock protection and members of registered gun clubs may own firearms and need a license to do so.
Gun club members (including those who use shotguns for hunting wildlife, when in season) must keep their weapons in secure lockers at the gun club where they are a member.
Some UK police do carry guns - notably at airports and when on VIP protection duty - but, as you say, guns are not carried as a matter of routine by police over here.
Although there is gun crime in UK, most shootings are between members of criminal gangs rather than members of the public shooting at one another.
Our gun control laws (which were tightened following the Dunblane Massacre in 1996 - in which Thomas Hamilton, armed with 4 guns that he legally held as a gun club member, shot and killed 16 children and 1 adult and shot and wounded a further 10 children and 2 adults, at a Scottish infants school, before killing himself) are probably the main reason for the statistic that although USA only has 5 times the population of UK, it has 55 times the gun crime.

Servette

What Gun Control in USA????
In UK you kill someone, you are prison for life...in USA you are on Oprah, write a book which turns into a movie, make million of $ and live comfortably in Beverly Hills.

english guy 1985

guns are not allowed pretty much at all in UK

the police are not even routinely armed (the feeling is that if they were, this would just encourage more criminals to arm themselves)

however it is likely that in the near future the police in larger cities will start to carry guns - there has been a huge rise in gun crime in those areas and public opinion is slowly starting to sway.

however this does not mean it is easier to commit a firearms offence in Britain because the police are not usually armed - they have armed response units that can be there in a heartbeat.

Prohibition of guns does not mean that the UK is a gun-free society though - in the same way that America is not a drug-free society just because drugs are illegal.

it's interesting that a lot of people who have answered here are under the impression that Britain has tougher sentances for murderers etc - I don't think thats the case and certainly most Brits wouldn't see it that way.This government being 'soft on crime' is an issue at almost every election - and in fact America is often cited as an example of a country with tougher, more effective sentancing !

byron101540

One thing, in the UK if you kill someone you go to jail for the rest of your life, even a 7 year old, In Texas if you kill some one
you might spend 7 years is jail

In the UK any crime using a gun, it's life w/o parole
The Bleeding Heart Liberals in the US won't allow it

gandyg

At the most basic leverl, Britian has gun control, America doesn't.
Hence the vast difference in gun related crime

Jerry G

In Great Britain the public is not allowed to have fire arms. Unless they own lots of property and have livestock. Then they may possess a shotgun. In the USA all you have to have to get A firearm is have a pulse. If you compare the death rates in the USA with that of Great Britain you would be amazed at how low they are compared to the USA. We are talking legal firearms. I am sure there are some illegal ones in GB.

epidavros

Guns are strictly regulated.

You have to be registered and inspected regularly to hold a gun, and usually be a member of a gun club. Inspectors will come to your home to see where your gun is kept. It is VERY hard to get a gun legally.

Hand guns and automatic weapons are totally illegal.

As a result we have vastly fewer gun related deaths. But then if you insist on continuing to misinterpret the constitution...

(BTW I have been to Texas and was horrified by the level of gun ownership).

The Patriot

Gun control laws are much tighter in the UK. As a result of the reduced number of guns, the incidence of gun crime is less. The illegal use of guns is rising, and the police have armed response units that react to incidents involving guns. There have been cases where the police have been shot with guns, but this tends to be rare as well.

Many in the UK have commented on the murder rates and gun crime rates in the US where guns are easier to obtain, and compared them to the rates in the UK which has far less of a problem with gun crime and the thoughts are that this is because there are less firearms available.

But you will find that in London, you will see armed police as a matter of routine in certain areas. These areas include the US embassy and Heathrow airport.

Adacadus

No one really carries a gun as an offensive weapon in the UK*, therefore no one feels the need to carry a gun as a defensive weapon in the UK.

(* It would be a conspicous(sp?) and suspicious thing to do. People will call the police at the sight of an uncovered weapon, unless they can see an obvious legitimate use for it.)

Perry B

In the U.S. the government is trying to get control of all the guns in the country. In Britain they don't have any control of any of them. They only have control of the people who will follow the law. It is a pity when a country doesn't even trust those in law enforcement to have a weapon.

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