VERY interesting!  I know the  HO is being very cagey at the moment and have not said NO to my request for a pistol but instead are passing the buck furiously… in my case to the UK Paralympic Squad!

My feeling is we are going to see UIT pistols back under a Section 5 with storage at NRA/NSRA approved ranges for active competitive shooters before too long.  Fingers crossed!

ANdy


Dunblane handgun ban under review

THE handgun ban imposed in the wake of the Dunblane massacre is being reviewed by the government to improve Britain’s medal prospects at international pistol-shooting competitions.

New rules which would put hundreds of pistols back in the hands of marksmen are being considered just six years after the tragedy in which 16 schoolchildren and their teacher were murdered by gunman Thomas Hamilton.

The highly controversial move follows a ‘one-off’ relaxation of the ban - which outlaws handguns in Scotland, England and Wales - to allow small-calibre pistol shooters to take part in the recent Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Sports minister Richard Caborn has given the strongest hint yet that the government is prepared to relax the ban. Caborn visited the National Shooting Centre at Bisley in Surrey last month and, in comments that have not previously been reported, told shooting enthusiasts: "Things are not set in tablets of stone and they can always be reversed."

Sources at the Home Office and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport have confirmed that the rules are being reviewed following vociferous lobbying by shooting enthusiasts.

A Home Office insider said: "It remains a sensitive issue, but the shooting groups have put a solid case together and some people in the department are willing to listen, particularly after the Commonwealth Games experiment." But the move has been condemned by families of the children who were murdered at Dunblane.

Mick North, who lost his five-year-old daughter Sophie in the tragedy, said: "Those of us who suffered as a result of Dunblane know that Thomas Hamilton got his guns by learning target shooting at a sports club.

"The sport of target shooting has encouraged some people to go out and use guns for criminal purposes. Any relaxation will inevitably chip away at the entire ban."

North added: "I must admit I found it disconcerting to see people pointing pistols during the Commonwealth Games. It still turns my stomach."


‘It remains sensitive, but shooting groups have put a solid case together’


The plans to relax the ban were also criticised by Pat Greenhill, former provost of Dunblane. She insisted that the shooting lobby should not be allowed to influence the future of gun control.

Greenhill said: "I understand the disappointment of sportsmen who are perfectly responsible and feel they have been penalised for the actions of a very small element.

"But unfortunately, if the wrong person has access to a gun it can be disastrous."

The review follows concerted pressure by the gun lobby. At the moment, people taking part in the five pistol-related sporting events are forced to travel abroad to practise.

Prominent shooting groups have demanded an exemption for sports shooters, who they claim are the most responsible gun-owners, despite massive public support for the blanket ban.

One ‘compromise’ option under investigation is allowing British sports shooters to own and use their pistols in this country, as long as the weapons remain under lock and key in an approved shooting club.

Shooting supporters including Caborn’s predecessor Kate Hoey have been emboldened by recent developments, and insist the Commonwealth Games reinforced the case for special treatment.

They claim the pistol events, held amid high security at Bisley, passed off without a hitch, but that the British medal haul was disappointing.

Pat Johnson, of the British Shooting Sports Council, said blanket restrictions on handguns did not address the real cause of horrific incidents such as Hamilton’s attack.

"Those incidents could have been avoided by better policing and proper co-operation between the shooting clubs and police," he said.

"The ban has caused terrible problems for our sport, but I feel there is now an opening for us to to review the legislation. There is a groundswell of support for that at the moment.

" For the moment our people can compete at international level, but they will find it harder and harder if they can’t practise regularly."

Jenny Page, of the National Small Bore Rifle Association, said the gun lobby could now see "a chink of daylight".

"I have always felt it was a case of softly-softly, catchee monkey. It’s about chipping away at the resistance ," she said. "Anyone who takes their hysterical head off and puts their thinking one on would recognise our case.

"Ideally we would like to go back to the situation pre-1997, when licensed shooters could own and use their guns."

The Firearms (Amendment) Act was rushed into force in 1997. A change in the law would face formidable opposition from MPs in all parties.

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=763&id=874132002

Forget to add…

This little fellow seems to be one step closer to my trusty right hand today…



.22rf SIG Mosquito

That's not a tiny backpeddle Taffster!!!  That's a huge 180 degree about face!!!!!

We ARE winning the battle… the press don't see us as the baddies, the releasing of the Dunblane stuff proves Hamilton was a barking mad nut known to the police for 20 years, and GCN have not even raised a squeak recently, (but as they are a wholly owned subsidiary of the Labour Party that was to be expected!)… Blair ran a statement before the election for a week about willing to see the limited reintroduction of Target Pistols and it did not cause uproar, it was a 'flag flying' exercise to see if he could get himself off the hook and it now seems we just may get soemthing back…  Lets all be a bit more postive!!!

2000ish (and the ones who did not should be ashamed of yourselves!) of us put forward a very postive case for the sport in the HO review, it seems we did make a good case after all along with the NRA.

Personally I have zero problem with the idea of Section 5 and pootling up to Bisley on a Saturday/Sunday to spend the day banging away with a pistol which is kept there, even Mrs Vito likes Bisley!

ANdy

Quoted: If I'm responsible enough to own and keep rifles then why not pistols.

That is one of the main arguments put forward for the total ban being utterly pointless… a single shot .22 UIT pistol is too deadly to own, but a .338 AW is OK?…

ANdy

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: If I'm responsible enough to own and keep rifles then why not pistols. That is one of the main arguments put forward for the total ban being utterly pointless… a single shot .22 UIT pistol is too deadly to own, but a .338 AW is OK?… ANdy I concur with all your points but as I said if I can be trusted to keep a rifle at home then why not a pistol? I know, I know One step at a time.... Taffy

Well Taffster, there have been two tracks to the argument…

There was the 'Give us back all our pistols you c***s' brigade who got absolutely nowhere…

And there was the  'Section 7 pistols kept at designated armories has been available with zero threat to public safety, please can we join in with UIT pistols for recognised competitions?' Brigade…

Option 2 seems to have gotten a postive response… I deal with Politicians and Civil Serpents all the time, if you demand they get all defensive and back into a corner. The way to get what you want is let them think it's their great idea and they are doing you a great favour… they are very vain people and like being preened and thrive on praise.  

Every time I hear of an MP who makes a positive comment about shooting I send him/her an email thanking them, if more shooters did the same we would get a lot more people 'on side' in Parliament.  Whatever shooters may think, there are nearly 2 Million of us, thats a lot of votes and votes win prizes. I miilion people demanded a handgun ban and got it, if 2 million shooters had signed a petition say 'do and we vote against you' they wouldn't have.

ANdy

Quoted: Also a shame that joe public is not mainly pro-shooting

That's because our profile is so low, most people when they do get a chance to shoot really enjoy it. I work in a department with 24 Civil Serpents, not one knew that handguns were banned! Joe Public in not anti shooting, 95% don't really care either way.


If Joe Public decided tomorrow, "I want to have a go at shooting' how would he go about it? Look in Yellow Pages and he would draw a blank…

The steps are too small and too slow though

If I had said to you 12 months ago Labour was considering letting us have UIT pistols back you would have said I was smoking crack…

Lets start with 'baby steps' and go from there. If pistols come back and all is well with the world then we can have a go at the pointless and stupid SLR ban next. I can have a lever action full bore but not a semi auto or pump action?

Quoted: I've read all the stuff here and would wholehearetedly welcome a return of pistols......really do hope we see it. But, after reading Dr Mick North's comments...and taking into consideration that he did lose a child....am still of he opinion that he is a fucking idiot!!! Every time he sees someone pointing a pistol, it turns his stomach [%|The man really ought to get real Mark

I wouldn't worry too much about Mick North, even the GCN seems to be distancing itself from him these days. He is to be pittied, he's clearly suffering a severe mental illness and it shows now. He's been shouting 'Wolf' for 8 years now when there is no Wolf and he's staring to embarrass people.

The Department of Culture Media & SPort were fairly ambivalent in there recent communication with me…

I should explain that the Home Office is the lead Department for
legislation relating to handguns. However, I am glad to say that the
Home Secretary has given his approval for the Olympic pistol events and
any precursor events to go ahead as long as security meets the required
standard. I understand your concerns about training for pistol shooters
in the run up to the Olympic Games. DCMS is aware of this issue and will
be watching it closely.

No mention of Dunblane or all the usual crap they used to trot out, just a mention of 'security'…

ANdy

Quoted: My rifles are secure.... Taffy

I'm sure they are Taffster, but we mustn't frighten the Sheeple!

ANdy