Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Tragedy in Las Vegas

There are over 300 million guns in America - 112 guns per 100 people (twice that of any other nation on earth). Is it possible that gun ownership has gone too far from the original purpose of creating a militia in a relatively lawless America?

I can't see an easy solution as there is much truth in the statement that 'if you take guns away from the good guys, only the bad guys will have them.'

I leave you to tell the US supreme court that they are wrong in their legal interpretation.

I'm not trying to tell them what to do - that's already been done by the NRA.

Merely pointing a fundamental misunderstand of English syntax.

I too shot at the Chelmsford 1944 club, represented Essex and Jersey when I lived there. The legitimate owners were made scapegoats for the failings of that police force.

As is being proved (sadly) at the moment you don't need a gun to kill lots of people just an ability to drive.

Well, having just arrived back last night from a few weeks in the South Pacific followed by 3 days at the NRA Whittington Centre in New Mexico for a shooting event, I have a slightly different view.

First, it goes without saying, any form of murder, whether it's one or one hundred victims is both senseless and heinous.

Gun control in both the UK and USA is brought about not for public safety though. It is for political reasons only. For example, if gun control was for public safety in the United Kingdom (which was the stated reason for the Handgun law changes after Dunblane) then the whole of the United Kingdom would be subject to the changes in the Firearms Act.

However, certain areas of the United Kingdom are exempt from the changes and in those areas we have United Kingdom Citizens able to keep their pistols and continue using them in exactly the same way as before Dunblane. I guess you could compare it the the different areas in the US which have draconian gun laws such as Chicago, Washington DC etc and then States like Vermont which has absolutely no qualms about what type of firearm you can have and no regulations. Check out the gun crime stats in Vermont and compare to places like Chicago!

Oh, the reason why some parts of the UK the new handgun laws don't apply? The Government needed the votes of the MPs to get the Firearms Amendment Act passed so did a deal exempting areas if the MP's there voted in favour.

I believe that Shropshire where I now live has the highest concentration of firearms in the country (so the West Mercia Firearms team, based in Malvern told me).

One additional thing, the media generally hasn't a clue, or perhaps deliberately sets out to mislead in many ways when it comes to firearms. For example, automatic weapons have been heavily regulated federally for many years. I forget what year the changes were introduced nationally but I have been shooting in USA since 1990 and the regulations were in force then.

Basically a special licence from the Bureau of Alchohol, Tobacco and Firearms is required to have an automatic firearm of any type and there was a fee of circa $300 payable. It is not an easy thing to get. However, if we believe what we see in the media, every shooting incident is done with easy to obtain automatic weapons. The same licensing applies to sound suppressors (silencers) in the US as well but we are allowed them the UK. 3 of my rifles have them and one of my shotguns.

What fascinates me is that in the US there is a constitutional right to bear arms but no automatic right to healthcare for gunshot wounds!!!

Just an observation

I suspect we will need to get body armour for any GTN meetings, they all seem to be packing

https://youtu.be/mVuspKSjfgA

And

https://youtu.be/9pOiOhxujsE

Incredulous!

Excellent clips, Simon!