Dunblane: how Britain banned handguns

[Liveonce]

An interesting perspective from those who were so badly impacted and dare I say it dreadfully served by the actions of an utter madman - for a callous murdering bastard he was and by all accounts the public at large and the entirely law abiding shooting community were very badly served by those in authority who could and indeed should have prevented it.
Over here in NI and paradoxically despite a rather dreadful thirty years or so we still have full-bore pistols and a thriving pistol shooting community. It strikes me that those who rushed in the legislation were guilty of popular politics with little logic or evidence behind their actions…

They thought it would be an election winner, then labour one and even banned .22lr pistols that the conservatives may have allowed to continue to be owned.

Channel islands and isle of man also still have pistols.

 

[gixer1]

Regardless of what people say - it was a silly response, we now have pistols with coat hangers sticking out the back of them - do we think criminals can’t work a hacksaw?

It was a way to appease an angry mob and was put in place due to the ignorance of the general public and the absolute wrong’un that should never have been near kids - never mind firearms.

 

[Smellydog]

It was a way to appease an angry mob

I agree but think there was more to it. It was also a diversion to take the spotlight off the plod chief!
If the facts became public the blame would of landed squarely at the authorities feet.

Hamilton had been rejected by several clubs. He had to travel miles to finally fool a club.

 

[gixer1]

I agree but think there was more to it. It was also a diversion to take the spotlight off the plod chief!
If the facts became public the blame would of landed squarely at the authorities feet.

Hamilton had been rejected by several clubs. He had to travel miles to finally fool a club.

I’m sure there was more to it - but I don’t think it was a conspiracy, it was simply a nut job weirdo that was wrong in the head.

As people have said it’s very difficult to argue with 15 sets of grieving parents, however - I genuinely believe that 95% of the public do not understand what was actually done….you can tell this by one of the statements that’s made at the end of the documentary “no child will have to worry about being shot with a handgun now”…..that’s nonsense, we know it - and in some respects it was a way of appeasing both sides by attaching bars to the back of pistols…

One MP in the documentary made a valid point (although his delivery was very poor) about had it been a shotgun more would have died.

Some people won’t like this view - but I’ll say it anyway - I genuinely believe restricting and applying law to inanimate objects is pointless as it’s always the human element that is the problem - in a very high percentage of firearms incidents in the U.K. - it’s the system that’s the issue, not the firearm.

That’s where I would say the US have this part correct that it’s not the gun that’s the issue - it’s the idiots that can get their hands on them.

 

[maximus otter]

I lost thousands of pounds' worth of kit, a hugely enjoyable part of my life and the chance to shoot pistol competitively for my country.

I will never forgive the politicians who punished over 50,000 innocent people for the crimes of one man.

I remember this betrayal as I consider who to vote for at every election.

maximus otter

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I lost thousands of pounds' worth of kit, a hugely enjoyable part of my life and the chance to shoot pistol competitively for my country.

I will never forgive the politicians who punished over 50,000 innocent people for the crimes of one man.

I remember this betrayal as I consider who to vote for at every election.

maximus otter

I am surprised you still accept living in a country that did that to you, I voted with my feet even though I am too old to practice pistol shooting and with oncoming AMD for the future. But it was the first and last matter of principal for me.
The joke was that after the 9/11 event and me planning my move to Germany in March 2002 my son in laws father who had worked for a very sensitive German organisation asked if I would to step forward as one of the planned sky marshals "as you were a good shot in the UK" until the cockpit doors could be strengthened across all the airlines.
Thankfully that never came to pass as 12 hours every day spent sitting in a plane would be hell.

 

[Ronin]

Dunblane was to be frank the fault of the relevant authorities issuing a licence to someone who should never have been considered fit

What followed was a knee jerk reaction (as was Hungerford) to remove self loading rifles and pistols from legitimate and fit individuals use

Thankfully there was no similar fallout from Bird

If due process is followed then individuals whom are questionable will have zero access.

You cannot plan or account for sudden MH incidents caused by stress or sudden changes in circumstbce and if you could, there should be the ability to remove access to vehicles (if a driver) and any object capable of causing ham

(And yes, I know the last sentence is not possible to enforce)

But if it applies to firearms, it should also be applicable to anything that could cause harm

 

[Smellydog]

it was simply a nut job weirdo that was wrong in the head.

Absolutely correct.
He was however visited several times due to concerns expressed by third parties.
On at least one visit by a wpc he actually threatened her with a revolver I think.
She reported it to her superiors and nothing was done. That is one of many opportunities to flag up he was indeed a " wrong in the head" and thus the whole blood bath could of been prevented.
Maybe chief plod was worried he might get black balled down the local lodge or something so the publics interests came second place. Retired on full pension! Sound familiar? The establishment protects their own, period.

 

[Chris Richardson]

We are still burdened by the general public's belief, that the licensing authorities have no fault in these happenings, as more recent events show.

and that will always be they way , they mess up we carry the can

 

[Skietindiekop]

It is impossible to legislate against insanity so banning any type of weapon is pointless.
The person should have some sort of effective mental health and personality test. Successful applicants should then have a license to possess a certain number of firearms with secondary level applications should they have a legal need for more.

 

[Smellydog]

It is impossible to legislate against insanity so banning any type of weapon is pointless.
The person should have some sort of effective mental health and personality test. Successful applicants should then have a license to possess a certain number of firearms with secondary level applications should they have a legal need for more.

Why? Would more tip them over the edge like?

 

[Smellydog]

 

[Bavarianbrit]

It is all water under the bridge now, whackos walk amongst us all but second guessing their motives is impossible, it is the human condition after all.
Just look what we have presently for a US President, to me he has very visible dodgy motives.

 

[Klenchblaize]

I retain one spine-chilling thought:

Would this site exist if Hamilton had carried out his sick crime with a bolt action sporting rifle?

K

 

[charlie222]

What gets my goat is the sentences that criminal possession and/or use of hand guns attract. Just Google 'So solid crew gun possession' for a couple of fine examples. Take a loaded illegal handgun into an night club and get 18 months?
Bonkers.

 

[Heym SR20]

Others have said all that needs to be said about Dunblane etc.

However given all the discussions about need to manage deer, rewilding etc I do think the deer stalking community have a real opportunity to put our best foot forward. We are custodians of the countryside and responsible individuals doing a worthwhile job for the environment.

We are very far removed from the social misfits who want to play with guns. I must admit I am not keen on the paint balling, airsoft type games for stag weekends etc. nor the wargames type videos. If you want to learn military skills join the army or reserves and learn the proper way to use weapons and the damage that they can do.

 

[Rake Aboot]

16 young children and a teacher killed + 15 injured. I can see why the draconian ban was implemented. It was not just 1 person that got killed and kind of forgotten about 5 years later. The event tore a deep wound through Scotland up to this day. When idiots and scumbags keep committing these atrocities there will always be a backlash and consequences. The same reason we now have to get an Air Weapon Licence to buy any kind of airgun because some junkie ****wit killed a toddler with an air rifle a few years ago and the parents went to court to get it licenced so it would never happen again. It took me months of waiting for my AWL but I can live with that.

The “ bans” have saved no one and have not contributed to public safety

Others have said all that needs to be said about Dunblane etc.

However given all the discussions about need to manage deer, rewilding etc I do think the deer stalking community have a real opportunity to put our best foot forward. We are custodians of the countryside and responsible individuals doing a worthwhile job for the environment.

We are very far removed from the social misfits who want to play with guns. I must admit I am not keen on the paint balling, airsoft type games for stag weekends etc. nor the wargames type videos. If you want to learn military skills join the army or reserves and learn the proper way to use weapons and the damage that they can do.

People should be allowed to enjoy themselves how they see fit. Plenty think your a barbarian for shooting animals so paintball is hardly the end of the world is it.

But like saying if you want to kill deer , get a job as a forestry contractor, don’t just play at it.

 

[Sol]

“no child will have to worry about being shot with a handgun now”…..that’s nonsense, we know it -

Sure there significantly more restricted, but there still legal with a reason though people going through the legal hoops too acquire one are likely well... sane?

I'm also pretty confident there's technically "pistols" that are still very much UK legal long as there an overall length of 24" sure that's ridiculously huge and severely impracticable but It looks and shoots like a regular pistol.

 

[Rake Aboot]

As an aside, there was no ban. No guns are banned in the UK and every type of gun is legal, and available to own and use. Just restricted.

 

[Smellydog]

I think you will also find that after the hand in hand gun crime was raised!
Many went missing in police custody and most of them were stored at mod Donnington in crates with little security. Not all of them were destroyed as the public were shown!

Bull**** Britain at its best.