The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Apology in advance: I hesitate to ask, yet, I am curious and wish to learn. When, where, why and how did the UK gun laws become so onerous. When was the start- the beginning of the becoming, so to speak. Can it be recognized in advance? How long did it take ? What is the good and bad of it ? Is it so entrenched now it cannot be reversed ? ECT... Thanks in advance ,from a friend in Texas.

Started really with the 1920 Firearms Act

That was brought about as the government were concerned with Bolshevik revolution in the UK.
See extracts from a book called Whitehall Diaries.

The next nail in the coffin was the 1937 Firearms Act.
Great timing as they was the one which banned fully automatic weapons in private hands.
It's not like in 1937 a certain foreign chap with a funny moustache hadn't been throwing his weight around, nor had the Nipponese Empire been expanding into China, nor had a rotund gentleman been flexing his muscles in Africa.
Make you wonder if some MP's had allegiances elsewhere.....

Saddler, I will look for book are there any websites you would recommend ?

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookD ... %3Bsts%3Dt

There's only a couple of pages in the book on the 1920 Act.

I chose to research early European firearms laws as part of my degree course, during the module on Revolutionary Europe.
(we could chose ANY topic of our own interest as long as it took place during the period of the module & was directly effected by the modules core topic)

Prior to the 1937 Act it was legal to buy a Vickers 303 machine gun by mail order

In the 2nd Boer War & the early parts of WW1 it was not unknown for local regiments to be supplied with automatic weapons by local businessmen.

Apology in advance: I hesitate to ask, yet, I am curious and wish to learn. When, where, why and how did the UK gun laws become so onerous

What do you think is and is not allowed in the UK regards firearms. ? I know that some Americans think that no firearms are allowed.

The Pistol Act of 1903 was the start of the slippery slope - This law was about restricting the sale of pistols to minors.

Seemingly harmless in its self but I think this is where the ball started rolling. (and it's never stopped)

Ordnance & 1066 thanks for your replies, I have read the general background and some more specific current articles. I am more interested in the "man on the streets", what is his opinion? Is it perceived as the natural progression of a mature society or something imposed by the PTB?("powers that be") Thanks

Its imposed by governments, I am not against all gun control a lot of it is more to do with winning votes than concern for public safety. Outside the shooting enthusiasts most are happy to see strict gun control. There is also the opinion among some shooters that as long as their particular shooting interest is not affected, tough for the ones it does effect. You will find some on this forum for example that have no problem that handguns were banned because it did not affect their shooting interest and don't see the need for civilians to own handguns.

Thank you Mr.Ordnance.