Government review link

[bighit]

i have used some of Para's letter and added some more points that i think are prudent .

Dear Sir/Madam
I think as a country our gun control regulation is stringent with enough control measures in place to ensure that they are used correctly.

As a firearms owner I know that the police FEO teams already struggle with managing firearms licencing administration the burden of extra work will only see this service struggle further.

The banning of handguns has had no effect on gun crime which still takes place the only persons affected were the law abiding shooters who belonged to clubs etc who can no longer carry on with their sport.

The people that misuse airguns at present will not respect any new regulations as they do not follow the strict regulations that in place at present .

The incident involving Benjamin Wragge was a tragic incident which if the owner of the airgun had stored correctly in accordance within the requirements of section 46 of the crime and security act 2010 namely
24ZA
(1) Failing to prevent minors from having air weapons
It is an offence for a person in possession of an air weapon to fail to take reasonable precautions to prevent any person under the age of eighteen from having the weapon with him .

Benjamin Wragge was shot and tragically killed with an unlicensed airgun (above the 12ftlbs limit set under the firearms (Dangerous Air Weapons ) rules 1969 ).

The airgun involved was found in an airing cupboard within the house on the property where Benjamin was shot and killed . Had the airgun been stored in accordance with section 46 of the crime and security act 2010 , This incident may never have happened



There are a number of businesses that rely on shooting as a living, tighter controls would see a possible closure of these shops ,they may sell other sporting goods like fishing goods but the airgun side of the business will suffer and possibly lead to unemployment and the business closing

The government needs to uphold the penalties that are currently in force or implement stricter penalties to those that break the law with airguns rather than imposing stricter regulations on the law abiding airgun users .

Paul



does that seem ok ?

i have not sent it yet .

i found the evidence of the airing cupboard from a report

https://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news...dent-1-7999202
"DI Hayward said the airgun had been taken out of the airing cupboard where it was stored by the boy who had brought his friends home to see progress on the building of a new shed."

furthermore it was a homemade gun and could be fired with out the trigger being pulled

"Richard Kennett, joint firearms licensing manager for Norfolk and Suffolk Police, told the inquest the gun which fatally injured Ben had been ‘home made’ by the person who sold it and who was not a recognised manufacturer.

Had the law on the licensing and registration and storage of airguns been amended in the past, Ben’s death could have prevented.
Zoe Wragge
The air rifle had no safety catch, could be fired without pulling the trigger and it could not be seen if it was loaded."

te owner was not even aware of the power of the rifle

"Although the weapon was found to be slightly more powerful than the limit requiring the holding for a firearms certificate, it had been sold by the manufacturer and accepted by the purchaser as complying with that limit."

so clearly the owner was very lax in relation to condition of the airgun and its storage. so any new regulations are going to punish responsible owners because one owner did not have a clue that his rifle was illegal and had also stored it in plain sight of kids .

Paul