Military News Today

We’ve all seen the recent news of yet another mass shooting in the US, this time in Maine, and it has yet again brought up the gun law argument between Democrats and Republicans.

As a former soldier, I obviously love guns, I miss getting the a gun out and popping off some rounds downrange. During my time in the Army, I also got involved with a civilian gun club that used our 25m range on camp and became a gun owner of several hand guns. At the time of Dunblane, the UKs most deadliest mass shooting in 1996, I owned a 9mm Browning Hi-Power, a 9mm Beretta 92F, Sig Sauer P226 and a Glock 17.

After the mass shooting by Thomas Hamilton at a primary school in Dunblane which saw 16pupils and their teacher killed, sparked up a public debate on UK gun laws, which led the then Tony Blair Labour Government to the banning of most handguns.

The 1968 Firearms Act was reviewed and amended in 1997 after the Dunblane shooting – below shows the 1968 Firearms Act, the 1988 amendment to do with shotguns which came into effect after the 1987 Hungerford mass shooting by Michael Ryan and the 1997 amendment that came in to force after the Dunblane mass shooting.

1968 Firearms Act

The Firearms Act 1968 brought together all existing firearms legislation in a single statute.

Applicants for Firearms Certificates (for rifles and handguns) had to be of good character, to show good reason for possessing a firearm, and the weapons had to be stored securely.

The Act introduced a Shotgun Certificate for the first time. A Shotgun Certificate was less rigorous than a Firearm Certificate, it covered any number of shotguns, no good reason was required, and there were no storage requirements.

This Act formed the legal basis for British gun control until the Hungerford massacre in 1987.

1988 Firearms (Amendment) Act

This Act introduced some new restrictions on shotguns. Pump-action and self-loading rifles were prohibited. Also controlled were military weapons firing explosive ammunition.

1997 Firearms (Amendment) Acts

Following the Dunblane tragedy the Conservative government introduced the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 which confined handguns to clubs and prohibited larger calibre handguns. The subsequent Labour government introduced the Firearms (Amendment) (No 2) Act 1997 which banned the civilian ownership of handguns almost completely (significant exceptions being muzzle-loading guns and starting pistols).

after the 1997 amendment came I like so many other handgun owners in the UK had to hand our guns into the police. It was now longer law to be able to own a handgun in the UK.

On 25th October, 40yr old Army Reservist Robert Card took an assault rifle and walked into a Lewiston bowling alley as well as a restaurant fatally shooting 18people. After an extensive search, Card was found dead from what looked like a self inflicted gunshot. The shooting was the 36th mass shooting this year alone.

We all see the news regularly broadcast about yet another mass shooting in the US. The US gun laws are so far removed from the UK gun laws that there is not just literally an ocean between us, theres a metaphorical one too!

In the State of Maine, gun laws are some of the loosest in the whole of the US. For example, unlike where many States that have gun carry permits, Maine allows carry of a weapon without applying for a permit.

The state’s constitution declares: “Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned.” However, subsequent legislation has qualified that right, in many cases making Maine’s gun laws less strict over the years due to changes originating both from the state legislature and a major voter referendum. Still, there remain several provisions intended to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands.

Who can own a firearm in Maine?

According to state law, no one under the age of 18 is allowed to purchase a handgun in Maine, nor is it legal to “knowingly” sell a handgun to a minor. It’s also illegal to sell a firearm other than a handgun to a minor younger than age 16. Even so, there are exceptions – parental consent, for example, or active duty military service.

It’s also illegal in Maine for certain persons to possess a firearm, including people convicted of certain crimes, such as domestic violence, people who have been judged to be mentally incompetent for various reasons, and other criteria.

Anyone purchasing a handgun or other firearm in the state of Maine also must sign an “acknowledgment that the person was provided a basic firearm safety brochure” by the licensed dealer, which the dealer by law is required to provide.

Even so, permits are required to carry concealed in places where it is otherwise prohibited. Maine residents can also apply for a permit to carry with them when they travel to other states that recognise reciprocity with Maine – that is, states that recognise and honour the gun laws and rights of other states.

Background checks

Democratic Maine state lawmakers have repeatedly tried to pass laws that require universal background checks for all firearm sales, but have failed.

In 2013, the state legislature passed a bill that would have created a fine for anyone who didn’t properly vet a potential firearm customer who was prohibited from possessing a gun, such as a convicted felon. However, then Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, vetoed the measure.

So… Who has it right? UK or US? Does Either the UK or US have it right?… Personally although the UK laws being as extreme as they are, they do help towards fighting gun crime, BUT… My personal opinion is that the 1997 amendment to the UK Firearms Act are over the top, most people anywhere, be it the UK or anywhere globally buy guns for genuine honest and law abiding reasons. I purchased handguns to enjoy shooting on the range, I love guns, it doesn’t make me a mass murderer.

Its a real shame that we in the UK even back when we could own handguns didn’t have combat ranges, to have even more fun.

In the US, you can own handguns, assault rifles and even any automatic weapon made before 1986 including the M134 General Electric Minigun.

Both the UK & US are too extreme at both end of the spectrums… However, the UK & US could never have a similar middle ground gun law as our countries cultures behind the use and ownership guns are very different.

So what should happen? If both countries gun laws are so wrong, and I believe they are, what could we do to keep everyone happy? Especially the US gun owners that hold the 2nd Amendment almost as religion.

A UK Gun Law I’d be happy with which I don’t think would be an issue giving guns back in the hands of gun fans and still be safe for the UK public… We should be allowed again to be able to own hand guns, I’d go as far as saying we should be allowed to own assault rifles too, or at least access to use them on ranges. BUT… All guns even if you own them should never be taken from the gun club/range that you are a member of. You go to the gun club, sign your weapon out, go onto the range and then clean your weapon and hand it back into the gun club/range armoury and then you go home. Guns are locked up safe just like we do in the armed forces camp armouries.

However… This just would not sit well with any NRA card holding member, Guns are way too engrained into American life and history. I’ve lived in the US, I know and have experience of gun culture there, I get the whole owning a hand gun for home protection, but an assault rifle? you’re in a house, surrounded by walls in small close confines, a handgun is far more practical that a rifle in such conditions.

I don’t think assault rifles should be banned, HELL! I’d own one if I could! But do you need to have it stored at your house? Why not have it stored at a gun club? Or if this is unacceptable, which come on, I know the answer to this lol, then if you are going to allow ownership of assault rifles, then there should be very strict gun laws prohibiting sale of these weapons to criminals that have served time, any crime where you have served time. A serious background check done on everyone, and weapons like legal automatic weapons should be an outright ban.

The Right to bear arms should not be a right to all, just because its engrained within the Constitution.