Gun Control in England

I've been practicing my digital photography and helping my sister with her homework at the same time. She was doing a paper on the NRA and wanted to show what the police in this country are up against. The bullet on the left is a .40 caliber bullet such as a police officer would use in his regulation Glock. The one in the middle is a 7.62 mm bullet for an AK-47. The one on the right is a .50 caliber bullet for a Barrett military rifle. While it is meant for battle conditions, it is becoming popular for street use over here.

Gun control in Britain is very strict. It is illegal to own a handgun or assault weapon there. Bans have become tighter over time, as they have had several unfortunate incidents where large numbers of people were killed with firearms, including an incident in Dunblane, Scotland, where 16 children were killed in a school shooting. Possession of a firearm carries a stiff jail sentence, minimum five years for an adult. Gun licenses may be issued for hunting or if your job requires it, but even most policemen in England still don't carry guns. There are strict application guidelines, including approval by your doctor, a face-to-face interview with a Firearms Enquiriy Officer, and an inspection of your house. This is one of the cultural differences between England and the United States. The British are strong supporters of gun control in the interest of public safety. According to an article in the Washington Post, there were three times as many shooting deaths in Washington D.C. in 2006 as in all of England.