My sport of pistol shooting was destroyed by the 80's changes to the gun laws.
I gave up my FAC and had to sell my guns >ABROAD< to avoid them being crushed. All legal and above board I hasten to add.
Today's result is that I cannot pistol shoot except with an airgun (Somewhat lacking in enjoyment), and even then only at 6 meters. (Black powder holds no appeal)
I could have changed to small bore shooting or long range target rifle but although I was good at both, pistol shooting was my strength and my passion.
So, 25 (ish) years on you'll have to forgive me for chuckling when ever someone moans about gun crime and licensing.

Persuading the government then that keeping licenced handguns meant that there was a huge degree of control and therefore less likelyhood of random gun crime did not work.
The so called shooting organisations representing our 'rights' in the 80's did nothing to protect shooters rights then. The same organisations are still there protecting the few, and dropping their trousers when ever the government feels the need to try yet another useless inititive to reduce gun crime. Even more legislation has been brought in (Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006) and soon the UK citizen won't be able to buy so much as a pea shooter.

Governments are only concerned with their jobs. If an MP or political party does not bow down to every group (no matter how offbeat , weird, or inane) and the media, he or she will be out of a job. That's all they see, job security!

You can quote and argue statistics all day. What does that do? Nothing! So for the stats fans here is a couple for the books.

1. Gun crime is out of control in the UK. You can't argue with that statement.
2. Gun crime especially deaths with privately licenced pistols is nil because there aren't any legal fullbore pistols out there. You won't argue with that although the police routinely do their bit to add to the handgun death toll.

Will licensing guns change that, no? There will always be criminals and besides that illegal guns are cheaper to buy than a new television.

Would arming the law abiding solve the problem of gun crime?
No it will not. The Uk average citizen would not know how to shoot in a stress situation and more innocents would die than bad guys.

So I'll Wait and watch. The most logical outcome over time is that all us honest citizens will be declared illegal and forced to hand over their money. (Woops, the government is doing that now) and all your inane arguing about statistics will be for nothing.

I believe in the right to keep arms and shoot as a sport. I stop short at 'keep and bear arms' bit because it would do nothing to change anything. As for you shooting groups and organisations, you are a waste of time!

I'd love to move to a country where I could shoot again but as I am British born and hold a British passport I find that I am not welcome in the civilised world. I wonder if it's because I'm one of the "Gun Nuts" the UK churns out.