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Path: utzoo!mnetor!genat!phoenix
From: phoenix@genat.UUCP (phoenix)
Newsgroups: net.followup,can.politics
Subject: Re: Firearms ownership (in the UK)(and in Canada)
Message-ID: <12@genat.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Jul-86 02:51:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: genat.12
Posted: Tue Jul 29 02:51:52 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 29-Jul-86 06:06:22 EDT
References: <1990@sequent.UUCP>
Reply-To: phoenix@genat.UUCP ()
Followup-To: net.followup,can.politics
Distribution: net
Organization: Phoenix Temporal Restorations, Ultd.
Lines: 37
Keywords: gun-control factors, population density/type of government
Summary: the difference is more than population density
Xref: mnetor net.followup:2367 can.politics:739

In article <1990@sequent.UUCP> brian@sequent.UUCP (Brian Godfrey) writes:
>   Neither of those guns is a "weapon" in the sense that they were designed
>for killing humans. Both were designed as hunting arms. The .44 is totally
>impractical as a self defense weapon (Dirty Harry to the contrary) as it is
>big, unwieldy, kicks *hard* and only shoots one shot at a time. But it has
>a big hole in the barrel and I think that would impress someone standing in
>front of it. The 12 gauge is even bigger (a lot bigger) and, as everyone
>knows, is mainly intended for shooting birds. Mine has never killed anything
>that wasn't made out of clay. 
>   These are the kind of guns that most of us "armed" Americans possess. 
>Sporting guns, not self defense guns. Shooting can actually be an enjoyable 
>sport without killing - or even thinking about killing - anything. I suppose 
>that is difficult for Europeans to understand due to their high population 
>density, but here in North America there is plenty of room for legitimate 
>shooting sports. Few Americans really select a gun for its self defense 
>potential. Never-the-less when you hear someone breaking into your house, 
>you grab what you've got. And what I've got is big. 

I really don't think that population density is behind the drive for
gun-control.  Canada is on the same continent as the US and has a much
lower pop/density; but we have *very* intense gun-control laws.  To
purchase *any* gun (shotgun, .22, etc.) you need a Fire-Arms Acquisition
Certificate from the Federal Government, which is *not* issued until
the RCMP have made an inspection of your record.  Getting a hand-gun
unless you can prove you are a collector is practically impossible.
Any kind of auto is right out.  (Unless you're a police officer; they
can have any kind of toy they want.)
-- 

					The Phoenix
					(Neither Bright, Dark, nor Young)
                                        (Go pick on a mechanism your own size)

---"For the Eternal Space"
---             (Lieut. Amuro Ray)
---"Beliving in a sign of Zeta
    Beyond the hard times from now."