olympic petition

[ben ashton]

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/TargetPistols/

More details from petition creator

The Sportsman's Association of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, acting on behalf of all legitimate shooting sportsmen and women who were affected by the so-called 'handgun ban' in 1997, calls upon the Government to take the necessary action to comply with the Olympic Charter by enabling target shooters to participate in the demanding and difficult sport of target pistol shooting at the Olympic Games and elsewhere.

This can be done without any danger to public safety as target pistol shooting, wherever it is practised, has always had an excellent safety record. Target pistols to be kept under suitable security conditions, as they always had been, and be available for use by members of Home Office Approved Clubs.

[englishangel]

I have signed and will send this to my son and he can pass it on to his friends. As they have recently been petitioning to stop their Airsoft (BB) guns being included in the replica category I am sure they will sign too.

[ben ashton]

What do they use their Airsoft for?
I've owned three in the past, while at CH, tho for no practical reason.
Intrigued..

[englishangel]

They play soldiers on private land put aside for the purpose, often shared with paintballers.

There is a small wood near High Wycombe which is our local one. There are several larger ones too. The one my son goes to is an abandoned US airbase not far from Cambridge with bunkhouses and barracks etc.

He is there next weekend.

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/news2/

[ben ashton]

Haha, Walt? ie. camo, asault vests, laser sights and the like?
-Paintball makes sense, you know who's been hit.
-CCF exercises your learning tactics with blanks and 'battle noise sims' (thunderflashes) and its actually dangerous so you have do take it seriously
-BBs tho? unless they're paintball type, or the exploding type (not advised to fire these at people!) then how do you kno whose been hit? wouldn't even feel it! Unless you have one that can fire metal bb's, they're lethal

[jtaylor]

I have signed.
The hand gun ban was another typical example of reactionary legislation which served no real benefit to reduction in gun crime, but pandered to sensationalist "the government have to do something" tabloids.....

As part of the firearms consultancy a few years back, I wrote to the home office asking:-
"How many LEGALLY held firearms had been used in crimes."
They replied saying that because they don't often recover the firearms used, they don't know.
I followed up:- "How many LEGALLY held firearms are stolen from legitimate owners in a year" - no reply whatsover.....They knew I'd asked a question which undermined their proposal if they revealed the answer...

The number of stolen firearms is known to be tiny, and a very tiny fraction compared to the number illegal weapons in society.

So, as it now stands legitimate sports men and women have to train abroad, just because the government wanted to be seen to be doing something........

Historically, firearms or shotgun certificate holders are proven to be more responsible and more law abiding members of the community - BUT, they're an easy target for legislation because the government know who they are!

J
(an irritated shotgun license holder)

[englishangel]

I have signed.
The hand gun ban was another typical example of reactionary legislation which served no real benefit to reduction in gun crime, but pandered to sensationalist "the government have to do something" tabloids.....

As part of the firearms consultancy a few years back, I wrote to the home office asking:-
"How many LEGALLY held firearms had been used in crimes."
They replied saying that because they don't often recover the firearms used, they don't know.
I followed up:- "How many LEGALLY held firearms are stolen from legitimate owners in a year" - no reply whatsover.....They knew I'd asked a question which undermined their proposal if they revealed the answer...

The number of stolen firearms is known to be tiny, and a very tiny fraction compared to the number illegal weapons in society.

So, as it now stands legitimate sports men and women have to train abroad, just because the government wanted to be seen to be doing something........

Historically, firearms or shotgun certificate holders are proven to be more responsible and more law abiding members of the community - BUT, they're an easy target for legislation because the government know who they are!

J
(an irritated shotgun license holder)

Hear, hear. Incidentally many of the airsofters also have 'real' guns (with licences) and about half of them are either police or ex-forces. My son used to work in the local store and many of their clients were in the Met, and the local RAF base used some of their training money to buy guns because they are the correct size and weight for training, but non-lethal.

and those little plastic bbs sting.

[sejintenej]

I have signed.


So, as it now stands legitimate sports men and women have to train abroad, just because the government wanted to be seen to be doing something........

Historically, firearms or shotgun certificate holders are proven to be more responsible and more law abiding members of the community - BUT, they're an easy target for legislation because the government know who they are!

J
(an irritated shotgun license holder)

AIUI under the law any person having an unlicensed handgun in the UK will be prosecuted. THIS INCLUDES EVERY OLYMPIC COMPETITOR IN SUCH DISCIPLINES BE THEY FROM THYE USA, RUSSIA OR THE UK. What a joke. Since they cannot legaly have such a competiotion why should UK competitors train?

Going back a few years we had a bloke in our club who simply wasn't good enough to win the club championship. Nevertheless they sent him to the Olympics where he was fourth. Imagine what would have happened if they had sent our best .22 marksmen!

With an average of 99.7 I was in the club third league - way outside any hope of challenging.

[ben ashton]

single shot .22 target pistols have been re-legalised, i've even touched one :p
Wat club were/are you in Sentij.. ? I'm technically a Stock Exchange RC member, havn't shot for a while tho..



ps. bb's don't hurt! someone shoot me and i'l prove it!

[englishangel]

I didn't say they hurt, I said they sting, and if hit on a tender part give quite a welt.

My son bought a new airsoft rifle and wanted to find out how powerful (and accurate) it was so went down the garden and asked me to shoot him in the centre of his chest (never thinking dear old Mum would be that accurate - he put his goggles on) and I got him right at the top of his sternum, boy did he yelp.

[shoz]

May I veer slightly off topic please?

Is it right that council tax payers in London should have to pay more in order to fund the staging of the Olympics? I personally don't think it is. If it is for the benefit of the country, surely we all should pay via our taxes.

[J.R.]

May I veer slightly off topic please?

Is it right that council tax payers in London should have to pay more in order to fund the staging of the Olympics? I personally don't think it is. If it is for the benefit of the country, surely we all should pay via our taxes.

Interesting point, young Shoz !

I think anybody with half an ounce of intelligence knew from the start that the whole thing would go way over budget and that, in the end every poor tax-payer will have to fund it.

People who live in the development area in question and who post on another site that I venture on, (footy obviously), are convinced that their lives will be totally disrupted and that after the fiasco is all over, they'll get s0d all out of it and be worse off than before it all started.

[shoz]

Interesting point, young Shoz !

The only thing I can think of now is....when was the last time I was called young!

[ben ashton]

I agree. But would be nice to know, when the cost increases each week, why it has done so...like..actual reasons...