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Originally Posted by NVplumber
A popular opinion within the anti 2A and with the radical leftists now in control of the Democratic party is that the UK is a shining beacon the US should look to insofar as an armed citizenry is concerned. This of course involves striking the 2A from the bill of rights and ceding all power over arms (ALL arms not just firearms) to the gentle hands of the federal government.
The UK has to put it mildly gone hog wild and pig simple wit the restriction and outright banning of most everything sharper than a Crayon. Firearms topped the list of items that offended the Queen in the hands of the citizens. More recently cutting implements were added to that list. Te Offensive weapons Act went into effect in 2008. This was touted as the "Samurai Sword Ban" but included a LOT more than that particular piece of gear. Simply put the law is pure insanity . It also includes a clause banning "rapid fire rifles. It is specific in the sword ban stating "a curved blade over 50 cm in length. There is no definition of what constitutes a "rapid fire rifle. Huge discretionary power has been granted to the police in whether or not a particular item they find a citizen to be in possession of falls into a particular category and can both sieze the item(s) and make arrests based on their discretion.
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The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988, which was passed in the wake of the Hungerford massacre, bans the ownership of semi-automatic centre-fire rifles and restricts the use of shotguns with a capacity of more than three cartridges (in magazine plus the breech).
Following the Dunblane Massacre, the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 was introduced, banning all cartridge ammunition handguns with the exception of .22 calibre single-shot weapons in England, Scotland and Wales. This was followed soon after by the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997, banning the remaining .22 cartridge handguns as well.
Certain bladed weapons are banned, and you can not carry a weapon in public.
In terms of Offensive Weapons being banned in a public place, the legislation goes back to the
Prevention of Crime Act 1953.
Other countries have similar legislation banning offensive weapons in public.
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Originally Posted by NVplumber
For example, under those guidlines a fencing foil tat was bent in practice could be considered a banned item. Carrying a 4-10 year prison sentence heavy fines or both if a citizen is convicted. That is but a small sample of that law which was also amended in 2018, 2021 and again this year but only to add further restrictions and bans, not to clarify any definitions. That power still resides with the police.
So, this is the sort of law being extoled by the radical leftist agenda as "common sense?" Discretionary police power that would punish more hard working contributing citizens than criminals and squandering police and judiciary recourses to pursue these cases at a mind boggling level. Sure, lets be just like the UK. Starting with semi automatics like the AR 15 and just adding any other semi automatic into the list and giving the police the power to apply that law to whatever they come across as they see fit. Alrighty then.
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An offensive weapon is defined as “any article made or adapted for use to cause injury to a person, or intended by the person having it with him for such use”.
The police must have reason to believe that what you have in your possession is an offensive weapon, and the same is true of going equipped to commit a crime, which usually includes items used in house break in's, shop lifting or street robbery.
Most of the arrests relating to knives and offensive weapons are intelligence led, and are often known gang members or people known to the police.
However the police can only arrest and charge you in relation to being in possession of an offensive weapon.
Separate prosecution bodies such as the CPS decide if the case proceeds to the Courts and it is the Courts that ultimately decide and not the police.
Furthermore arresting and detaining someone is a serious matter and the police open themselves up to civil action in relation to assault and battery and false imprisonment.
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Originally Posted by NvPlumber
I got curious about these UK laws talking with fellow sword enthusiasts martial artists and collectors on another sword oriented discussion board I frequent so I decided to look this up for myself and I was just floored. The big UK knife ban frenzy has come up on here quite a few times but that rabbit hole goes a lot deeper than just knives. Unless you're a criminal or royalty in the UK any sort of weapon to defend yourself and your loved ones with is denied you. A garden scythe could even be considered a banned weapon as it has a curved blade over 50 cm.
And this blithering idiocy is what we are being told the US needs to emulate? The adage that those who would surrender freedom for safety and security deserve neither is ringing like a bell in my mind. The UK can just keep such bilge on their side of the pons and those here in the US that think these UK laws are just peachy can pack up and move over there. Might want to leave your kitchen cutlery and gardening tools here though. You might not make it troug customs if you don't.  |
You can buy and keep garden tools and cutlery/kitchen knives without any problem in the UK and your own property is private property, as are shooting ranges and many hunting/shooting area.
The Offensive weapon legislation only comes in to force if the police suspect you are going to carry something in a public place for use as an offensive weapon.
Once again this is often intelligence led, and related to gangs and people known to the police, and it's a question of common sense.
As for defending yourself, you have a right to defend yourself and your property in the UK, and may pick up whatever is at hand to defend yourself.
Finally an amendment to this law was passed a few months later, in August 2008, so that curved swords and samurai made by hand before 1954 using traditional forging methods could be sold without a license.
As for Samurai swords, the authorities did clamp down, after councillor was killed by a man wielding a samurai sword in the office of Cheltenham Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones.
The main objective in relation to new legislation was to try to stop the flow of cheap Samurai swords on line.
The police usually call an armed response vehicle in to deal with such incidents, and have successfully disarmed individuals (some of whom were mentally ill) with non lethal weapons such as plastic/rubber bullets or taser, however this is not always possible.
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