These stats refer to the 1996-97 "buy-back" directed at self loading longarms and pump-action shotguns.
The government are now doing the same thing with pistols.
The retention of a pistol licence for sport/target shooting requires the licence holder to attend at least ten competitions per year, these must be on different days (you cannot shoot a centre fire competition in the morning and a black-powder competition in the afternoon).
Semi-autos with a barrel length of under 120mm are banned. Revolvers with a barrel length of under 100 mm are likewise illegal.Ownership of any pistol over .38 is likewise illegal unless you have permission to shoot black-powder, western action or metallic sillouhette. You may only shoot competitions that have been "authorised" by regulation.
And yes, literally thousands of collectable handguns are being broken up and melted down for scrap. I personally know of two LP08's (Both DWM 1917, both complete except for the snail drums, both all matching) that have gone this way.
These laws apply to ALL post flintlock pistols including original percussion guns.
The people responsible for this are cultural vandals.
|