The Truth Behind Strict Gun Control: Britain and Australia

Public Shooting! 6 killed, 10 injured, reads yet another headline. The nation reacts in
panic and fear and protests for stricter gun control laws. But, does gun control laws actually
decrease firearm crimes? Britain and Australia are two of the countries that have the strictest gun
control laws, and politicians and gun control advocates alike have stated that the United States
needs to imitate Britain and Australias laws. Before the nation does so, we should look at what
is actually going on in those two countries.
BRITAIN
Laws
1. Gun control laws were established in 1997.
2. Applicants must have a good/genuine reason to own a gun, self-defense
specifically excluded. Police will check to make sure the genuine reason is valid.
3. Tight background checks, including medical history and referee of a
government/official status, are required.
4. Britain banned private ownership of handguns in 1997.
5. Theres a long list of banned guns and gun parts.
6. Gun clubs must follow strict laws in order to be in service.
7. Gun owners can only obtain guns as stated on ID.
Result
These stringent laws, however, do not have the desired effect

1997 is the year the Parliament established strict gun control laws. Compare the number
of all offenses of that year (12,410) to the number in 2001-02 (22,401). Gun crime rose almost
50% in the span of 4 years.
Note: The statistics after 2002 cannot be compared to the data of the previous years because the
National Crime Recording Standard was implemented in April 2002.

AUSTRALIA
Laws
1. Gun control laws were imposed at the end of 1996 to 1997.
2. Applicants are also required to have a good/genuine reason, self-defense
specified as not a good reason.
3. Applicants are required to take a safety training course.
4. There are 6 different licenses, and buyers can only purchase what is stated on
their license.
5. There is a 28-day waiting period for license and firearm.
6. Police must inspect gun owners house/gun safe every once in a while.
7. There is a restriction on the amount of ammo bought.
Result
While these laws are really strict, the outcome is not what gun control advocates
wanted.

When you point out where the gun control laws became stricter (1996), you can
see that handgun homicide has increased since the laws were imposed.

This chart demonstrates how even though gun control laws are strict and that only
licensed citizens can buy guns, unlicensed and unregistered people still commit gun crimes and
kill innocent people in 2003-2004.
Conclusion

After looking at gun control laws in Britain and Australia, it appears that strict gun
control laws cannot lower gun crime rate; they seem to increase it. Whats even worse is that
people can still illegally get guns. As the second chart on Australia demonstrated, there are 89
incidents in which the gunman is unlicensed for the gun used in the crime and 96 incidents in
which the gunman is unregistered for the weapon used in the crime. In Australia, guns are stolen
from dealers, the military and the police, and smuggling is a way for people to obtain illegal
firearms. In Britain, a member of the Parliament states that it is easier to get an illicit gun than it
is to catch a taxi in the rain.
This conclusion raises some serious concerns. Perhaps the United States should not do
what Britain and Australia did, because they did not have desired outcomes. Instead, the U.S.
needs to devise a better strategy that will work more effectively.