TOO MANY REVOLVERS

Feilding Star, Volume 9, Issue 3849, 4 October 1932, Page 7

TOO MANY REVOLVERS

ROUND 11' IX BRITAIN FIREARMS AND PERIL Eondou. The police are to concentrate all over Britain on a round up of revolvers and automatic pistols in possesison of ■ unauthorised persons. There are thousands of these guns in existence. Behind tlieir possession is a preventible reason for the ever-increasing number of tragedies due to accidental and other shootings and armed hold upps Inquiries made by the Sunday Chronicle indicate* that an alarmingJv small number of firearms in pof session of people—ex<*epting sporting guns and similar weapons used for legitimate purposes—arc registered under the Firearms Act. •‘There are undoubtedly hundreds, if not thousands, of old army revolvers hidden away in drawers and ec iq.fiords,” said a police authority. “Every one of these is a. source of potential danger, particularly if the person owning them should become subject to sudden brainstorms. In addition to these there are many scores i f revolvers and automatics owne l secretly by criminals. Mostly they .never exiieet to use them, but ! there is always grave danger that they may become desperate in their attempt to escape.’’ Firearms certificates are granted to private citizens if “the chief of police is satisfied that the applicant has good reason lor requiring such a certificate.” For being in unlawful 1 osxcssion the penalty may lie a fine i f £SO or three* months’ imprisonment with heavier penalties in the case of known criminals.