Scotland: Legal gun numbers shooting up
Date: May 29, 2008 12:41 PM
Legal gun numbers shooting up
Published Date: 28 May 2008 By Hamish Macdonell
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Legal-gun-numbers-shooting-up.4124783.jp

THE increasing popularity of deer stalking is behind a significant rise in the number
of legally-held guns in Scotland, it emerged last night.

Figures released by the Scottish Government showed the number of such firearms has
reached a ten-year high.

There are now 66,893 firearms held by 26,056 people and a further 133,940 shotguns
held by 49,213 people. The statistics showed that the number of people owning guns
had gone down while the number of guns had gone up.

The figures also showed that in 2007 there were 1,203 applications for a new firearms
certificate – of which 99 per cent were approved.

Sergeant Dougie Roy, the firearms licensing sergeant with Lothian and Borders Police,

said: “There has been a huge increase in the number of people applying for
the appropriate calibre for deer stalking.

“Deer are a huge problem in Scotland, so much so that they are almost out of
control in some parts of the country. What you have now got is people who were target
shooters going out on deer stalking courses, liking it and applying for the appropriate
calibre weapons to do more of it.”

However, the firearms’ statistics, combined with a 6 per cent increase in the
number of registered firearms dealers to 301 at the end of 2007, prompted Kenny
MacAskill, the justice secretary, to call again for the law to be updated.

The Scottish Government recently hosted a summit on firearms – an area where legislation
is reserved to Westminster – which was attended by police, shooting representatives
and gun control campaigners.

Mr MacAskill said: “From police and gun control campaigners to shooting representatives
the view was clear – we need to change the current mishmash of legislation that’s
been amended and extended over the last 40 years. I will keep calling on the UK
government to either take action, or devolve the powers so that we can.”

A Holyrood spokeswoman said Mr MacAskill wanted a review of the legislation to make
the system more transparent for those holding legal guns and to make it harder for
legal guns to fall into the wrong hands.

The Second Amendment IS Homeland Security !