[CaptainHaplo]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Well do bear in mind that unlike the States, the hand-gun isn't a national symbol, or deeply imbedded in our culture, so naturally there's not much of an emphasis on repealing a ban.

I do understand. The US was founded on an armed rebellion by the populace against its government of the time. So yes, it is ingrained in our culture where it is not in others.

Shotguns would probably cause an uproar because of their use in the countryside area and on grouse shooting and such, so they'll never be banned.

Interesting point - especially because of the next sentence.

But a hand-gun has no real history or meaning for us, so after a primary school full of young kids got shot up there was little objection to banning them, and although it's done sod all to gun crime figures, we have so far not had another Dunblane.

If you mean another "mass school shooting" - then your right. If you meant another mass shooting regardless of location, then I would differ.
Specifically, the Cumbria shooting spree of June 2, 2010 in which 12 people were killed and 11 injured. 33 victims, over half of which died, definitely qualifies as a mass shooting. It is interesting to note that the perpetrator in that shooting used both a shotgun and a rifle - neither of which caused any push to ban them after the tragedy.

Guns for show, knives for a pro as the saying goes.

And as we say in the US: "Never bring a knife to a gunfight." Definitely different perspectives.

But there's a big old thing in the US, at least from this perspective there is, about the gun, I mean you could say that the nation was pretty much founded on the gun, so it has a much bigger meaning than it does in the UK or much of Western Europe, or indeed much of the world for that matter.

Exactly right.

I find it a little sad that so many people seem to live their lives in fear of something that they have very little control over.

That is the thing - as long as so many of us make it a concern - there is a LOT of control that we do have over it. It is this fact that makes an armed citizenry a danger to an oppressive government - and why keeping our 2nd amendment rights are so important.