Reaction to the ban

The pistol ban makes very few exceptions for people to own a cartridge handgun legally. This has resulted in the near complete cessation of recreational and competitive target shooting with handguns in Great Britain; Britons who wish to participate in these activities must now do so in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

or abroad in countries such as Belgium, France, Switzerland, the USA and the Isle of Man, where gun ownership is less restrictive.

An agreement was made in September 2008 whereby the short-listed British Olympic pistol team for the 2012 Olympics was to be granted short-term Section 5 exceptions and be allowed to import their pistols and store them at a certain, secure site for the duration of the games.