By: Anthony Morelli
Owning guns without government approval can be a crime in some places.
One person found that out the hard way.
And people around the world were shocked by this case.
There are many parts of the United States that are not friendly to guns or gun owners, but compared to countries around the world it is night and day.
Even in the most anti-gun state in America, like New York for example, it is far easier to buy a gun than it is in a place like the United Kingdom.
And the U.K. is apparently cracking down harshly on 3D-printed guns as well, as evidenced by a recent case involving a young man who tried to assemble one.
This young man seems to have had some questionable views on other things as well, but according to the Daily Mail, the main thing he was jailed for was putting together a 3D-printed semiautomatic rifle.
Now people are wondering just how far this crackdown will go, and how many more citizens of the U.K. might be in danger for owning or building guns that the government doesn’t approve of.
According to the Daily Mail, “Owain Roberts, 19, of Pill, Newport, made a semi-automatic gun which was tested by firearms officers and found to be a viable weapon.”
“Peter Donnison, defending, described him as a ‘nerd with an interest in mechanical engineering’ and said he was ‘genuinely remorseful for what he had done.’
“Roberts admitted manufacturing a part/component of a firearm and was jailed for four years and nine months.”
It is worth pointing out that Roberts does not seem to have been a model citizen, as he had some very ugly views on a number of issues, such as having Nazi sympathies.
However, in the United States, even the most outrageous of political views, such as the ones he had, would not be considered a crime, and gun ownership is protected as well.
The article continues, “Speaking after the sentence, PC Tom Meazey, the officer in the case, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, said: ‘Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives.’”
Meazey went on to say, “To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate.”
“Roberts did not have one and his reckless and thoughtless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm have the potential to put people at the direct risk of harm.”
It’s telling that even with all of the ugly political views that Roberts had, the main thing the government seemed worried about was the fact that he didn’t have the correct paperwork for his 3D-printed gun.
British culture is very hostile to gun ownership, and it is clear that the government over there is going to crack down on anyone who steps out of line.
This is yet another reminder to Americans that even in the most anti-gun states, things are a lot better here than in other parts of the world.