British Parliament OKs Stiffer Ban on Handguns

LONDON — Britain’s Parliament voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to approve one of the world’s toughest gun laws, extending an existing ban to include all handguns smaller than ..22-caliber.

The 384-173 vote followed an earlier ban on larger-caliber handguns that was passed after the explosion of public outrage over the massacre of 16 children and their teacher by a lone gunman last year at Dunblane primary school in Scotland.

The larger-caliber handguns will be banned from July 1 after Parliament approved a $245-million package to compensate owners.

“It will no longer be possible to practice handgun sports on the mainland of Britain,” Home Secretary Jack Straw told Parliament. “But I want to make it clear that this will not in any way stop Britain hosting either the Commonwealth Games or, at some stage in the future, the Olympic Games.”

Gun owners are angered by the tougher gun laws and claim that they are being made scapegoats for the act of a crazed, lone gunman.

They will have until September to dispose of their weapons or face a jail sentence of up to 10 years.

Media reports have said target shooters will travel to France and Belgium to pursue their sport, and target ranges are being planned for the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, where the gun laws will not apply.