Friday, February 26, 2016

Gun Control and Indian Arms Act 1877 During the Days of the Raj

Notice the similarity to the arms act in 1920.  No right to have a gun.  Instead, the applicant must plead to the government for a gun permit.  We call that "prior restraint" in the United States.

The arms act of 1877 was the first gun control law in India. On the face it looked reasonable, but in practice getting an arms license was a tedious process for an Indian. This law made it mandatory for any Indian wishing to own a gun to obtain a license for it. An unlicensed gun was punishable with a fine and imprisonment up to 3 years. Thus in one blow the British restricted the ownership of guns during the days of the Raj.
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