Two things.
Gun security - are they secured when not in use, can they be accessed by children/adults etc.., are they left lying out loaded.
Eligibility - despite millions owning them, which ones really shouldn't because previous history, current medical reasons etc.. Are back ground checks enforced or fully followed through? Are they sufficient, is the need for a firearm valid, references followed up, family checks done and are you medically ok to own one. Pass all that, no problem.
People think all criminals have guns, but certainly in the UK, very few do. In reality, where would a would-be bank robber go and get a real gun in the UK? Can't from a gun shop because you need the correct licence etc.. If they're gonna steal one, from where? They need a crystal ball to work out who has one, and try to burgle a house and prise a gun cabinet open.
1. Mine are stored in a safe, excluding the one next to my head in bed and there are no kids in the house. The only other person in the house, is my daughter and she has her own pistol and small safe. When I leave the house, my Glock is on me. I had a .22 rifle when a kid, grew up, entered the military and was in 23 years and have a s**tload of experience with them. Depending upon what type and how many firearms are owned, safes can get a bit pricey.
2. All law-abiding citizens opting to purchase a firearm, MUST fill out a background check form and wait until the background check is complete. There are NO exceptions. I can't speak for each state, however, in our state, if you wish a CCL (Concealed Carry License), you have to fill out a additional form and be fingerprinted and wait.
3. Assorted celebrities, politicians, high-ranking businessmen/women and merchants that carry large sums of money or expensive jewelry are almost always approved for concealed carry permits. Just because someone who isn't one of those people, but may live in a high crime area, is considered "less-worthy" than the prima-donnas, is a load of crap. Their lives are just as precious to them as they are to the upper-crust snobs, politicians and businessmen/women. So, they should not be limited either.
NOW....a few inconvenient facts for you (I'm guessing by the third paragraph, you reside in jolly old England), of course, I could be wrong. You still have gun crime there.
1. Most gun deaths are actually attributed to (drum roll here), SUICIDES. Newsflash....if you take a firearm away from someone "absolutely determined to kill him/herself", that person will almost certainly succeed via a different method (hanging, slitting wrists/throat, pills, toxic chemicals, electrical shock, et cetera) later on. Many a person has convinced psychiatrists that they would do no such thing in the future and then commit suicide. Inner-city gang related killings are the largest contributors to actual gun murders and they use mostly handguns, stolen handguns. For no matter how well you stow your firearms in a safe, home safes aren't impregnable. Hell, given enough time bank safes aren't impregnable with the right tools. Some firearms are "ghost-guns." Such firearms are actually made in basements, garages, et cetera. No serial numbers, no background checks. The technology is there now.
2. RESEARCH the actual reason for the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment and it isn't for hunting. Our founding fathers saw that private citizen's, forming their own militias, were a major contributor to expelling a "tyrannical government," yours. Knowing humanities history of tyrannical governments invading and trying to overthrow other established governments. The founding fathers drafted the Second Amendment (right after the First Amendment, guaranteeing the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion and the right to a free press). They made it clear in the Federalist letters that the people could bear (carry) arms to protect the freedom of their state against any tyrannical government, whether foreign OR domestic. They were also aware of the right of individuals to protect their and their families lives against life threatening situations.
3. When a government decides to oppress its own people and take away their rights, the first thing they do is demand registration of all firearms, followed by the confiscation of those firearms (Germany, Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba, Laos, Venezuela, et cetera). Once the firearms are taken, they can enact any draconian legislation they wish, as all the people can do is vocally object, followed by their convenient disappearance.
The United Kingdom still has a multi-party system, thus it hasn't become like those nations, yet. In the U.S., the current pro-Marxist, so-called Democrat Party, which bears no resemblance to the Democrat Party of decades ago, are trying to do what they can to turn this nation into a one-party political system. Throughout history, whenever you have only one ruling party, you have authoritarianism, oppression, persecution, tyranny and outright murder. There has never been a situation when that wasn't the case.
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