The BBC reports that the Scottish courts have sentenced Gail Cochrane a five-year stretch in jail for for possessing a “family heirloom.” More specifically, Auntie Beeb reckons Grany Cochrane was harboring a World War II-era 7.65mm “Browning” semi-automatic pistol. (“The weapon was sent for examination by firearms experts who concluded that it was a Czech-made pistol dating back to about 1927.”) Cochrane stashed the gun for 29 years following the death of her father, a Royal Navy veteran . . .
The case began after police arrived at the 53-year-old’s home on 17 June 2009 with an arrest warrant for her son who had failed to turn up for a court appearance. He was not at the flat, but the 80-year-old pistol was found underneath a mattress in her bedroom. When interviewed, Cochrane told police that the gun had previously belonged to her father and that she had kept it when he died.
Judge Lady Smith said she couldn’t give a shit [paraphrasing].
“I am not satisfied that a reasonable explanation has been put forward for not handing this gun into the authorities throughout the 29-year period she says she has had it in her possession.”
Five years. Next?
Robert: The article does not say it was a High Power. In fact, if it was in 7.65mm caliber (a/k/a .32 Colt or .32 ACP) then it certainly was not a High Power as the High Power was only made in 9mm AFAIK.
Most likely it was one of the many variants of the Browning Pocket pistols cranked out by FN in the early part of the 20th century. Many were made in 6.35mm (a/k/a .25 ACP) and others were made in 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP.) The little Brownings generally were straight-blowback type pistols that fired from an unlocked breech and usually had fixed barrels (as compared with the high-power's locked breech/floating barrel design.)
As for Granny Cochrane, it's hard to feel too much sympathy for her. While I would rigorously oppose draconian gun laws like the ones that have been enacted in Old Blighty if they were proposed in the US, it's not like the UK is a dictatorship. Their laws are presumably consistent with the wishes of their citizens (or subjects if you prefer) and it's not like the UK gun laws have been anything like a secret for the past 50 years or so.
If Englishmen (and women) are outraged at Granny Cochrane's treatment they could lobby to change the laws but my guess is that most of the folks in that sceptred isle are more than happy to have laws on the books that throw a granny in the stir for 5 years because she had an unlicensed pistol. And if that's the way they want it, well, they can have it as far as I'm concerned.
There's a book out that deals with the subject of the "Belgian Browning" pistols. There were quite a few of them.
http://www.fn-browning.com/
Also, regarding the "Czech-made" Browning, from about 1905 until the mid 1930's, the Browning was not only mass produced by FN, it was also widely copied by gun makers all over Europe, but particularly in Czechoslovakia, Spain, and Italy. Because the Browning was such an ubiquitous pistol design, it was common for almost any small semi-auto "pocket pistol" to be referred to generically as a "Browning", whether it was made by FN/Browning or not.
Misleading (i.e. wrong) text removed.
As far as the country formerly known as England is concerned: Orwell was Right.
Who gives a rat's ass about the gun in question?
That limp-wristed, panty-waited, hoplophobic judge ought to have his ass handed to him for tea. The right to self defense is enshrined in common law, and every pommy on the isle should be armed. "An armed society is a polite society."
The Brits that used to be are gone.Britain is a nightmare far beyond those of Mr. Orwell.The people there have lost their rights and their freedom by listening to the leftist extremists who told them their lives would improve if they would only give up……whatever right was on the chopping block that day.It's sad that people choose slavery to the statists over freedom,but that's what has happened.It's a stark lesson to the rest of the free world.
The Brits that had balls came to America and started the United States. Those men died and now we are left with American citizens that have no balls.
Oh and is Judge Lady Smith really a he?
Death to Tyrants! Off with their heads! When you voted for New Labour – You voted for Communitarianism (a.k.a. liberal collectivists, friendly fascists, civil society, fabian socialism, communism, national socialism, or what ever ism you come up with). Someone ought to take the wide end of a cricket bat and give the esteemed member of the bench a good rosining up the arse! Remember this is a U.K. judge we are talking about. We never have these problems with American justice….
Yet they let in Muslims who blow up children. England has lost its mind. It deserves what it gets. Bye bye limies.
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