Smuggled, stolen and homemade, guns flood Egypt’s streets

Some interesting information in this article on topics like 1) how difficult it is to ban an easily manufactured item with high demand and 2) the variety of ways an authoritarian regime and its agents use limited access to weapons to further their interests.

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/471972



With rising crime rates and an ongoing security vacuum since 28 January, the smuggling, manufacturing, and purchasing of weapons is on the rise.The insecurity has generated new clients and markets in a country where previously one rarely heard of civilians carrying personal weapons. The persistent security vacuum has sparked a virtual arms race in many parts of the country.

Purchasing personal firearms is legal in Egypt, but there are rigid licensing laws. Before the 25 January revolution, it was generally believed that gun licensing laws were another way to cater to the privileged few, with NDP members reportedly going through less hassle in acquiring a firearm.
...
But many maintain too profound a mistrust of police to turn in their weapons. “Before the revolution, the police would plant local weapons they seized as evidence against individuals,” said Abdou, a mechanic’s apprentice from Stabl Antar, an informal neighborhood in Old Cairo.
He claims that “handing in weapons” was a pre-revolutionary tradition, where police allowed people to walk free if they were able to provide them with weapons. They would, in turn, use the weapons against suspects they wanted to imprison.
...
All those interviewed who own illegal weapons said that they would not heed the SCAF’s call to hand them in. “It’s still every man for himself in our parts,” said Salah, a grocer in Stabl Antar. “If I hand in my weapon, I’m inviting people to rob me.”

edit: trimmed down to 4 paragraphs per request from mods

Most flare pistols I see around here are 20 guage. The 16/12mm references are amusing. I tried to buy a Winchester 9mm shotgun recently. The 9mm shotgun shell has been around for ages. It is a rimfire. They were good garden/pest guns.

Shotgun calibers are confusing enough to newbies at the best of times. In the non-English-speaking world, particularly countries which have a) adopted the metric system and b) a limited culture of firearm ownership, most people will see a reference to a "caliber 16 shotgun" and (understandably) go "16 what?"

As you can see, gun control works into government corruption.

I am all for firearm freedoms. I believe in the idea of sovereign individuals. Frequently new government, when considering the respect of individual rights, will fall short due to concern over the survival of itself.

Often attributed to Jefferson: "A government big enough to give you everything you need, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have...."