Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Gun Controllers Unwittingly Support Unsafe Societal Conditions [View all]intaglio
(8,170 posts)do tell. In practice the proliferation of shooting clubs meant that there were some guns amongst the general populace. Many British Governments encouraged the formation of such clubs following the debacle of the 1st Boer War. These clubs provided a small pool of firearms trained citizens for rapid recruitment into the military.
The fact that the police were established as an unarmed force does not explain the fact that they were kept as an unarmed force despite Establishment fears. Guns were issued to the police on occasion - for example the siege of Sidney Street (although regular troops were also deployed) - and the 19th century is full of incidences where the police used firearms.
Guns and their use by criminals or dissidents was rare (not non-existent) so there was little no need to spend money equipping policemen with arms and ensuring that they had appropriate training. Essentially strong central government and an effective legal system kept guns under control.
as I said gonads