Sir, There is no ban on air weapons in this country and so Julia Lydall can within reason practise in her home or garden, using the air pistol pictured (“Gun ban ‘damaging Olympic hopes’ ”, Jan 16).
Shooters who wish to compete with cartridge-firing handguns face a complete ban and those who so desire must practise abroad.
The ban on handguns has merely replaced the handgun with the more powerful and accurate carbine and prevented those who want to shoot the old disciplines with the correct equipment from doing so.
When alcohol was banned in the US under Prohibition consumption doubled and the legacy was organised crime. Since the ban on handguns, firearms crime in this country has doubled.
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R. LLOYD
London W14
Sir, The law on handguns was tightened up to prevent deaths. To relax such laws in the furtherance of medal hopes would be tantamount to saying that a death or two would be an acceptable price to pay.
A bit more serious than allowing an athlete to change nationality for the same reason, I think.
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M. STEPHENS
Chelmsford, Essex