Crossbow Law Update - You Can Help! 

Home Office consultation to respond to by 9 April: www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/controls-on-crossbows English Shooting channel video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-G4jKEszZiVE.html

Considering the political situation in Britain they are probably afraid of peasant revolts and when they thought of that this was one of the first things that came to mind. I look forward to them banning bills, longbows, swords and sarcastic humour.

When your weapons are taken away, your rights follow.

Unnecessary, ineffective legislation designed for headlines rather than results.

I am reminded of something the great CS Lewis said, "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."

Looks like your lords don't want an angry mob with crossbows storming their castles.

As a CNC machinist with a few machines in the garage, owner of a 3D printer, and having dabbled in blacksmithing, compliance with any laws regarding shapes of metal, plastic, and composites, is 100% voluntary. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence, the most basic crafting skills, a few thousand dollars (or pounds), and the will to do so, can make practically any weapon they like, regardless of any laws.

It's your duty to disobey unethical orders.

Not in the UK, wish I could help, as an American I can tell you IT WILL NEVER END! It's not about protecting society it's about disarming society.

They must have taken a peek into history and been traumatized by the death of Richard the Lionheart.

In the linked consultation section 1.5: "Incidents involving crossbows are, fortunately, rare and the vast majority of those using crossbows do so safely and responsibly. There were fewer than 10 homicides by crossbow from 2011 to 2021 [...]" So only like 10 people have died to a crossbow in the last 14 years. When the numbers are at or below one a year I would say there are more far pressing matters to attend to.

I have filled it out. This is unfortunately another law that just restricts the rights of law abiding citizens. Parliament needs to focus on punishing criminals that have or are about to commit crime - not people who are being responsible.

If this interrupts Todd's experimental archaeology, it's rioting time.

Live in Norway not allowed to have a crossbow but have 3 rifles and 5 pistols so laws do not make sense at all

"Blunt instruments are used way more often in crime [than crossbows]" - Matt Easton - UK government: "Really! I see, let's get to work then!"

No one rightly needs permission from anyone else to do something peaceful. And owning a crossbow is in that peaceful category. There is no justification here for state coercion.

I'm German and not English, so unfortunately I cannot help you guys in any meaningful way, but I cross my fingers that you'll be able to stop ridiculous legislation that serves nobody. 🤞🤞🤞

I see the algorithm suppressed this video until the 11th April

"Those who beat their swords into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who didn't." -- Ben Franklin

Done, I told them that me and my dad actually built my first crossbow when I was 10. It only shot pencils but it was great project we did together and brilliant fun once done.

First they came for the handguns but I didn't have a handgun so I didn't speak out. Then they came for lock knives and knives for defence, but I didn't carry a lock knife so I didn't speak out. Then they came for the pepper spray and stunguns, but I didn't speak out because I didn't have a stungun or pepper spray. Then they came for crossbows, swords and bows........... Too late mate!!

Done! The only thing needed for 'stupidity' to triumph is for good people to stand by and do nothing

I’m sick of this country.

Taking away weapons is never about crime, its always about disarming resistance to state power.

Letting them know that they cause fewer fatalities than hammers will just cause them to ban those. Then you'll all get to schedule a government carpenter to come to your house anytime you need to hang a picture frame. They'll be available 9am to 1pm on Tuesdays and every other Thursday.

As a natural born Englishman, I now feel almost compelled to exercise my rights to carry a sword, dagger, longarm or pistol, longbow, crossbow, or any other defensive device a gentleman may choose. What say you? The Bill of Rights 1689 says the crown may not interfere.

I called this 30 years ago. Try throwing their tea in the river, worked for us.

Damn at this point, what have they not banned?

Q: Do you own a crossbow? A: yes. ...Please remain in your home and await a visit from a Home Office representative...

So lovely of them trying to restrict something that went obsolete more than 500 years ago…

They apparently banned guns, pistols, shotguns. Then it was knives as the main problem. Now, it is crossbows? What is next, possibly javelins and slings?

Reminds me of the last gun ban attempt here in canada. The particular guns they wanted to ban accounted for for less canadian deaths per year than car accidents involving moose. Not all car accidents, but specifically cars striking moose.

I'm a compound bow archer and have shot broadheads at silicone targets (with a longbow.) No doubt if this law goes through compound bows will be next on the list for licencing restrictions.

Btw, you should respond to the consultation if you are a legal resident in the UK, not just a citizen. "Government consultations are public and therefore open to anyone to respond. However, they should be designed to seek views from those who would be afected by, or those who have a particular interest in, the new policy or change in policy. For this reason, academic knowledge and research on the specifc topic of the consultation are highly valued, and academics are encouraged to respond to consultations in their area of expertise."

I'm glad I saw your video today as I nearly missed the deadline. I think the whole idea is ridiculous, a law to solve a non-existent problem. I have never owned any kind of bow, but I now feel an urgent need to become the owner of a crossbow!

I find it rather disgusting that they want us to provide evidence why their proposal is bullshit, shouldnt it be the other way round? They have to provide evidence that their proposal is an effective solution before banning or restricting anything.

spread this on every social media platform and with whomever you know!!!

Weapons bans never stop and will never be satiated. There is no "compromise" with people who only want to take from you. They are a convenient means for midwits to "do something", never solve the problem and come back for more. Best wishes from the US!

Oh man. How discouraging to see that happening in the UK.

We can try, i will fill the form out but at the end of the day our politicians just do what they want. See ULEZ and 20mph speed limit in Wales where over 80% of those who attended consultations voted against them and numerous other examples in local government.

Times change, back in the 70’s in school for our metalwork and woodwork ‘O levels’ we made crossbows and black powder pistols, some did buy in the prods as seeking a higher draw weight, but all the metal parts were made in class. The metalwork teacher was a skilled craftsman and would make black powder rifles (flint lock and matchlock) as well as pistols.

At the Home Office: "Sir, there's a Mr William Tell holding on line 1, and he sounds rather cross." Sorry, I couldn't resist. Good luck, Matt.

To complete the consultation they require name and home address. This is extremely nefarious.

The problem isn't about the existence of crossbows, machetes or even kitchen knives. The problem is about demographics. Unpopular to say, and impolite to talk about in front of strangers, but unfortunately it's the the truth. You won't hear that from the mouth of a career politician, but it's topic which I hear more and more normal, every-day people talking about. This wasn't the case just 5 years ago.

It's the same everywhere. We have the same attempts to prohibit crossbows here in Germany. Makes you wonder what kind of crazy political campaign is going on.

IT is too late. the UK has gone down the rabbit hole. It will not end. People only complain when it impacts them. Sad but everything will be controlled for your own good. lol :government never stops, it just moves on to the next topic, which will get regulated and therefore destroyed, eventually.

This sounds like children negotiating for permission from mommy and daddy. Initiating laws that the people in a democracy aren't asking for has got to stop.

Thanks for bringing this to light, Matt. I have responded to object to the proposal. It is the kind of PR legislation to make it look like "Something is being done" about something that needs nothing to be done, which is virtually unpolice-able and any attempt to enforce is likely to wrap all sides up in endless costly legal debate, taking up court time, to no good purpose.

It's another step to completely disarm the public, I'm glad I have the skills to make my own bows.

I wish I could help. But as an American, there's nothing I can do other than encourage you all to fight,don't give in.

Done! Thanks for the heads up, Matt. As you say, it's all we can do. Here's hoping!

The bizarre thing with the Broadhead section, the list of exemptions for them being prohibited covers nearly every use case for owning them, beyond the obvious "i wanna do a crime". I felt the need to mention that while i don't own a crossbow i have shot one a few times, the same as an air rifle, which is just as dangerous but also doesn't need a license. And i did Archery when i was 16 for the D of E. The irony of "learning to fire a deadly weapon" while being a MINOR, as a part of a government funded scheme.

always remember, breaking laws is a right, its called freedom. always remember, the right to self defense, includes defense against "law enforcement". never choose to be a victim, use your rights.

Here in Germany a Crossbow ban was under discussion too aparently it has faded away hopefully forever

Does begging the government actually work in the UK? I was of the understanding that the Ministry of Silly Things more or less does whatever they like.

Wouldn’t it be easier to just make murder illegal than to find the IP address of everyone who owns a crossbow and volunteered that information so they know who’s door to knock in when they are banned? Oh wait, they have made murder illegal so apparently there must be another reason why they want to collect your recreational property. I wonder what it could be 🤔

Why do governments continue to do things that make them lose more and more credibility?

Thanks for highlighting this.

What is your governments pet peeve with weapons? Disarming people will not stop violent crime.

Filled in! I think if they look like they might make this law I'm going out to buy a Cross bow beforehand!

Britain: Can we own Crossbows? America: If you can pick up a nuclear bomb why can't you own one?

Well, even though i can do nothing as an American citizen, you've got my support in spirit.

If your government is going to all this trouble to constantly find new weapons to limit/ban, then I would be very worried about what they plan on doing after that.

This will leave the U.K defenseless against vampires.

I am a blacksmith and make many broad heads and bodkins for use with both crossbows and long bows, I also make broad head key rings (very popular) so It would appear I may be criminalised for carrying out a process that is hundreds of years old and got this country out of the pucky on more than one occasion.

The UK goverment is notorious for not listening to the popular opinion of its citizens. So this is already been decided, sorry.

Gov: "Should there be further controls around the sale and ownership of crossbows?" Normal People: "No! They are owned by a large number of people but used rarely in crime- statistics show that blunt objects and even dogs cause many more deaths than crossbows each year." Gov: "Great point- let me amend that last question... Should there be further controls around the sale and ownership of blunt objects, dogs, and crossbows?" 😑 When it comes to safety and protectionism, there is always a "next thing" on the list it seems. If the 1.7 or whatever deaths per year from crossbow crime require permitting and restrictions on ownership, then anything becomes fair game because the bar is never too low. The perceived risk by the public or government is always relative to the status quo- so there will never be a point where there isn't a next thing to worry about.

Lol, you really think they care about what we think?

Wow. They really don't want you guys to have anything.

In order to defend your crossbow rights, you might need gun rights.

Shouldn't have given up your firearms.

Love your channel Matt!❤ GOOD LUCK!!!

Same arguments in the U.S.A. About semi auto rifles and carbines. 20 million AR-15s alone in America and all firearms deaths per year with ALL long guns is only around 500 annually out of the 30+ thousand total firearms deaths per year! P.S. 2/3 of firearm deaths on average are suicides in America.

Funniest thing is when I was young my Grandad taught me how to make a basic bow - which I did a few times with some quite nice ones once I got the hang of it. Unless they want to ban having a brick/stone and a piece of wood it won't matter. As for mass produced crossbows - you can make one far more powerful than most on sale very easily. You can get up with the pro stuff if you're happy to put a little effort in. It won't be as light or as pretty but it will still do just as good a job of throwing things at people.

I'm an American and can't help directly. I lend my moral support to ya"ll. Our 2nd Amendment rights are constantly under attack here. Stand strong!

Its like in Civ 5 where the AI doesn't know what else to do at the world council so they just go down the list and ban everything one by one

Did you know in 2001 accidents involving Tea Cosies nearly double culminating in 40 trips to the hospital. Can we literally talk about the true silent killer in the UK.

thin edge of the wedge brother look what happened in australia

Archery has been a central part of human culture for thousands of years, crossbows are an integral part of our culture and history. They are NOT sold as or made as weapons - they are sporting goods - and like any sporting goods they can be abused and misused but that is no reason to control them. Next you’ll need a license for a hammer.

I’d be concerned about the bigger picture. What is their ultimate goal in totally disarming you? There has to be a reason. Good luck.

Signed. No one is going out doing mass shootings with crossbows. There was one fatality in 2023, and one in 2024. Plus, you could just...make one. There are countless videos showing people how to do it with either basic woodworking skills or 3D printing. And you can make arrowheads easily enough. We've been making them and using them for thousands of years...you can't ban them anymore than you can ban knives.

what's the update on the outcome?

From the U.S. what odds should we give in Vegas that they won't pay any attention to your comments. Also making flint arrowheads (broadheads) isn't that hard with a bit of practice. So is the making of primitive (Medieval) crossbows.

My brother was shot at by someone with a crossbow. He wasn't hit and managed to beat the assailant into submission and flee before the shooter could do anything useful with it. If the attacker had had a hammer or knife it could have been far worse. Signed

This is terrifying . Potentially affect us Canadian reenactors too

Get on it, don’t let your hard earned rights slip away.

Filled in the online form. It amazes me in a cost of living crisis where the government thinks it would find the money to do something which is likely to return something which, I suspect, would have a statistically insignificant impact at best. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Also Matt you have put 9th of August to respond in description.

Responded. Quite a long and detailed response - like yourself, Matt, I have made crossbows, bows, arrows, broadheads, flint arrowheads etc. This legislation is purely to appease the tabloids and give the appearance of doing something by banning items used by a small percentage of the population, who will hopefully not kick up enough of a fuss to make any difference.

If only people would learn the phrase 'I aim to misbehave.'

Has anyone spoken to you about the dangers of curtain rods?

Are they afraid they might end up like Mr Gessler in the play "Wilhelm Tell"?

If they actually wanted to reduce the harm associated with the ownership of various categories of weapons, in their mind, they would not keep making lower lethality weapons harder to get. I used to be quite happy shooting air rifles in Canada, but when they were converted into firearms, for the most part. I just started owning firearms instead, as there is more competition, or game for those who hunt, available. The air rifles I used to shoot were around 600-700 fps with a 7 gr pellet. The upper end of the firearms license at the time was around 750 grains, and 2900 fps. This is common. They actually banned pistol X-bows, and almost ended up putting x-bows on the rifle ticket. When they created the long gun registry, for reasons that are rather convoluted, they ended up giving everyone a license to own handguns which had previously been rather harder to get . I have seen similar addities in the UK. The ban on rifles in NI during the troubles, actually made it possible for NI shooters to get FAC firearms. Not really a retrograde thing in itself, from their perspective. But just odd how rules almost always have some unintended consequence.

Here in Australia, 1 person was murdered in Nambour Qld. Now you require a weapons licence to own one.

UK Subject, not Citizen

TY Matt.

I have just received this video 2 days to late. Good luck getting this sorted.

I have a adder crossbow. I will not be giving it up. Neither will I be applying for a licence. I'm a man, men have allways had weapons to protect family...... .

In Ireland you need a gun licence to have a crossbows

Crossbows are stupid good fun! So sorry to hear about this. I'm in America so I can't really help out except for to watch the vid and leave a like and comment. Good luck! I hope this all works out so you folks can keep shooting stuff in your gardens