In 1861 the Confederate States seceded from the Union, ordinary citizen rising up against a tyrannical Federal government forcing its ways on the Southern States with their progressive stance on slavery and what-not.
How did that work out? From a military standpoint even those well regulated militias were squashed flat by the Federal war machine.
From that point, ordinary citizens rising up against the pseudo-fear of us British returning could be met far more effectively by the regular military.
Now the USA has the most effective and powerful military that humanity has ever seen. Yes it could be used to enforce the rule of government at home, but only if the fuckwits rise up to overthrow who they elected.

@Garban The chances of your kids being massacred here are very slim. I’ll take US gun laws over British any day.

We don’t feel we need guns to protect us from the criminals, because most criminals in the U.K. are not armed with guns. If more citizens got guns to protect themselves then there would be an increase in the number of criminals carrying guns too…therefore there’d be an escalation both in the number of guns in the country and the inevitable corresponding increase in deaths, accidental and deliberate. That would make us less safe not more…but I don’t expect you to agree with me, however thankfully the British public, police, and general public do!

@Marionville Without guns your at the mercy of some criminal who is bigger and stronger than you. Hell I read about a British home owner who shot a criminal who broke into his house and was in more trouble than the criminal. That would be very unlikely to happen here in the US.

@Trajan61 It’s interesting that you can only pick this one case to highlight…because it’s actually so rare that it’s the only one I can ever remember happening. If he hadn’t shot the burglar you and I would never have heard of him…because it was such a rare and unique thing to happen in the U.K. I can even remember that he was called Mr. Martin. Shootings are rare in the U.K…and a house owner shooting a burglar is so rare that it has stuck in my memory. Burglars are not normally armed and neither are house owners..and long may it remain so. Property after all can be replaced, but a life once taken cannot be restored. No property can ever be worth taking a life I’m afraid, that is my attitude.

@Marionville So you have no problem being at the mercy of a bigger stronger criminal? Apparently you’ve never been beaten up by someone. I appreciate having the right to carry a gun to use as a tool to enable me to be able to defend myself against a criminal thug who is bigger and stronger than me a right you don’t have in England. Hell you don’t even have the right to have a gun in your own home for self defense!!

@Garban I’m not afraid just prepared.

I only recently gave up my guns. That said, under UK law I would be unlikely to be able to use them to defend myself unless it is reasonable force. Even then I would probably end up in jail for a few years until found not guilty.
With that I would be unlikely to get the guns back or ever be allowed to handle one again. In Scotland, you have no right to use reasonable force in your own home as you should leave and let whatever happens happen unless their is a definite risk to life.

@Sofabeast That would never happen in America. Here you have a right to shoot an intruder who has broken into your home. I have no plans to give up my guns or register them as registration is the first step to confiscation.

@Trajan61 Also in America, you have greater needs for guns. Here in the UK we don't usually hunt. Add to that, there are not any animals which may decide to find out what we taste like then eat us. Midges though terrible, cannot bite a couple of kilos of my flesh out in a second even if the wee bastards bites feel like it.
In the UK you're seldom likely to be more 20 minutes away from a copper who if the need arises will put themselves into danger to protect you.
As others have said, you have a well armed criminal class who are ready to use guns, so with greater distances many Americans need to level the field. Question is, what sort of firearms are best to cover these situations?
And if suitable checked and with good storage, why shouldn't a law abiding citizen own a machine gun? Law abiding people tend not to break the law as it's criminals who do, and no amount of laws stop criminals.

@Sofabeast I do own a machine gun and legally. It’s called a class lll. It’s an AK47.

@Trajan61 My AK is 1/3 scale from Goatguns! I would love to try one out some day - legally of course at a range.
Problem arises with guns as I have said, when criminals break the law.