"AMENDMENT II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Read it and weep Rap.

I do actually bother to read stuff about the US constitution sometimes.

There is a very simple answer to your suggestions about hillbillies with colt 45s defying armies. 1794.

And the power of the armies has increased exponentially since then. The places today on the world stage where ragged rebels are defeating armies depend not on sidearms or rifles but bombs (or IEDs) - and foreign governments riding in with modern technology to sterilise the armies and airforces.

Don, I think you over-egg the position about how wonderful our UK police are but they do generally make a nice contrast to what appears to be a very widespread US belief that might makes right.