Civilian Arms Control in the HFR

[Ray of Meep]

Arms control in the HFR is as diverse as the superstate itself, With each system, each gravity well, having its own set of policies and views on civilian firearm ownership.

Broadly speaking, differences in arms control can be split into the mainland China region, the Zhuque planetary region, the Wu Zetian planetary region, and the spaceborn regions.

Mainland China Arms Control

In mainland China, civilian access to firearms is universally prohibited.

Zhuque Planetary Arms Control

On Zhuque, firearms are banned in urban and suburban regions. However, rural areas are more lax, allowing large caliber rifles, due to the presence of unusually dangerous wildlife.

Wu Zetian Arms Control

While Li Ming and the URC can be seen as anti-arms rights, Shen Zhou is the exact opposite. Due to their self perception as the vanguard against the Daqinren, Shen Zhou is heavily militarized, firearms training and usage instilled into their culture and education. Thus, access to firearms is encouraged, their usage and safety taught as part of the educational curriculum. Various firearms sports are nationalized and popularized.

Spaceborn Arms Control

Spaceborn arms control is a mixed bag in the HFR. In general, firearms are prohibited, but due to HFR's low spaceborn population, most of them being planetborn professionals than natives, and the lack of firearms incidents, the prohibition is difficult to enforce, and it's unclear how many violations have occurred, if any.

 

[Ray of Meep]

Subverting Arms Control

Civilians in the HFR have easier times illegally smuggling firearms by doing so in rural regions and in the impoverished, less monitored areas of urban centers.

In the case of organized crime in inner cities, smuggling firearms and accumulating stashes of ammunition isn't too difficult for crime bosses. Especially on mainland China, unscrupulous foreign providers are all too happy importing firearms for criminal use at a high markup. However, due to the high profile nature of firearm use, the high penalties, and how they attract law enforcement, firearm use by organized crime is seen as the greatest escalation, a last resort.

Instead, individuals seeking to create violence will use other, more archaic methods, be it their bare hands, improvised weapons, or knives and daggers. Organized crime in HFR cities, perhaps inspired by the revival of the traditional arts, have soft rules in place to substitute firearms with traditional marshal weapons, with a few exceptions.