Guns in Equestria

 

She presented three of the blueprints(a derringer type weapon, a revolver and a single shot rifle) to the Princess and explained the use of them in the army and how they could let earth ponies fight on the battlefield too and not just aid to the wounded. Lyra struck a deal and was paid large amounts of bits allowing her to pay off the blacksmith, engineer and not have to work a day again in her life.

 

Only in the past year has it become legal for civilian ponies(besides Lyra) to own a firearm. The legalization was largely due to a small terrorist attack on Manehattan involving some pissed off earth ponies and a pegasus who together lit fire to some businesses and held some hostages captive. After authorities showed up pointing guns at them, they immediately surrendered and were incarcerated. In the end only a few thousand bits worth of fire damage was caused as the flames were quickly put out by the Fire Control Pegasi and only one pony was seriously hurt.

 

However, the trauma caused from that incident though caused protests of ponies demanding citizen gun owner ship and eventually it was passed. Currently citizen gun ownership is only legal in Manehattan, Canterlot, and Ponyville but future cities are planned to follow. Although this itself caused protests as well. Plenty of ponies saying it is unethical while others arguing that it's all earth ponies have to defend themselves with in robberies, especially if the robber is a unicorn or a pegasus. Some of the more extreme and idiotic protestors say that these are dangerous tools used to discriminate against unicorns and pegasi. The three firearms were just handguns and a single shot rifle. The derringer and rifle were most popular because loading a six shooter with hooves tends to be difficult. Eventually newer versions of these guns would be released. These new designs usually had little difference, only improving on small flaws of the last and changing the look of the gun a little. but after months the design of the revolver was updated making it easier for a pony to load.

 

It turns out bragging about illegal magic or illegal activities in general to others isn't a good idea, especially when the ponies you brag to love to gossip. One day Lyra was sitting on a bench when some uniformed stallions approached her. These weren't basic police; these were royal nights. They told Lyra that she's under royal investigation and under the suspicion of using illegal magic and spells to open a dimensional portal. They told her how they need to come with her and be questioned.

 

"Ok, officers I'll come with you; I just need to..." as she says 'to', she quickly grabs the gun concealed in her mane and fires a few shots into the sky.

 

While the knights are distracted, she makes a mad dash to her home all the while maniacally laughing and muttering about escaping to the human world. Arriving to her home she is horrified to see that it is being searched by more members or the royal army. All the written illegal spells, books on blackmagic, and the excessive amount of stuff pulled from the human dimension. Not to mention the two weapon blueprints she never sold. Devastated at the loss of her human belongings she has stockpiled over the past years; she decides to leave before she is noticed.

 

Years ago, Lyra made a little mud hut in the Everfree Forest where she has stockpiled weapons including crudely constructed guns based off the unsold blueprints. She has some books on blackmagic and copies of only a few of the spells at her home and a bunch of trinkets she taken from the human world. Though she never has actually been to their world, the spell is very crude and dangerous that she has only stolen things with it.

 

All the Contraband was brought to the princess and the two new weapon blueprints were brought to the military. The blueprints depict two firearms larger than the current ones. Blueprint one depicts a weapon that when fired ejects multiple small metal balls. Blueprint two depicts a weapon more like the current single shot rifle except, this can be used to fire bullets at a much more rapid rate. The weapons depicted in these blueprints are now in print are being mass produced and have replaced the currently used weapons by soldiers and other members of the Equestrian military. Castle guards no equip with a shotgun instead of a single shot rifle, soldiers now using semi-automatic rifles instead of single shot.

 

For about a month after this Lyra is or was wanted just for questioning but now faces thirty years of incarceration for paranoidly, blindly firing at a filly wandering though the Everfree Forest, and just happened to wander by her hut. Authorities know where she is but cannot arrest her due to be fired upon by the heavily armed and seemingly deranged pony. She was chased out by the royal guard and led deeper into the forest where she is now trapped in an abandoned mine after the entranced collapsed on her. She is presumed dead much to the distress of her "just a friend", partner BonBon.

 

That however is just a very brief summary of the history of firearms in Equestria. Despite few but tragic incidents involving mentally unstable ponies who were accidentally approved in the background check, committing suicide, equicide or just dumb accidents, life goes on. Robberies have been at an all-time low, the military has had a huge advantage on the battlefield and while a lot of ponies are against firearms, a lot of ponies feel safer with them.