The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

When you read te full story, the total number of real firearms was around 22 - 13 pistols, 8 shotguns and 1 AK47! The others were 40 air/BB guns and 21 imitations.

Of the 22 potentially probably only 14 are illegal to possess ... various figures suggest anywhere from 100,000 to maybe 500,000 illegally held firearms in England. With London having 20% of te population would give maybe 20,000 to 100,000 in London but with te culture it could be higher. Take a figure of say 56,000 and 14 is just 0.025% and insignificant amount.

The average bank teller doesn't know they are junk. Neither does the lass behind the post office counter. Sim G is right in that replicas and junk can and will cause years of psychological harm to some people who have them pointed at them unwillingly.

You sit and pour scorn on those people as if they are idiots, however such an attitude is unfair towards those people who fully believe that their lives are in danger.

RDC wrote:The average bank teller doesn't know they are junk. Neither does the lass behind the post office counter. Sim G is right in that replicas and junk can and will cause years of psychological harm to some people who have them pointed at them unwillingly.

You sit and pour scorn on those people as if they are idiots, however such an attitude is unfair towards those people who fully believe that their lives are in danger.

You can put your hand in a bag and say you have a gun or point a spud at the average bank teller, where do you draw the line ban plastic guns for children. Taking a few toy guns of the street will make absolutely no difference to crime or the fear of crime, just like banning certain legally owned firearms makes no difference to crime, the whole thing is just a PR stunt.

To suggest removing a toy from the hands of criminals, will somehow make British streets safer, is disingenuous at best and out right deceitful at worst.

I am torn with this..

Social responsibility suggests any firearm handed in that was held by someone who is irresponsible is good.

However, history suggests the only firearms handed in were by responsible people.

I dispair that antique or historical guns handed in will be simply destroyed rather than passed on to a collector who might restore them.

And lastly, whilst admirable in its intention, this exercise would have made no difference to the 12 people shot with illegal firearms in London alone last year.. but it makes me dad, in his Bedford home feel safer.

TomH wrote:Is it old news, and a seizure from around 1870?

Surely that's at least 3 years too early......

I'm not arguing that this has taken guns out of the hands of criminals, we all know it hasn't. If you read my first point in this topic, you'll note where I said these will no doubt have been sat in a loft for 45 years. I do not believe these are, or ever were, a danger to people. What it has done though has given some relative the opportunity to hand in inherited firearms that are potentially S5 firearms without getting bummed for possession.

My point in my last post was that some of you are scoffing at the idea that replicas and relics can have a psychological impact on the people it is pointed at. Most people aren't going to take the time to minutely observe the details such as a load of rust, 'TOKYO MARUI 6MM CAL.' on the side, or that it's an ancient bit of kit that belongs in a museum. They will just see a 'gun' pointed at them by an aggressive shouting person and will be too busy crapping their pants.

Some of you need to remember that the vast majority of Joe Public doesn't have anything to do with firearms, wouldn't know the first thing about firearms and have been taught to fear firearms all their lives.

No one disputes having an imitation firearm pointed at you would cause distress, the issue here is the police don't distinguish between the two when they display their haul. They rely on public ignorance and hope the public think they're all live firearms. Presenting an airsoft rifle, a deactivated gun or a C02 pistol as a genuine firearm, is a misrepresentation of the truth and is regarded by many as propaganda.

What makes you think that these guns will be destroyed? I used to attend Weller and Dufty's auctions in Birmingham during the 1980s and many of the items for sale were from the police.
Fred