In Britain...

In Britain the selling and manufacture of a particular kind of low powered airgun called the self contained gas cartridge gun (often called the Brocock) was banned. All existing owners had to hand them over to the state without compensation or had to apply to the police for firearms certificates to keep the ones they had. If they were refused a certificate they would loose the gun. This was done because the particular airgun in question could, according to the government, be easily converted into a lethal firearm by criminals, an activity already banned by law.

In Britain new legislation introduced at the same time as the Brocock ban allowed for the Home Office to ban any gun they thought “especially dangerous” (which is how they viewed the Brocock) without offering any compensation to owners and without consultation.

In Britain the minimum sentence for being found in possession of an illegal firearm (such as the now banned brocock airgun) is, I believe, a 5 year prison sentence mandated by the government at a similar time to the ban on the Brocock airgun.

In Britain many thousands of law abiding sporting shooters had to give away to the government (without receiving a penny in compensation) or had to get a license for (until they fell into ruination) over 75,000 items of personal and private property.

In Britain, if you sell 574 guns to the criminal underworld and are one of the criminals that caused thousands of people to have their liberties reduced by the state because of your criminal activities in converting airguns into firearms you will receive a sentence not exceeding 6 years.

Two men were jailed on Friday for conspiring to supply hundreds of firearms to London's underworld.

But Herbert said he was delighted to receive only six years for selling 574 guns to criminals.

As he was being led out of the dock at the Old Bailey, Herbert told Judge David Paget: "That's lovely. Thanks very much - we got away with that."

Herbert, 45, and his partner Beard, 47, had faced up to 10 years in jail.

Both pleaded guilty to conspiracies to manufacture prohibited weapons, sell them and cause fear of violence with them.

Herbert and Beard bought hundreds of replicas guns, blank-firing pistols and airguns legitimately, converted them into lethal weapons and then sold them to criminals.