Donate SIGN UP

Police seize 30 gun-shaped 'James Bond calculators'

Avatar Image
anotheoldgit | 16:06 Thu 26th Jan 2012 | News
23 Answers
http://www.dailymail....e-used-ROBBERIES.html

It is often said by some ABers that the amount of violent crime on our streets today is no different from the amount in say the 50s, and that it is just because it is reported more these days, by newspapers,radio,and television.

I believe this to be balderdash.

Reading this report I was surprised to see it is illegal to sell a realistic imitation firearm under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006.

There was not a boy in the past who did not own one or more very realistic toy guns, they did not even have the identifiable red cap on the barrel end, and yet there didn't seem to be a need to bring in a law to stop them being used in pursuit of a crime.

The same could be said about the obligatory sheath knife most young boys carried on their belt.

So why the need for all this legislation these days?



.
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 20 of 23rss feed

1 2 Next Last

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by anotheoldgit. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Because of the 'savages' killing each other, or do you not read your own posts before submitting them?
Question Author
jackthehat

I am not the one who denies that crime is no worse now that it was in the 50s.

Once again another sarcastic and aggressive post from you, are you not capable of giving a decent straight forward reply to others posts, or are they just mine that sets you off?

Unless you can learn to be less hostile, then this is the last time that I will go to the bother of replying to your Vitriol.
Hi jack,
or is that the wrong greeting to use on this thread?
I hope you're keeping well.
I should think that some enterprising thug could copy the model into a real fire arm, such a shame to think that youngsters cannot have toy guns now in there playbox- no more games of cowboys and indians.
Question Author
Brenden

All down to the times we now live in I'm afraid.
Cowboys used to carry shiny (more or less) six-shooting revolvers and so did the children pretending to act out the part. And 50 years ago the chances of a 'real' gun falling into the hands of a small boy in UK were vanishingly small.

Today's guns have evolved into semi-automatic weapons and are not as uncommon as would be desirable.

The legislation is only keeping up to date.

Perhaps they should ban rose-tinted spectacles, too?
"Police told staff that the gun-shaped toys could be used in criminal activities if they fell into the wrong hands."

yes, tory mp's using them to add up dodgey expense claims.

to be fair aog, if a young kid on the street played around pointing it at people you'd be the first to advocate the police shoot to kill policy, or hanging.
AOG, I dont think scouts are allowed to carry sheath knives in their belts anymore - I may be wrong but I am sure I read a report somewhere.
Toy guns for children were never actual size, they were scaled down versions. They were not replicas, they were not copies. The could not be mistaken for an actual firearm. Without looking because I am busy, I would think the law on immitation guns does not affect what are obviously toys and in fact it is not the sign of the times as the OP assumes.

A model of a gun which could pass as a real weapon is rightly banned, and very sensible that is too.
I do have to say I think it's somewhat on the silly side especially when you can buy bb guns, air guns etc which actually look ' real' and ARE real weapons. In light of that confiscating a calculator does just smack of police alarmism tbh.
maybe nox, but they received one complaint. if the shop sold all 30 then maybe there could be 30, 40 or even more complaints that they'd have to investigate/call out the swat team etc.

eventually someone on ab would say, why didn't the police just confiscate the lot in the 1st place and save taxpayers time + money.

people have been shot dead by police for waving chair legs, so in the long run....... i can't get too worked up about some shop having some toys taken.
My concern is Ankou that these toys can become improvised firearms i.e like the firing cell phone replica,do you think the police might know something we dont, I am sure like me and many others it is better to be safe than sorry. The bottom line is that it is sad that toy guns have to come into the equation.
In the event of police officers being in a situation where a suspected criminal suddenly produces anything that looks like or closely resembles a hand gun no-one has time to ascertain whether or not it is a real weapon, so anything that is on sale that appears suspicious has to be confiscated. End of.

Ron.
In answer to the original question - it IS a different world, and yes - we would run around in the 70s with imitation guns, but that's not something we should be selling to kids now.

A good analogy is that in the 70s I clearly remember being able to buy candy cigarettes and sweet tobacco (made out of coconut dyed dark brown, and sold in packs made to look like baccy).

I told some of the twenty-something's at work about this and they were so unconvinced, I had to show them pictures in Google Images.
Sweet tobacco....is that what it was? I used to love that stuff...
To be controversial, and also "non PC", the most violent form of crime nowadays is in the majority of cases carried out by non whites, whereas back in the '50s, there were very few non whites in the UK.

Yes, of course, some whites do resort to the use of firearms, knives etc, but I'd put money on the statistics proving that my theory about non whites is correct, no matter how unpalatable that may be to some?

You only need pay attention to the news outlets etc.
Question Author
sp1814

/// A good analogy is that in the 70s I clearly remember being able to buy candy cigarettes and sweet tobacco (made out of coconut dyed dark brown, and sold in packs made to look like baccy). ///

No I don't think it is a good analogy sp Toy guns and candy sweets and sweet tobacco are different thing entirely.

We have now learn that tobacco is not good for us, but before you sdsay neither are guns, may I add we have always known that guns are dangerous, but toy guns have been sold and used by youngsters, for generations.

Don't tell me they have just found out they might be confused with the real thing?
AOG

Another thing that I think should be noted - Kids don't play the same as they did when I was younger.

If a complete ban on any replica gun was implemented, I imagine most kids should shrug and turn back to their Wiis, X-Boxes and Playstations.

One last thing - I suspect that the ban is only on handguns that cold be mistaken for real weapons - the ban wouldn't extend to those plastic fake six shooters for example.

However, looking at the gun in the story, if it were night and the red plastic cap wasn't on and someone waved it in my face, I would certainly think it were real.
Question Author
sp1814

Apparently there are numerous replica guns available on the internet, no not from abroad but here in the UK, how do they get away with it?

One such gun, is the one below a Beretta 9mm, now if that doesn't look more authentic than those calculator ones, I just do not know.

http://www.modelguns-...com/images/metM9e.jpg
Perhaps we should avoid doing this on the street, or risk being taken to the pokey!!

http://www.zazzle.co....ad-144007992720891003

1 to 20 of 23rss feed

1 2 Next Last

Do you know the answer?

Police seize 30 gun-shaped 'James Bond calculators'

Answer Question >>

Related Questions

Sorry, we can't find any related questions. Try using the search bar at the top of the page to search for some keywords, or choose a topic and submit your own question.