Posted by
whoyg2898 on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 8:52:22 PM
A brand of replica gun sold on the high street as a starting pistol is
behind a surge in gangland shootings that have led Scotland Yard to
deploy armed patrols on London estates, The Times has learnt.
Olympic BBM 9mm revolvers, converted by
freshwater pearl bracelet criminals to fire real bullets, make up 40 per cent of the live-firing guns seized by the Metropolitan Police in the past year.
Despite
being relatively easy to convert, the Olympic pistols are legally on
sale in hunting, sports and outdoor shops across Britain for £80-90.
They are also available on the internet, where one retailer’s blurb
states that the gun is “Home Office approved”.
The Times bought
one for £85 from a shop in Surrey this week in a transaction that took
less than five minutes, and they can be picked up for as little as €35
(£32) on the Continent.
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The
multi strand necklace
Olympic BBM 9mm has become the “weapon of choice” for a new generation
of gangsters who are now fighting it out for status and reputation in
areas of Inner London.
At the point of sale, the Olympic is
painted bright orange because the law states that imitation firearms
must be made to look unrealistic.
However, the legislation in
question, the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2007, permits the sale of the
guns for certain purposes, including use as a starting pistol or as a
film or television prop.
The shop where The Times bought the
cultured freshwater pearl
gun required proof of identity and took note of a home address. An
internet retailer, selling it for £89.99, required only credit card
details and a delivery address.