60 "Pistols" Stopped At UK Borders:

British Border Protection Police-Customs proudly announced that they have arrested an Irish citizen Robert Keogh -  for smuggling 60 pistols into UK through the Channel Port of Dover on August 2.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/08/07/man-charged-after-60-guns-recovered-hidden-in-car/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheFirearmBlog+%28The+Firearm+Blog%29

I guess that in legal language that report would be correct .. but the FACTS are that these are actually Turkish made blank firing guns that may have been adapted to accept a live cartridge.

The pistols had been secreted in the panels and bumper of a Volkswagen Passat.

The gun shown in the image seems to be a 'ZORAKI 2918' that was built by Atak Arms in Istanbul from plastic and zinc alloy - in several versions that either fire "blanks" or perhaps rubber balls.

Video Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usRdJAOQV_c

- Here are 19 of these "sealed" as found ..

The 'pot metal' slides are definitely not made to withstand the pressures and velocity from live round fire unless extensively modified or rebuilt. - However they seem to otherwise be well made as blank firing devices.

Zinc-aluminum alloys (pot metal) such as "Zamak 3" have a place in die cast toys for sure .. but are not likely to survive more than one or two real shots if adapted into a full power handgun.

2017 VW Passat.

I have often read comment when contraband is found - that there is likely a lot more that gets through undetected.

 - My #1 comment would be that anyone flashing a replica-toy firearm as a "frightener" has got to be a dumb bottom-feeder with a short life expectancy eh.

UK knife crime rose 22% in 2017 to 39,598 offences  - Gun Crime rose to 6,604 offences.

They had 688 Homicides recorded - a 15% increase.

Keogh was remanded to reappear in Canterbury Crown Court next month.

(New Zealand 'per capita' gun deaths are around 12 times less than USA .. but about 5 times more than UK).

Marty K.