Derbyshire police have issued a stark warning to anyone caught brandishing a real looking BB gun in public that they risk being shot as officers would not take a chance if confronted.
The warning came as part of a national two-week firearms surrender campaign by police forces which launched on Monday, November 13.
A Smith and Wesson pistol, a replica carbine assault rifle and a pump-action shotgun are among the firearms that have been handed in to Derbyshire police so far during the firearms surrender.
Anyone who owns a gun of any type is invited to hand it in to police officers and they will not be prosecuted for possessing the weapon.
Designated bins have been set up at police stations for people to hand in any firearms, including at Burton police station, on Horninglow Street.
Now, Derbyshire Police have released an online video challenging people to see if they know which gun is a real police-issue Glock handgun, and which is an imitation BB gun that has been removed from the streets. And it is difficult to tell them apart.
A Derbyshire Police spokesman said: "We want you to choose between them as quickly as you can, without pausing the video, so you can see how tough it is for our firearms officers to tell the difference out on the streets, from distance, and sometimes when it’s dark.
"You can play with an imitation weapon like a BB gun in the privacy of your home, but as soon as you step out in public, you're breaking the law and may very well be faced with our firearms unit. Their guns are real.
"If we see someone carrying a gun in public, our officers have just a fraction of a second to decide if it's real or not – and they do not take chances."
Firearms and ammunition can be handed in anonymously if people want to. anyone wanting to hand in a gun or ammunition can also call 101 for further information.
Second World War pistol among items handed in
A Smith and Wesson pistol, a replica carbine assault rifle and a pump-action shotgun are among the firearms that have been handed in to Derbyshire Police so far during the firearms surrender.
The Smith and Wesson is believed to have belonged to a soldier in the Second World War and was handed in by his son during the surrender.
Derbyshire Police have so far recovered 25 items, including five imitation BB guns, six shotguns, several air rifles and air pistols, and other pieces of ammunition.
Each live weapon will be searched for a history to see if it can be used as evidence for crimes, otherwise they will be melted down or recycled.
What is a BB gun?
BB guns look very realistic. Pellet and BB guns are often classed together. In fact, they are separate devices. Pellet and BB guns use compressed air to fire projectiles, and are also known as air guns for that reason, though the ammunition used for each is not always interchangeable. BB guns can fire at speeds of up to 550 feet per second.
BB does not in fact stand for 'ball-bearing'. BB began as the size of a shot (intended for use within a shotgun shell) which fell midway between 'b' and 'bbb' types. An inventor eventually began using 'bb' as a single projectile, hence the name.
A BB gun with a velocity of 45 metres per second (or 150 feet per second) so can easily pierce the skin, and a velocity reaching 60 metres per second (or 200 feet per second) so can easily fracture bone.
The potential exists for killing someone; this potential increases with velocity, but also rapidly decreases with distance, say experts.
