"Easy Availability?"

Seems that one Dave King, body-builder, security-type, guy with a known "record of 'considerable criminality'" was shot to death on September 5. He was sitting in his car when two masked men drove by and opened up with an AK-47 automatic rifle. Twenty-five rounds of "armor piercing" (probably just standard military-spec steel-core stuff) 7.62x39 Russian were fired at the car, killing him, and wounding another.

Damn, just another case of those awful assault weapons that ought to be banned, BANNED I say!

Oh, wait...

This happened in ENGLAND. You know, where automatic weapons have been illegal since the 30's and semi-automatic weapons since the mid 80's.

As an interesting addendum, the story has a sidebar that says:

Appeal to underworld

OFFICERS leading the hunt for Mr King’s killers this week identified the weapon and ammunition used in the murder.
They are almost certain the weapon used was an AK47 Kalashnikov Russian-built military assault rifle and the ammunition was armour piercing.

Senior investigation officer Det Chief Supt Steve Read said: “Preliminary detailed examinations have confirmed that at least 25 rounds of 7.62mm x 39mm armour piercing ammunition was used in the murder of David King.

“I am keen to hear from members of the criminal fraternity who, although they may have a high tolerance to the use of firearms, would probably be shocked that a weapon designed for battlefield use which discharges high velocity armour piercing rounds has been used on a public street in suburban Hertfordshire.”

Really? Why? Automatic weapons are turning up in England fairly often. A submachine gun was used not so long back to gun down two young women, Charlene Ellis, 18, and Latisha Shakespear, 17, on New Year's day, and police seize "assault weapons" repeatedly in raids.

If criminals want them, they'll get them. "Easy availability" is not the problem.

Hell, in March a gang used automatic rifles and an anti-tank rocket to bust a gangster out of a Paris jail! I don't believe those are all that "easily available" in France, either.