We’re constantly told how great gun control works in other countries. We hear all about how guns vanish off the streets and criminals can’t get them anymore.

Of course, that’s a gross oversimplification of the truth, which is that even if criminals can’t get guns, they can still commit violent crimes. After all, why else is the UK pushing knife control now?

Further, it’s not like criminals can’t get guns. In fact, a recent raid in Merseyside–the area of England that encompasses Liverpool–pretty much goes to show that not only can the bad guys get guns, they can get much more than that.

Officers from Merseyside Police targeted addresses after a dawn briefing highlighted intelligence gathered over a long-term probe.

Search teams are now looking for evidence within the properties.

Dozens of officers were dispatched in a convoy of vehicles before laying up close to the target addresses just before 7am.

Once all were in place they were given the go ahead to execute search warrants at the respective properties. The morning of action follows months of intelligence-gathering by police.

Drugs, guns and even suspected hand grenades have been recovered as part of the operation so far.

Ah, guns and…*record scratch* wait, repeat that last bit?

…and even suspected hand grenades…

That’s what I thought it said. Hand grenades? Seriously?

I mean, we can’t even get hand grenades, yet these guys in a heavily gun-controlled nation have them?

Of course, we can get them in theory, but they’re categorized as a destructive device, and each grenade requires a $200 tax stamp plus the cost of the grenade itself, which is at least $200 from what I can find out. That’s if you can even find a grenade for sale.

Meanwhile, criminals in England are getting their hands on grenades, apparently.

Please, tell me again all about how our lax gun control laws are the only thing allowing criminals to get guns? At least our bad guys don’t seem to be getting their hands on grenades.

Look, people who are going to get involved in the drug trade are likely to have access to all manner of nasty things that law-abiding citizens even here in the United States won’t. They’re already breaking laws, so what’s one more, right?

The police can conduct raids all they want, but you’re not going to ever stop that from happening.

Let’s keep in mind that England has some geographic advantages that most countries don’t. For one thing, it’s an island. There’s limited traffic flow between them and any other country that’s not part of the United Kingdom. As such, these weapons aren’t flowing in from pro-gun countries. The Chicago excuse doesn’t hold water here because it simply can’t happen.

Yet criminals are still getting guns aplenty. Just because the ordinary street thug doesn’t seem to have them doesn’t mean England is any safer.

After all, I’d much rather the bad guys have guns instead of grenades when all else is said and done.