Perhaps rather ironic that this coincides with news from the UK that fake handguns can also be rather dangerous to those trying to misuse them:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jan/27/robber-fake-gun-plymouth
Also a sad story, but one that undermines the NRA claim that it needs a “good guy with a gun” to stop a bad guy with a gun.

When my son was doing history at school we agreed to his requests to get a WW1 infantry rifle (SMLE) provided it was kept in a secure locked cupboard, and deactivated as required by UK law. It came with a certificate confirming that it had been deactivated, modified to prevent it from ever being fired or restored to firing condition.
The biggest concern was that if it had been seen outdoors a police armed response squad might have been called, so care was needed to avoid such misunderstanding. A completely different culture, and I’m much happier to have these restrictions here.