The once proud and fiercely independent Brits lost the ability of self-defense layer by layer as regulations abounded. The vast majority of them were lulled to sleep by the drone of politicians insisting that they "weren't going to take away their guns entirely," or that it was "for your own good," or "for the children."
Concerns about this gradual encroachment on individual rights were met with assurances: "Don't worry, you won't lose your hunting rights, we're just regulating 'bad' guns, controlling 'bad' criminals, protecting your children, preventing crime, promoting safety, etc." Until at the last, all those guns, all those rights and nearly all those hunting privileges are gone.
First it was simple registration, then mandatory registration, mandatory storage at "sporting clubs," and government-controlled hours of access and locks, then even more restrictive laws on movement, possession, purchasing, ammunition, storage, use, ranges, types of firearms, club membership requirements, government control of processes, fees, buy-back purchases, limitations or bans on manufacture, importation, and slowly, slice by thin slice, the piecemeal removal of each layer. Eventually each type of gun fell to the near total confiscatory outlawing and roundup of pistols, semi automatic rifles, and eventually shotguns and sporting firearms. Now even knives are being confiscated and banned.