In Britain, our gun laws were initially formed out of a very real and genuine fear of a bolshevik coup.
Most of our firearm laws is derived from the Firearms Act of 1920. This date is significant in light of the political climate in Europe as explored below.
Wind back to 1919. The great war is over, but Europe is in tatters. Over the past few years empires have risen and fallen, dynasties and houses dating back hundreds of years have been wiped out and millions have died.
The White Russian Empire burned in the flames of revolution, many of the ex-Ottoman states look likely to follow, whilst Spartacist or Bolshevik aligned factions in what is now Germany have lead successful mutinies in the Army, the Navy and across Munich, Frankfurt, Hanover and Brunswick. This lead to the abdication of all 21 german ruling dynasties and the formation of 'People's States' across the region.
Across all nations, both Allied and Axis, millions of working class people have military training, have faced armed combat in the worst war ever known and, due to the horrors and pointlessness of the war itself, plus the ensuing economic slump across the continent, have little to no faith in their leaders or government.
Britain looked on in horror as these disillusioned, dangerous, subversive elements returned from Flander's fields still clutching their SMLEs. Men who were a short time ago the heroes of the British Empire where now a clear and present danger to the exisiting government, the integrity of the British Empire and to the entire class and political system of the day. But what could be done to contain the threat?
I suggest that those who are interested in the background to this statement and the answer to this question read this paper. Its worth 30mins of your time.
http://dvc.org.uk/dunblane/clayton_1.pdf