According to crime statistics reported by The London Telegraph (UK is violent crime capital of Europe, 02 July 2009), the “gun-free” United Kingdom (UK) is 4 times more violent than the USA.  According to the Telegraph:

… there are over 2,000 crimes recorded per 100,000 population in the UK, making it the most violent place in Europe.

Austria is second, with a rate of 1,677 per 100,000 people, followed by Sweden, Belgium, Finland and Holland.

By comparison, America has an estimated rate of 466 violent crimes per 100,000 population.

France recorded 324,765 violent crimes in 2007 – a 67 per cent increase in the past decade – at a rate of 504 per 100,000 population.

Note that France didn’t even make the top 6 in Europe, yet their violent crime rate is still greater than ours.  Entire article here.

I just remembered that it was the UK’s program to confiscate guns from law-abiding citizens that caused me to become a lifetime member of the NRA, some 15 years ago.