A man was jailed for possession of a prohibited firearm at Luton Crown Court on Friday.
Tyran Tyrone James, 34, of Kincross Crescent, Luton was sentenced to five years in prison.
On January 29, last year, James was arrested at Purley Centre, Luton.
He was searched and the hammer pin from a deactivated American Smith and Wesson double action revolver was found in a pocket.
He was charged with possessing a prohibited firearm but denied the charge. At his trial at Luton Crown Court in December, a firearms expert said that in his opinion that the removal of such a hammer assembly from a revolver would require some considerable disassembly and some skill to refitting it to the action.
Recovered data on seized mobile phones attributed to James showed that in the month prior to his arrest, 179 searches were carried out on gun websites including YouTube gun video clips and gun sales websites. Images of Smith and Wesson guns were also recovered from the phone.
The crown presented James in court as an armourer for criminals requiring firearms.
He was convicted of possession of a prohibited firearm.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Baron said after the sentencing: “I am pleased that he will spend time in prison to reflect upon his activities.
“Those who arm criminals with weapons like this are as responsible for violent crime as those who pull the trigger.
“We will continue to disrupt the use and supply of firearms in order to protect our communities.
“There is no place for illegal firearms on the streets of Bedfordshire and this sentence should send out a clear message to anyone thinking of getting involved in gun crime.”