So is it actually necessary to go all or nothing? What about a compromise?
In Canada, for example, guns aren't illegal, but they're strictly controlled. It's difficult to get a gun here, but not impossible.
From personal experience, I can say that there is very little gun crime here. I've lived in two major Canadian cities, and I can say that I've never seen a gun (although I do know people who collect them). Nor do I know anybody whose life has been affected by a gun, one way or the other. I think that what we're doing here is working, whether or not you believe it.
Also, here's some thoughts on banning guns:
1) Banning guns doesn't work so well when other countries, especially neighbouring ones, make it fairly easy to get a gun.
2) When guns are initially banned, even if there is an amnesty on turning them in, there will almost certainly be a rise in gun crimes in the short term, for the reasons that you said. However, if it's difficult to obtain them for a long period of time, I think that crime will fall. Guns don't last forever. Is a short period of more pain worth a long period of less pain? Dunno.
And incidentally, why could CrAz3d even delete posts from General? SMF permissions are so flaky..