Two Greater Manchester MPs have called for action after a Manchester Evening News investigation revealed how easy it is to buy a fearsome weapon in the region.
Reporters were able to purchase a 13-inch knife from Stockport gift shop Kitraco and a pistol crossbow from Prince Toys in Bury.
In selling the items, neither shop broke the law, and both Bury and Stockport councils said they had no ongoing incidents or complaints about either business.
But the investigation has sparked a debate on whether the law should be tightened to eradicate the sale of concerning weapons, against a backdrop of worrying levels of knife crime across the country.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk