While I agree that it has been strengthened of late, Americans have two perspectives, of the horror stories that came out of mostly England for years; and the other is the relative ease by which Americans can smite villains without significant legal threat in many cases.
This relativity is important, as in the case of Germans who for many years drove on much of the Autobahn at speed, and embraced that ability as a precious right, to whom the 88.5km speeds of America’s freeways felt like driving in a parking lot.
That is, from here, Britain looks like a dangerous place.
It isnt.
It's indeed unfortunate that this impression has taken root in the U.S. as widely as seems to be the case. There seems to be little that those of us who know better can say in response which won't be summarily dismissed. Illustrate with personal anecdote, and we're accused of burying our heads in the sand, ignoring the reality around us, being blind to what's happening elsewhere than in our little safe enclave etc. etc. Respond with statistics or explanation of the law, and we're accused of hiding behind generalisation and abstraction, selectivity in the choice of statistics or even of quoting questionable evidence etc etc. In truth, I suspect that the only way anybody who holds this view might be convinced is by spending time here - and by that I mean a substantial period of time, not the snapshot observations of a tourist.
...but here's my personal experience, anyway. I've lived in England nearly 70 years now, not a particularly sheltered life, in many different areas (north, west midlands, south, southwest), in big cities, medium-sized towns, and in the countryside.
During those neat 70 years, have I ever experienced or felt in imminent threat of physical violence of any kind?
No.
Have any of my immediate family or friends ever been subject to or threatened by physical violence?
Not that I'm aware of.
Has a violent incident ever taken place within the near neighborhood of my home?
Not that I can recollect, or at least not affecting anybody I have known personally, even if only by sight.
Have I ever felt that owning a handgun might be desirable or useful?
No.
Has any of my family, including past generations, ever owned a handgun, even when there was no legal obstacle to doing so?
Not that I'm aware of.
Do I know anybody who owns a gun of any kind?
Plenty. All shotguns or a variety of sporting rifles. All owned for farming or sporting purposes. All owned without interruption through the various stages of gun control legislation.
Have any of these ever expressed to me a wish to hold other kinds of gun, including handguns, if it were legal to do so?
No, although the subject has occasionally been discussed in my presence when gun crime happens to be in the news.