Children as young as 10 have been arrested for firearms offences over the past three years.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that 1, purchase 549 children were arrested for suspected firearms offences between 2013 and January 2016, physician with the number of cases jumping by 20% in the past year.
The cases involve weapons such as air rifles, diagnosis imitation firearms, BB guns and Tasers.
The FOI requests were sent by the Press Association to all police forces in the UK, with 29 forces responding.
Gloucestershire Constabulary said it would cost too much to retrieve the information.
“Unfortunately there is no way of electronically searching for this information on the Crime Recording System,” the force said.