Judge has jailed three men for a total of 19 years and warned that courts will show no mercy to those caught in possession of firearms.
Judge Thomas spoke out as he sentenced Jahangar Majid to five years for keeping a pistol and ammunition in his flat.
Earlier, two other men were each jailed for seven years. All three were arrested in Operation Werewolf, a series of police raids targeting gun crime earlier this year.
Manchester Crown Court was told a Browning pistol and five rounds of ammunition were found at Majid's flat, in Valley Mill Lane, Bury.
The 29-year-old former driver at Manchester Airport told police he had been 'bullied' by people in Old Trafford and Stretford into keeping the gun.
But Judge Thomas told him: "It is obvious, to those of us who sit in these courts, that there is a very unhappy connection between possession and use of guns and drugs.
"You say you have been trying to better yourself by moving away but it was your old associates, perhaps, that asked you to keep the gun.
"You must understand - and others like you in Manchester must understand - that whatever threats are made, whatever old allegiances, if you are found to be in possession of firearms, you will end up with a long prison sentence."
Earlier Michael Pearson, 28, of Roedean Gardens, Flixton, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a firearm, ammunition, and cannabis.
Mazhar Mohammed 24, of Albion Street, Old Trafford, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Operation Werewolf involved more than 300 police and targeted members of an organised crime group involved in the possession, use and supply of firearms and ammunition, as well as drugs.The guns seized, which were shown to the court, were loaded and ready to use, and police say both Majid and Mohammed had links with gangs.Det Supt Darren Shenton from GP's Xcalibre Task Force said after the sentencing: "The impact of the operation cannot be under-estimated, as the circulation of such weapons has without doubt, fuelled the recent acts of extreme criminality including two murders.
"Greater Manchester Police continues to actively target such criminality. It undermines public confidence and breaks down the fabric of society, affecting decent law-abiding citizens."Throughout Operation Werewolf, the vast majority of people living in Trafford have worked closely with police, assisting in reducing criminal activity and providing valuable support.
"The sentences passed give a clear indication that this sort of criminality will be dealt with severely."
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