Well, it's the same logic that applied with the Sullivan Act in New York, and other places. Just as an example.
Make it illegal, pick up a bunch of known violators, give them outrageous punishments, do the same over the years with catching every-once-in-a-while cases and nailing them to the wall with rusty railroad spikes.
And here we are now, with New Yorkers viewing any firearms issues with absolutely visceral reactions.
So it works. And the antigunners are extremely patient and persistent.
Rinse and repeat.