It is not "Before the invention of guns" but the Japanese Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi did initiate a "sword hunt" to disarm the heavily armed Japanese civilian population after a long warring states period, Sengoku Jidai c. 1467 – c. 1600. The Ikko-Ikki had overthrown Samurai leaders during the warring states period and had armed bands of peasants and/or warrior monks all across Japan that were not subject to the same restrictions of Samurai. Oda Nobunaga, the former Shogun before Hideyoshi (and before the short lived Shogun, Akechi Mitsuhide), was constantly fighting peasant rebellions inflamed by Buddhist priests and adherents. The lack of central authority and constant fighting meant that peasants were regularly armed for their own defense as well. To address these issues that might lead to a rebellion or unrest etc, Hideyoshi went on a sword hunt allowing only Samurai to possess swords. This was also in the larger context of reducing peasants freedoms/ ability to advance in society and entrenching Samurai privileges, despite the fact he was a peasant whom had risen to Shogun. Here is the sword hunt edict:

TheEdictsofToyotomiHideyoshi: ExcerptsfromCollectionofSwords,1588 (a)

TheEdict:

1. Farmers of allprovinces are strictly forbidden tohavein theirpossession any swords, shortswords,bows,spears,firearms,orothertypesofweapons.Ifunnecessaryimplementsof war are kept, the collection of annual rent (nengu) may become more difficult, and without provocationuprisingscanbefomented.Therefore,thosewhoperpetrateimproperactsagainst samuraiwhoreceiveagrantofland(kyūnin)mustbebroughttotrialandpunished.However, in thatevent, theirwetanddry fieldswillremainunattended,and thesamuraiwilllose their rights(chigyō) totheyieldsfromthefields.Therefore,theheadsoftheprovinces,samuraiwho receiveagrantofland,anddeputiesmustcollectalltheweaponsdescribedaboveandsubmit themtoHideyoshi’sgovernment.
2. The swords and short swords collectedin the abovemannerwillnot bewasted.They willbeusedasnailsandboltsin theconstructionof theGreat ImageofBuddha. In thisway, farmerswillbenefitnotonlyinthislifebutalsointhelivestocome.
3. If farmers possess only agricultural implements and devote themselves exclusively to cultivatingthefields,theyandtheirdescendantswillprosper.Thiscompassionateconcernfor thewell‑beingofthefarmsisthereasonfortheissuanceofthisedict,andsuchaconcernisthe foundationforthepeaceandsecurityofthecountryandthejoyandhappinessofallthepeople.

From Japan: A Documentary History: The Dawn of History to the Late Tokugawa Period, edited by David J. Lu (Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1997), 191-192. © 2001 M. E. Sharpe

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One of the more famous ones is that swords were banned in the city of Rome during anitquity, other than that there have been several attempts during for example the Middle Ages to restrict the access is weapons for peasants. one of those is when the danish King Valdemar II tried to restrict weapons for the people in Bergslagen which was one of the reasons they rallied to Gustaf Vasa which led to the eventual breakup of the Kalmar Union