Gun Laws around the world

[rationtin440]

I hope that this will not be too sensitive a subject to discuss in forums, but I'm curious what the laws are regarding firearms ownership in the countries and states here in America where forums members live. I'm not asking for heated debates or arguments but I know that in some parts of the world the laws regarding firearms ownership are considerably different than those in America. Just curious for feedback.

[ak70g2]

No guns allowed to citizens here. It's a former communist country, for God's sake! Only criminals can use firearms! (I have many friends in Romanian Police, specially in the SWAT type units, and they preffer to beat the sh.t out of offenders than fire a shot. If you fire your weapon, you have to complete an average 2.4 kg of paperwork - reports, declarations, so on - the guys actually weighted all the trash they have to fill after an LE operation)

[Cracker]

Dutch:

You have to be a member of the shooters association, be a member of a shooting range for 12 months, and have 18 registered trainings before you can file for a permit.
To get a permit you need to have a weaponsafe, that is anchored to the wall/floor. In the first year you can only buy one firearm, after the first year you can buy up to five.

Weapons and ammunition have to be stored and transported seperatly, magazines are not allowed to be loaded.

There are only a few notes:
Weapon should be longer then 60cm
Min. muzzle length is 30cm
No full autos (only if neutered to semi auto before 2005)
No telescopic or foldable stocks.
Max. 10 000 rounds at home (counted by the amount of primers, so as a reloader, 10 000 primers is as much as 10 000 rounds)

German:

The law is quite similar to the dutch one, with minor differences.
Mostly the notes are different:

Min. muzzle length for a rifle/carbine is 42cm
Rifles/carbines have a max. 10 round mag capacity.
No (ex) military rifles (Kriegswaffengesetz)
No light emitting optics (lasers, lamps etc)
Your rifle/pistol case has to be locked during transportation.
Reloading requires a special permit.

You can travel through the EU with a EU firearm passport and a official invitation to a match/gunsmith.

Both countries do a criminal background check before giving the permit. The anual 18 trainings are checked in a stamp book, and your permit is reviewed yearly. Also, you get one unexpected safe check (to check if your weapons are stored properly).

And AK70g2.. check the military ROE.. The answer on most situations "do not shoot".

[ak70g2]

Dutch:

And AK70g2.. check the military ROE.. The answer on most situations "do not shoot".

My little brother, please do ME a favour: get an Heckler & Koch P8, fully load it, load other 2 spare magazines and keep always with you. This is a lesson I've learned many years ago: better alive in a jail back home than dead in some God-forgotten sh*t hole.

[rationtin440]

Thanks for replies guys! I guess I have nothing to complain about here in Massachusetts compared to what it's like for you. We have a system of Class A and Class B permits; Class A you can basically carry/own anything that is legal in MA. (pre-ban semi-autos, large capacity mags, scopes) Class B is non-large cap mags. Of course anything more than a misdemeanor offense and you lose the right to own/carry firearms for life.

[LogDayFreshHots]

I know this isn't exactly 'foreign' territory but if you want to stop complaining about MA state law try looking at Hawaii! No NFA-class firearms of any kind. No pistol hi-capacity over 10rds. You have to obtain a permit BEFORE you are allowed to purchase and then you have on so many days to make the purchase if its a pistol. If its a rifle/ shotgun you have one year to complete the purchase. When moving to Hawaii all firearms must be registered in a matter of days. So don't let that whole moving in, getting settled, un-packing, etc., get in the way!

Coming from the Democratic Socialist State of Maryland, Hawaii looks all but draconian. At least there you can (and I have) own restricted NFA firearms. And you should definitely keep complaining or they'll use the gradual creep method of making it harder. The Obama Administration is working behind the scenes to make it happen.

I believe Switzerland has or had some pretty good laws. Unless things have changed they actually issued every citizen (wihtin reason) a nice SIG556 and a basic load of ammo. I believe each year they held an annual qualification that was like a National event! Everyone came out to demonstrate their proficiency and get in some target practice.

I'm some others on here can provide more enlightenment on the Swiss....

[luis0449]

Spain:

With the new law that just was approved some weeks ago impossible is not the word to be used. There should be a stronger word for that.

Basically having a gun at home is just for two purposes: hunting or sports shooting (no self defence) . In that case if you want to have it a your own home you must have a safe of the ones that are inside the wall. You can have a maximum of guns (I can`t remember if it`s five or seven, I have to check it out). and the local cops must be informed how much ammo you store. You cannot carry it unless it is from your home to the firing range or the place you are going hunting. What people do is something like ringing then and say "my number is the xxxxxxx and tomorrow at 07:00 I`ll take my gun from X to Y as I`ll go hunting". the fine if you carry the gun and you are not going hunting is very strong and it may result in your license not being renewed. The other chance is to have it stored at the local police headquartes. You know it`s safer and the cops know you won`t use to "talk" with someone. Fact is that imagine the revolts that happened in NorthAfrica some months ago. Imagine what would happen if one out of ten here in Spain would have a HK G36 at home and four or five magazines, or when Al-Quaeda blew up the trains some years ago. They just don`t want people to be armed just in case. It comes without saying that just hunting guns are allowed, forget semi or full authomatics.

Obviously you can have your own gun if you are a cop, soldier or the like but you won`t be allowed to carry it when you are off duty.

I haven`t heard of anybody shooting someonelse but I remember once some people were celebrating a soccer victory, it was rather late at night and a guy told them to keep the noise down as he had to wake up early next day, the soccer guys told him to f***k off and he just threw them a flowerpot from a 4th floor (hurting noone).

Even Airsoft is not so legal here. As airsoft guns are so real people, can mistake them for real ones and it may lead to misunderstandings.

As they used to say during my time in the service "it`s the devil who loads the guns" (take them with extra care). I could tell you so many stories on about how low intelligence soldiers where allowed to carry 7,62 CETMEs. I`m running out of time. One of the days I`ll tell you the story of the soldier who killed a cow by mistake.

Take care (and don`t use unless it absolutely necessary).

Luis

[housil]

Germany => ridiciouls.

It is almost impossible to own a weapon. Either you are an official forrest ranger or you are a member of a shooting club and can proof you must have your own weapon - after one year of shooting with the club under supervision with an air rifle.
Once you get a permit, you must lock your weapons at home in a certain safe, the ammo in a different one. You are also only allowed to have. Also you are not allowed to buy as much weapons as much you want. You have to proof why you need to buy another weapon for the shooting club ...
Do you think this is ridiciouls?!
OK. Even a knife could be a "weapon" over here and having such kniefs with a weapon permit is a crime(!). It´s not a hugh knife but if do you have e.g. a knife that can beoprated with just one hand - it´s a weapon and you are not allowed to carry with you. No matter the size!
Automatic knifes where the blade falls out of the handle are a crime even just to have them!

As much as I know Germany has one of the most strict weapons law I know.

[rationtin440]

Geez housil that is very bad! Studies have shown that where people are permitted to have firearms accessible for their own defense, the crime rates are lower, and the opposite is true as well----where guns are restricted or banned, the crime rate sky-rockets. A few places here in America have very restrictive gun laws and thus higher crime rates; Belleville, Collinsville, Morton Grove, and Chicago Illinois, and most of New Jersey.

[biscuits brown]

The situation in the UK is this

[*]All handguns are banned with the exception of single shot 22 LR target pistols.
[*]All semiautomatic and pump activated weapons are banned.
[*]Bolt action and single shot full bore and small bore rifles are allowed, but strictly controlled. Firearms certificate
[*]Shotguns, single and double barrel are allowed. Shotgun certificate[*]
[*]Air weapons only up to 12 foot pounds energy are allowed, without permit.
[*]Blank firing replicas (reinactements) and black powder weapons musket/rifle and pistols (not cap and ball revolvers) Shotgun certificate.

In addition, shotgun and firearm certificates are extremely hard to get, and weapons as in other countries, must be stored in a locked pre-inspected recepticle, as must ammo.

The carrying of knives is a jailable offense. Even a small lock knife with maybe a 2 inch blade.

In short the law abiding population have been more or less completely disarmed, while the criminals are more heavily armed than ever, especially with handguns, and other heavier weapons, prompting an "arms race" with the police tactical units.

Would a terrorist go to the police station to allpy for a fireams certificate??