Weapon Law Europe

[Dirk]

I found some good informations about the different weapon laws for europe, maybe good to know for those wo like to work abroad:

ENGLAND and WALES

• Gun owners must be licensed. Applicants need two referees, and police are allowed to consult would-be gun owners' doctors.
• Guns must be registered.
• In the wake of the 1996 Dunblane massacre the government passed a law severely restricting handguns. Anyone in possession of a high caliber handgun faces a maximum 10 years' imprisonment or a $7,285 fine, or both.

FRANCE

• Firearms must be registered, except for sporting rifles.
• A Sports Federation license is required to request an ownership permit. Applicants must have no record of criminal activity or mental illness. Applications approved by the Federation must also be vetted by local police and municipal officials. Permits must be renewed every three years.
• Machine guns and automatic firearms are prohibited without special authorization and are reserved almost exclusively for military and police forces.

GERMANY

• Gun owners must be licensed and firearms registered.
• Germany passed strict firearms regulation in 1972, and a new bill tightening the law even further may soon be passed by the upper house of parliament.
• Those applying for a license must be over 18 years old and, generally, a German resident for more than three years.
• Appplicants must prove their need to possess a gun, technical proficiency, knowledge of firearms and physical fitness.
• Fully automatic weapons are banned.

ITALY

• Gun owners must be licensed and firearms registered.
• Gun owners must be over 18, undergo psychological and physical tests and have a clean police record.
• Licenses must be renewed each year.
• No one may own more than three guns.

NETHERLANDS

• Gun owners must be licensed. Applicants must be over 18 years old and a gun club member for at least a year. Applications are approved by police, and licenses must be renewed annually. Firearms must be registered.
• Automatic and semi-automatic weapons are banned.

SPAIN

• Gun owners must be licensed and undergo strict medical and psychological tests. No one is permitted to own more than six hunting rifles and one handgun.
• Firearms must be registered and inspected annually.
• Machine guns and submachine guns are banned, as are imitation pistols.

SWITZERLAND

• Gun owners must be licensed and firearms registered.
• Tighter regulation was introduced in 1999 — gun owners now require a permit. Applicants must prove they need a gun and pass an exam on their theoretical and practical knowledge of gun use.
• Members of the Swiss military are required to keep their weapons at home.
• Hunting and sporting rifles can be purchased without a permit and transported freely within the country, though permits are required to transport other guns.

EUROPEAN UNION

• The Schengen Agreement, which came into force in 1985, proposed harmonizing the acquisition, possession and sale of firearms across the signatory countries. These provisions have been overtaken by a European Union directive that sets out minimum standards for gun registration, including a "European firearm card" that any gun-owner must have on hand when transporting a weapon from one E.U. member state to another.

UNITED STATES

• Gun control is legislated and enforced at both the federal and state levels, resulting in a complex, often contradictory body of regulations. Some states severely restrict gun ownership, while others let people carry concealed firearms. Federal law severly restricts the use and purchase of fully automatic weapons. Some Americans think the U.S. Constitution contains a right to own guns, but legal scholars generally disagree.

[jcrymer]

Northern Ireland - same as England and Wales except that handguns are permitted though owners must usually be a member of a Gun club and a member for a year before the FAC application is made. Rifles must be bolt action / straight pull except for .22 and below.

[wingnut]

In Northern Irealand serving or ex Armed Forces can apply to carry a PPW also.
There are also other individuals such as Prison Officers, etc that can apply.

[jcrymer]

I beleive they were trying to do away with the 'general threat' reason for a PPW and there had to be a specific threat, but with the recent shootings of PSNI officers I dont think that will happen.

[fluffy]

Thats I nice looking Glock JCRYMER ,hope its shooting well ....it was mine before you bought in the NADPRC

[jcrymer]

Hi mate, yes it's shooting well, bit of an impulse purchase, your Dad had it there one Sat, gave me a shoot and I gave him a cheque ! Added a couple of chrome girly bits to it since then :-)

[wingnut]

Yeah there was talk of stopping PSNI carrying off duty, but as said shooting of off duty SF is still going on. From dealings with ex Servicemen and Prison officers there are still substantial amounts of PPW still carried.

[Hawk]

Yes this is standard or the norm for having a weapon licensed, and to be a member in a pistolclub however this is just for registration and legal right to own a weapon not to work or wear it in public if someone here would thought otherwise..

Its also possible to apply for a European weapon pass, its normaly given for 5 years and is only for championships, training ..not for work..

hawk