Gun Ownership Overseas

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

Hi everybody,

My friend recently came back from a trip to Serbia and Montenegro. He was telling me both countries have strict gun laws and that shops are few and far between.

Ingo is pretty diverse with friends and family all over the world. What is the shooting hobby like in other countries?

For anyone who immigrated here and had no previous experience with firearms, can you tell your story on how you entered the hobby?

 

[rob63]

I know a guy in Denmark that is interested in our civil war, he had to get a license from the police to buy a reproduction civil war era musket. Even worse than New Jersey.

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

I know a guy in Denmark that is interested in our civil war, he had to get a license from the police to buy a reproduction civil war era musket. Even worse than New Jersey.

I've never heard of guns laws being that restrictive. My gosh.

At least he was able to purchase one. Do you know if he is able to shoot it?

 

[rob63]

I've never heard of guns laws being that restrictive. My gosh.

At least he was able to purchase one. Do you know if he is able to shoot it?

Yes, he does.

 

[johntheplinker]

In Finland a long gun is relatively easy to get, a handgun for target shooting difficult but doable, a CCW you can forget about. Switzerland is also fairly easy for a long gun, and if you're in the reserves you can keep your issued weapon at home. Most of the rest of Europe it is doable but somewhat complicated to get a long gun but from very difficult to impossible for a handgun. Most places also require a reason to own a gun, examples like hunting or target shooting.
Air guns are fairly popular since the restrictions are much easier.

 

[STFU]

Germany...I lived there for 2 years (2014 & 2015).
Here are a few fun thoughts to ponder...

Gun ownership is a privilege and NOT a right. Furthermore, you must prove a "need" for a weapon.
All weapons must be registered with the government. Period.
Licensing is strict as hell. 3 types of licenses:

1. Hunting (allows many long guns but a max of 2 handguns)
2. Sport (allows many handguns but only 2 long guns)
3. Carry (Do not expect to get a carry license unless you work security (EG: you are a bodyguard))

You must pass tests to get your licenses and prove proficiency on a range.
You cannot buy ammunition for a caliber you do not own. (Stores make you show the registration card.)
Gun safes are required and must meet very specific specs base on the type of weapons.
Gun safe access must be limited to the registered owner. EG: Unless your spouse is also licensed, they are not allowed to have access to the safe.
There is no concept of "stand your ground" or "castle doctrine." If you can avoid the situation, you must.
Etc, etc, etc.

 

[IUKalash429]

Through a fellow AK enthusiast I know over there, I was surprised to learn that one can own some pretty rad guns in France of all places. He has a nice collection of long guns and what the U.S. defines as SBRs, suppressors - even some Russian wares that are legally impossible to get here in the states.

Before, I would have assumed so much as a rubber band around the thumb and index finger would be illegal in France.

 

[MrSmitty]

I've heard that the Czech Republic is one of the most free countries for Handguns and gun ownership....( haven't been there, your milage may vary) INGO's own Sylvain, is from France, or lives there, it seems less restrictive than we've been lead to believe....

 

[pokersamurai]

I have friends from Japan and I’ve even been over there. They have extremely strict gun laws. Only 0.1% of the population owns a firearm.

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

I have friends from Japan and I’ve even been over there. They have extremely strict gun laws. Only 0.1% of the population owns a firearm.

They get the reward for worst gun restrictions

 

[pokersamurai]

They get the reward for worst gun restrictions

By far. The funny thing is, the younger generation over there is obsessed with firearms, but since they can’t own any they buy airsoft. Some of the airsoft guns I saw over there had the same feel as the real things and they were just as expensive!

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

By far. The funny thing is, the younger generation over there is obsessed with firearms, but since they can’t own any they buy airsoft. Some of the airsoft guns I saw over there had the same feel as the real things and they were just as expensive!

Hopefully the new generation petitions the government for their right to bear arms.

There are some air soft guns that are almost indistinguishable from the real deal. Some of them even weigh the same

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

We need to always be thankful we have what we have and to protect it. Just a reminder.

 

[MrSmitty]

Remember the signs from the Hong Kong protesters saying " I wish we had a Second Amendment"......

 

[rhslover]

The Bloke on the Range YouTube channel has a really great explanation of Swiss gun laws. It's a bit long maybe 40 minutes, but thorough. Switzerland seems like my kind of place. Community shooting matches are really common.

 

[Hawkeye7br]

We shot the Pan Am Championship for handgun silhouette in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2003. Their competitors had to be members of the Brazil Confederation, a government registry of sporting gun owners. They were not allowed to own anything that was (or had been) a cartridge that had ever been a military caliber. 30-06, 5.56/223, 38 special, 45 ACP, 30 luger, 30 Carbine, 9mm, and many others were banned. They had to get a special permit for a 7TCU since it stemmed from 223 brass. Since 357 was allowed, they necked it down to 30 cal. Cute little round. 30 Reece was outlawed. Their rifle shooters were mainly 357. I shot a Thompson Contender in 270 Maximum, they were awestruck as they had never seen one.

Sport shooting there was expensive. All their shooters were doctors, lawyers, engineers or otherwise wealthy.

To get our guns into the country, one of their Confederation members had to "sponsor" us, meaning he was personally responsible for our firearms. Selling my gun in their country was forbidden. I was told the story of a group of Argentina shooters who flew into Brazil for a trapshooting championship, rented a car for a week, and decided to drive back to Argentina and do some sightseeing on the way. When they left the country with their own guns, their Brazilian sponsor was fined for the value of the guns, about $10,000.

To buy a handgun from the US, the import duty fee was equal to the value of the gun. A $2,000 Freedom Arms cost $4k after fees.

One day I wore a shirt with the image of a Daisy air pistol to dinner. Another shooter saw it and asked if I owned such a gun. I said "yeah, maybe 6 or 7" and he asked if I would sell one. I asked how to ship it and he gave me their version of "I got a guy". He pulled out a wad of cash and gave me an address in Miami. I mailed the gun to Miami, and that was that.

Each day, we arrived and had a bunch of gear to unload, shoot, then pack it all up and carry back to the car that was maybe 120 yards away. The first day, I got a translator to ask a couple target painters (kids) to help me carry gear back to the car. They were a bit reluctant but did it anyway. Exchange rate was about 3:1, so it cost me 35 cents to tip each kid a dollar. They thought they were rich. Next day, I had 4 kids who wanted to help, the next 2 days there was 6 of the little buggers waiting for me to finish shooting and already had all of Diana's gear packed up and slung over their little shoulders. Good times and a trip we'll never forget.

 

[Deimos]

Hi everybody,

My friend recently came back from a trip to Serbia and Montenegro. He was telling me both countries have strict gun laws and that shops are few and far between.

Ingo is pretty diverse with friends and family all over the world. What is the shooting hobby like in other countries?

For anyone who immigrated here and had no previous experience with firearms, can you tell your story on how you entered the hobby?

Oldish thread now but I'm from the UK originally and I've always been into firearms. Gun ownership over there is fairly rare, it's a pain in the ass to get anything. You have to prove that you have a use for the shotgun/rifle and be a regular visiting member of a gun club.

Long guns must be bolt/pump/lever action. Shotguns must only be able to hold 3 shells at once. No semi-auto rifles unless it's a .22

As for 'Pistols', UK law defines a pistol as a firearm with a barrel shorter than 30 cm (12 in) or a total length of less than 60 cm (24 in) so any handgun must have a wire stock welded to the back and a faux suppressor pinned to the barrel to prevent them from breaking those rules.

Suppressors can be bought over the counter with no stamp / permit

Anytime you buy ammo it must be logged. Guns must be locked in a safe that is bolted down.

In general, it sucks. It's much nicer being over here now and being able to own whatever I want. I always loved guns, knew a lot about them from watching videos and reading books as a kid. Not to mention playing video games. People here were surprised that I knew what guns shot which calibers, knew how to reload them and be safe with them even though I had never previously shot/held a gun.

 

[Cavman]

Why we need to keep fighting to keep our right from eroding any further away

 

[actaeon277]

Oldish thread now but I'm from the UK originally and I've always been into firearms. Gun ownership over there is fairly rare, it's a pain in the ass to get anything. You have to prove that you have a use for the shotgun/rifle and be a regular visiting member of a gun club.

Long guns must be bolt/pump/lever action. Shotguns must only be able to hold 3 shells at once. No semi-auto rifles unless it's a .22

As for 'Pistols', UK law defines a pistol as a firearm with a barrel shorter than 30 cm (12 in) or a total length of less than 60 cm (24 in) so any handgun must have a wire stock welded to the back and a faux suppressor pinned to the barrel to prevent them from breaking those rules.

Suppressors can be bought over the counter with no stamp / permit

Anytime you buy ammo it must be logged. Guns must be locked in a safe that is bolted down.

In general, it sucks. It's much nicer being over here now and being able to own whatever I want.

 

[Nickbau5]

By far. The funny thing is, the younger generation over there is obsessed with firearms, but since they can’t own any they buy airsoft. Some of the airsoft guns I saw over there had the same feel as the real things and they were just as expensive!

I follow a lot of JP individuals on Twitter and the amount of legitimate tactical gear that they have is astounding. I can only imagine the amount of stuff the Japanese would have if they could own guns. Tactical cosplay over there can get very extreme, I've actually seen some with full SOF helmets, Strandhogg PCs, Avon gas masks, full Crye kit, and then a lot of expensive accessories on their rifles.