Gun Policy News
Gun Laws and Ownership in Italy
23 March 2018
Local (Italy)
Italians do not have a fundamental right to bear arms, and there are tough laws regulating both ownership and use of guns in the country.
Before buying a gun, you first need to get a gun purchasing licence ( Licenza di porto d'armi o Nulla osta) -- this is also necessary if you inherit or are given a weapon. To be eligible, you must be over 18, have a certificate from a shooting range to prove you can safely use the firearm, have a clean criminal record, and state that... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Laws Successful, Study Finds
13 March 2018
Australian (Sydney)
The gun laws enacted after the Port Arthur Massacre have unequivocally prevented mass shootings, a new study says.
The National Firearms Agreement was enacted after the 1996 tragedy in which 35 people were killed. The legislation included uniform gun registration, banned private gun sales and civilian ownership of semiautomatic weapons, removed self-defence as a reason to hold a firearm license and standardised penalties.
The University of Sydney study analysed... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Destruction Prevented 16 Mass Shootings - Study
13 March 2018
Annals of Internal Medicine
Background: In 1996, after the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, the National Firearms Agreement was enacted across Australia. Provisions included uniform gun registration, repudiation of self-defense as a legitimate reason to hold a firearm licence, locked storage, a ban on private gun sales and civilian ownership of semiautomatic rifles and pump-action shotguns, and standardized penalties (1). Two buyback programs and 26 uncompensated amnesties between 1996 and 2015... (GunPolicy.org)
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How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
How South Korea Got Rid of Its Gun Problem
27 February 2018
Korea Exposé
In the aftermath of yet another mass shooting in the United States, international and domestic media have published articles touting South Korea as a model of gun regulation. But contrary to popular belief, freedom from gun violence is a relatively new development in the country.
It's true that South Korea is a good place to visit these days if you're trying to avoid guns. According to the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), there were just five gun homicides in... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Underground Gun Problem: Hundreds Seized
26 February 2018
Australian Associated Press
- 869 illegal guns have been seized by Queensland police ahead of the Games
- The majority of the guns had been stolen from licensed gun owners
- 440 charges have been laid as a result, including drug trafficking and theft
- In some cases thieves are breaking down walls of houses to get to gun safes
Almost 900 weapons have been seized in Queensland this month as police attempt to reduce the number of illegal firearms and related offences ahead of the Commonwealth... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe's Flourishing Gunmakers
23 February 2018
Economist
It was a blunder by Heckler & Koch, a giant German gunmaker. On February 15th the agency apologised for a "mistake" after its American subsidiary posted a Valentine's picture exhibiting a handgun surrounded by ammunition organized within the form of a coronary heart. The picture went out to social media shortly after a lethal college capturing in Florida.
The put up was additionally a reminder that though Europeans typically criticise lax firearm-ownership legal... (GunPolicy.org)
Trump & Turnbull: US to Consider an Australian Model on Guns?
23 February 2018
New York Times
WASHINGTON — One of the most powerful moments during President Trump's meeting with survivors and relatives of the Florida school shooting this week came when a student pleaded with the president to do what Australia did after a similar tragedy.
As it happened, Mr. Trump had an opportunity on Friday to get a firsthand report on Australia's crackdown on guns when he hosted the country's prime minister at the White House. But both men quickly discounted any... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Shooting Survivors Are Fighting Back
21 February 2018
Guardian
The students who survived a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school are aiming to reshape America's gun control debate.
"You're either with us or against us," senior Emma González told politicians on Sunday, following a viral speech to gun control advocates the day before when she promised, "We are going to be the last mass shooting."
Many people see the American gun control debate as a helpless stalemate dominated by the intransigence of the National Rifle... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 60,000 Registered Firearms in NZ
14 February 2018
Scoop (New Zealand)
Address to Otago University Public Health Summer School, Wellington
By Chris Cahill
President, NZ Police Association
The Police Association welcomes the timing of this symposium because it is clear to us that New Zealand needs to have a co-operative, common sense conversation about firearms.
We need to avoid resorting to extremes which we see paralysing jurisdictions such as the United States.
It has to be noted that the NRA has even inserted itself into our firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Tougher Gun Laws Pass Vic Upper House
6 February 2018
Australian Associated Press
Tougher gun laws targeting gang members, bikies and terrorists have passed Victoria's upper house.
Under the laws, police will be able to impose a firearm prohibition order on someone as young as 14, banning them from acquiring or carrying a gun and meaning they can be searched without a warrant.
The orders would target those with a history of crime, criminal association or who posed a risk to public safety.
The Andrews Labor government bill passed the Legislative... (GunPolicy.org)
More Guns Than Adults in Some Hunter, NSW Towns
31 January 2018
Sydney Morning Herald
The Hunter is gun mad - and proud of it - with shooters stockpiling almost 100,000 registered firearms.
A Fairfax Media investigation can reveal that the number of registered firearms in the region has increased by about 30,000 - or a third - in the past five years.
In 2012 there were almost 70,000 registered firearms in the Hunter, compared to 99,502 in July last year. This equates to, on average, an additional 16 guns per day.
In the same time, the number of people... (GunPolicy.org)
303,000 Registered Firearm Owners in Czech Republic
27 January 2018
Radio Praha
The number of Czechs with permits to have firearms increased last year to 303,000, according to the police.
That figure is around 2,700 more than in 2016 and 11,000 more than two years ago.
Police say the rising trend of gun ownership has been caused by fears over migration, terrorist attacks, and fear of personal assault.
The number of guns, rifles and other firearms kept at home by Czechs rose to around 850,000, around 100,000 more than five years... (GunPolicy.org)
Sudan Collects 30,000 Firearms in Darfur
25 December 2017
Dabanga (Sudan)
The disarmament campaign in North Darfur has not led to the planned results, according to the state's governor, although more than 170 militiamen affiliated with former janjaweed leader Musa Hilal have reportedly been arrested.
Talking to a Darfur local radio on Saturday, Governor Abdelwahid Yousif Ibrahim acknowledged the small number of the weapons collected so far.
He pointed to the spread of huge numbers of arms in North Darfur, and stressed that there is still a... (GunPolicy.org)
How the AR-15 Became The Most Popular Rifle In America
14 December 2017
CNN
Larry Hyatt had never seen such a frenzy.
The lines at Hyatt Guns, his shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, snaked out the door. The deep, green-walled warehouse bills itself as the largest gun shop in America, but even then Hyatt had to stretch to meet the demand.
At one point, he dispatched 37 salespeople to man the cash registers. He put up velvet ropes and hired a police officer. He even put a hot dog stand outside.
It was just after the Sandy Hook massacre -- and... (GunPolicy.org)
Craft Weapons Seized in Finland
26 November 2017
MTV Finland
[Editor's Note: Translated from Finnish to English by GunPolicy.org]
In the forensic laboratory of the National Bureau of Investigation, between 30-40 homemade weapons are investigated annually. However, the figure is not the whole truth, as some of the weapons can be studied directly by the police without the work of the laboratory.
"Making a firearm is not a very demanding job," says technical researcher Pauli Heiskanen from the forensic laboratory.
In practice,... (GunPolicy.org)
ISIS Links to Gun Smuggling in Malaysia
20 November 2017
Straits Times (Singapore)
With the rise of extremists in Malaysia, a new insidious form of smuggling has emerged - sneaking in guns for militants.
Malaysian police have increased raids against local terror cells in recent years, but the inflow of arms has not been eradicated due to the many Malaysia-Thai cross-border smuggling routes, officials say.
Asked whether firearms were among the smuggled goods commonly seized, Malaysian Border Security Agency director-general Mohamad Ismail told The... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Investigate Hack of Guns Database
18 November 2017
Age (Melbourne)
Police are investigating the hacking of a gun club database that may have exposed where more than 1500 semi-automatic handguns are stored.
The private details of 540 members from the Port Melbourne club, including the types of weapons they owned, is believed to have been compromised this month, potentially exposing them to the theft of guns worth at least $5000 each on the black market.
Most members own multiple guns, and store them in their homes.
One Melbourne... (GunPolicy.org)
2017 Australian Gun Amnesty Results by Jurisdiction - SSAA
9 November 2017
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia
The inclusion of gun dealers and an option to register or sell legal firearms has paved the way for high participation rates in the national firearms amnesty. The SSAA successfully lobbied the Federal Government to base the three-month amnesty on the successful Queensland version, with most states and territories adopting this proven model.
From the available data, it is clear the jurisdictions that allowed dealers to process firearms at gunshops and enabled licence... (GunPolicy.org)
Illicit Indian Craft Firearms Smuggled to Bangladesh
4 November 2017
Daily Star (Dhaka)
In recent years, the country's northwestern border in Chapainawabganj has emerged as a major route for smuggling in arms. It has of late become militants' most preferred point for collecting illegal firearms and explosives. This is the route through which terror outfit "Neo JMB" smuggled in the guns and bombs used in last year's Gulshan café attack. With such chilling information surfacing, Shariful Islam visits the zero line area of Indo-Bangla border in the district... (GunPolicy.org)
