Firearm News
Germany Plans to Tighten Gun Control
6 November 2022
Deutsche Welle
The German government is planning to make background checks for potential gun owners even tighter. But questions remain over whether authorities are even equipped to carry out such controls.
The German government is seeking to impose even stricter background checks on gun ownership in an attempt to prevent political extremists and the psychologically disturbed from buying guns.
The latest call for restrictions comes partly in response to the killings in Hanau in... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland,Ukraine,Sweden,Denmark,Netherlands
Firearms Supplied to Ukraine Found in Crime in Scandinavia
2 November 2022
YLE (Finland)
Organised crime is growing in Finland and there is a strong demand for weapons. Routes and connections from Ukraine to Finland are already in place. The police are hoping for resources to deal with the increasing workload caused by the war in Ukraine.
Soldiers carry weapons in the woods.
Europol, the European police agency, has warned that international criminals are trying to smuggle weapons from war-torn Ukraine to various EU countries. Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba /... (GunPolicy.org)
29 June 2022
Local
Is it difficult to get a gun in Germany?
To get a gun in Germany you firstly have to obtain a firearms ownership license (Waffenbesitzkarte) – and you may need a different one for each weapon you buy – or a license to carry (Waffenschein).
Applicants for a license must be at least 18-years-old and undergo what's called a reliability check. This includes checking for criminal records, whether the person is an alcohol or drug addict, whether they have a mental... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Australia,United States,New Zealand
Australia, UK, New Zealand Tackled Mass Shootings
1 June 2022
CNN, Opinion
A man – almost always a man – commonly with no criminal history and no diagnosis of mental illness, armed with a lawfully obtained semiautomatic 'assault' weapon, kills and injures a large number of innocents in a place they imagined to be safe.
It happens around the world, but horrifyingly more and more often in the United States, most recently in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
To those of us who live in culturally similar nations, but where the... (GunPolicy.org)
What Rules Does Austria Have On Gun Ownership?
25 May 2022
The Local, Austria
The country has one of the most permissive gun laws in Europe. However, applicants still need a license and go through evaluations before being allowed to buy a weapon.
As the debate on gun ownership laws is brought back into the headlines after a tragic mass shooting in the United States on May 24th, it might be surprising to read that tranquil and peaceful Austria is also one of Europe's most permissive countries regarding gun laws.
Private gun ownership is allowed... (GunPolicy.org)
Belgium Sees Growing Interest of Young People in Shooting
23 May 2022
Sud Info (Belgium)
According to the latest figures from the Central Weapons Register, almost 170,000 private individuals own weapons in Belgium! The number of declared weapons has increased again and Hainaut remains the most armed province in the country.
Weapons continue to be popular in Belgium. According to the latest figures provided by the Minister of Justice, 678,592 weapons are registered in our country and they are held by 168,349 individuals, which amounts to an average of 4... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Firearm Registrations on the Up in Belgium
23 May 2022
Brussels Times
As of 2022, 678,592 registered firearms are held by 168,349 people in Belgium, an increase of over 8,000 new registered weapons, according to statistics obtained from the Ministry of Justice by Belgian newspaper Sud Press.
In other words, the average gun licence holder has around 4 weapons. Hainaut, in Wallonia, remains the most heavily-armed area in Belgium, also explained by the large number of shooting clubs and historical shooting traditions, such as pole... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss State-owned Small Arms Producer Sold to Italy
13 April 2022
SwissInfo
Switzerland's state-owned Ruag International company has sold its small-caliber ammunition division to the Italian firearm manufacturer, Beretta.
All the 2,700 employees of Ammotech in Switzerland and ten other countries, including Germany and Sweden, the United States and Britain, would be taken over by the new Italian owner, Ruag International said on Wednesday.
The main Swiss production site in the town of Thun would be maintained for at least five years, Ruag... (GunPolicy.org)
Polish Right Calls for Easier Access to Guns
21 March 2022
Euroactive
The Polish right has proposed simplifying gun ownership regulations and shortening the procedure for applying for a gun permit as Russia's attack on Ukraine has renewed discussions in Poland about the country's stringent gun ownership laws.
Education minister Przemysław Czarnek has already announced that schools will provide defence training and shooting exercises for students as of September.
Those who back easier access to weapons say that Russia's attack on... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,United States,Russia,Turkey,Germany,United Kingdom,Poland
What Weapons Have Other Countries Supplied to Ukraine?
17 March 2022
Guardian
The US president, Joe Biden, has announced an $800m (£610m) package of arms to Ukraine as the west steps up military aid against invading Russia forces.
The west's military assistance to Ukraine began cautiously with helmets and flak jackets but now includes drones that can destroy Russian tanks and artillery from 50 miles away.
The west has repeatedly refused to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine but is now supplying a range of powerful weapons. They... (GunPolicy.org)
Plymouth Mass Shooting Investigation Concluded
16 March 2022
Plymouth Herald (UK)
The police watchdog investigating how and why the Keyham gunman had his pump-action shotgun returned to him by Devon and Cornwall Police after it was removed said it has now completed its inquiry - but its findings cannot be made public at this time.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct's (IOPC) investigation was launched in the wake of the tragic events on August 12, 2021 which saw the deaths of five people as well as the gunman, Jake Davison, by his own hand. A... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Soar in Lithuania After Russian Invasion of Ukraine
11 March 2022
National Interest (Lithuania)
Gun buyers in Lithuania are flocking to stores. Lithuanian media report that sales have increased eightfold and applications for gun licenses have more than doubled. Media outlets also report that shooting ranges are seeing increases in clients hoping to hone their skills.
These sales are believed to be largely driven by Lithuanian fears that Russia could invade in the future.
"[Putin] has much larger ambitions in Ukraine," President Joe Biden said in February. "He... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,Netherlands,Sweden,Finland,Germany,Poland,United States,Russia
NATO Countries Pour Weapons Into Ukraine
2 March 2022
New York Times
The Dutch are sending rocket launchers for air defense. The Estonians are sending Javelin antitank missiles. The Poles and the Latvians are sending Stinger surface-to-air missiles. The Czechs are sending machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols and ammunition.
Even formerly neutral countries like Sweden and Finland are sending weapons. And Germany, long allergic to sending weapons into conflict zones, is sending Stingers as well as other shoulder-launched rockets.
In all,... (GunPolicy.org)
France Launches New Software to Better Control Weapons
8 February 2022
Express
Nearly 5 million people, mainly hunters, will have to register their weapons from Tuesday in a new software that is supposed to ensure better control of legally held rifles and pistols in France.
The new tool, designed by the interior ministry and called the Weapons Information System (SIA), replaces the Agrippa application, created in 2007 and deemed "outdated" by Beauvau.
"It is the file of honest people, the holders of weapons who hold them in a regular manner,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Continued Steady Increase in Czech Gun Ownership
3 January 2022
Zbrojnice.com
Gun Statistics 2021: Continued steady increase in gun ownership and number of guns, amendment to law had no major impact
The second COVID year did not bring any major change to the Czech civilian gun ownership statistics. The steady increase in the number of gun holders continues. Paradoxically, the increase in 2021 was slightly slower than the year before, although part of 2020 was marked by the impossibility of proficiency tests due to government restrictions. In... (GunPolicy.org)
Italy Opens Sale of Parabellum Ammunition for Civilian and Sporting Use
23 December 2021
Fatto Quotidiano (Italy)
Parabellum, the taboo falls: Fratelli d'Italia's amendment to the European law opens up the sale of ammunition for civilian and sporting use
A historic taboo of the Italian legal system has been broken. First by practice, and since 2010 also by law, the civilian sale of parabellum ammunition has always been forbidden, Parabellum rounds have considerable penetrating power, and can make even ricocheting shots deadly in closed environments. "Their legalisation puts an end... (GunPolicy.org)
Irish National Police to be Disarmed Following Review
11 December 2021
Irish Times (Ireland)
The Garda is dramatically reducing the number of members carrying guns as it moves towards a model of having specialist units act as the force's primary firearms response.
The process began last year after a review of the number of armed members was carried out and it was found that more than a quarter (27 per cent or 3,778 gardaí) were carrying firearms. This was close to the proportion of members who were armed at the height of the Troubles in the 1980s.
The 2019... (GunPolicy.org)
Plymouth Mass Shooting Inquest Will Look At 10 Key Points
9 December 2021
Plymouth Herald (UK)
A six-week-long jury-led inquest into the deaths of five people killed by Keyham gunman Jake Davison will include an examination of why his mother reported him to the Government's counter-terrorism scheme. Today's two pre-inquest reviews into the killings on August 12, 2021, revealed the scope of the forthcoming full inquest which will begin on January 16, 2023.
Maxine Betty Davison, age 51, Lee Raymond John Martyn, age 43, Sophie Iris Martyn, age three, Stephen John... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Falkland Islands,Mexico
How US Gun Culture Stacks Up With the World
26 November 2021
CNN
Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.
America's relationship to gun ownership is unique, and its gun culture is a global outlier.
As the tally of gun-related deaths continue to grow daily, here's a look at how gun culture in... (GunPolicy.org)
28 September 2021
Espresso
[Translation by GunPolicy.org]
Every day there are murders, death threats or crimes by those who possess a gun obtained easily with a regular licence. But only one number remains constant: that of murdered women. Giorgio Beretta: 'It is necessary to take firearms out of the hands of potential murderers'.
Eighty-five women have been killed since the beginning of the year, fifty-one by husbands, partners or exes. These are the numbers of feminicides in Italy. Eleven in... (GunPolicy.org)