Firearm News
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)
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)
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)
Fewer Firearms in Portuguese Homes
25 September 2021
Diario de Noticias (Portugal)
New licences decrease every year
PSP estimates that there are fewer firearms in the home, taking into account those voluntarily surrendered and new weapons acquired, but stresses that this decrease "may not constitute a trend" due to the pandemic.
In an assessment made to Lusa news agency regarding the two years of the entry into force of the weapons law, which aims to limit the number of firearms in the home, the Public Security Police said that "there has been a... (GunPolicy.org)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Destroys 1,972 Pieces of Small Arms and Light Weapons
21 September 2021
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
A total of 1,972 pieces of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) were destroyed by the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday, 18 September.
The event took place at the Jelšingrad smelter in Banja Luka and represents a continuation of efforts to increase public safety and security, and diminish the risk of SALW proliferation. It was conducted by the SALW Coordination Board of Bosnia and Herzegovina, police agencies, the United Nations Development Programme... (GunPolicy.org)
North Africa,Slovakia,Czech Republic,France,Serbia,Burkina Faso,Mali
Sahel: Serbian Weapons Used by Brutal Armed Groups
24 August 2021
Amnesty International
Amnesty International's arms experts have identified Serbian-manufactured weapons in videos posted by armed groups operating in the Sahel, including an Islamic State affiliate which has claimed responsibility for hundreds of civilian deaths. The new rifles, some the latest available models, match trade records of Serbia's sales to Burkina Faso, suggesting the weapons were recently sold to the government before falling into the hands of armed groups.
Amnesty... (GunPolicy.org)
Serbia,West Africa,Burkina Faso,Mali
Identified Serbian Weapons in Stockpiles of Armed Groups in Sahel
24 August 2021
Amnesty International
Amnesty International's arms experts have identified Serbian-manufactured weapons in videos posted by armed groups operating in the Sahel, including an Islamic State affiliate which has claimed responsibility for hundreds of civilian deaths. The new rifles, some the latest available models, match trade records of Serbia's sales to Burkina Faso, suggesting the weapons were recently sold to the government before falling into the hands of armed groups.
Amnesty... (GunPolicy.org)
How are the rules on weapons in Italy
22 July 2021
Il Post (Italy)
On Tuesday evening, the councillor in charge of security in Voghera, the Lega Nord member Massimo Adriatici, shot and killed Youns El Bossettaoui, a 39-year-old Moroccan citizen, in a square in the town centre. It seems that Adriatici had a gun licence, but the episode prompted some politicians - including the secretary of the Democratic Party Enrico Letta and some members of Italia Viva - to question the rules that allow private individuals to keep and carry firearms,... (GunPolicy.org)
Alleged killing of migrant by far-right politician prompts Italy gun control row
22 July 2021
Guardian
A row over privately owned guns has been ignited in Italy after a councillor with the far-right League party allegedly shot dead an immigrant.
Massimo Adriatici, a councillor for security in Voghera, is under house arrest after the shooting outside a bar in the Lombardy town on Tuesday night. Youns El Bossettaoui, a 38-year-old man from Morocco, was shot in the chest and later died in hospital.
Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League and a key partner in Mario... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Experts Call for a Reform on Firearm Ownership and Possession
20 May 2021
Avvenire
Saturday, April 10, in Rivarolo Canavese, in the province of Turin, an 83-year-old pensioner, Renzo Tarabella, after having shot his wife, Maria Grazia Valovatto, 70, and his 51-year-old disabled son Wilson, shot and killed the owners of the apartment where he lived, 74-year-old Osvaldo Dighera and his 70-year-old wife Liliana Heidempergher, and then attempted to commit suicide. The reason is not yet clear - probably for depression and resentment towards the neighbours... (GunPolicy.org)
Spanish Police Bust Clandestine 3D Gun-printing Workshop
18 April 2021
AP
Spanish police said Sunday that they have uncovered the first workshop using a 3D printer to make illegal firearms in the country.
Police said that one person was arrested on Tenerife in the Canary Islands after being linked to the clandestine workshop where the suspect allegedly made assault weapons from 3D printing.
Beside the printer, agents also confiscated the components for 19 weapons made from 3D printing, several knives, chemicals that could be used in... (GunPolicy.org)
Report Shows Gun Ownership on the Rise in Turkey
10 March 2021
Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF)
A report drafted by Turkey's Gendarmerie General Command has revealed an increasing demand for gun ownership in the country, with a 34 percent increase in the number of applications for gun permits in 2020, Turkish Minute reported.
In 2019, a total of 13,206 people applied for a license to carry a firearm, rising by 34 percent in 2020, with 17,751 applying for permits, the activity report for 2020 said.
According to the Umut (Hope) Foundation, a leading advocate of... (GunPolicy.org)
Azerbaijan,Armenia,Russia,Israel,Turkey,United States,United Kingdom
Arms Supplies to Armenia and Azerbaijan
17 February 2021
EVN
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been embroiled in an intense and violent ethnic conflict over Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) for over three decades. The conflict is at the very core of the modern statehoods of both countries. It has resulted in two full-scale wars in 1992-94 and 2020 and regular skirmishes, with the most significant one being the 2016 Four Day April War. The conflict has led to both countries becoming among the most militarized countries in the world. A 2019... (GunPolicy.org)
In 2020, more than 3,000 firearms were destroyed in Murcia, Spain
9 July 2020
Murcia Today (Spain)
9th July is International Gun Destruction Day
During the last year the Guardia Civíl destroyed a total of 86,566 weapons in Spain, 3,493 of which were confiscated in the Murcia region.
852 of the weapons from Murcia are small firearms and more than 2,000 long-barrel shotguns and rifles.
Some of the weapons are confiscated as their owners lack the necessary certification and others are seized by the Guardia during criminal investigations.
Public auctions are held to... (GunPolicy.org)
In Italy 400,000 'Ghost Shooters' Unknown to Sports Facilities
13 April 2020
Il Ducato (Italy)
Italians, people of saints, poets and navigators. And, in recent years, also of sport shooters. At least according to the number of rifle licences for shooting registered by the Ministry of the Interior. But from paper to the real frequency of shooting ranges and shooting fields, as we shall see, there is a long way. Many observers and experts have long believed that the sporting firearm licence was a ploy to legitimise the possession of a weapon, to be kept at home for... (GunPolicy.org)
13 March 2019
Sole 24 Ore
There are 1,315,700 licenses issued in Italy for legal possession of weapons, up 4% compared to 2015. The data are the official ones from the Viminale, updated in July 2018. To dictate the increase is the sporting use (+27% in the last three years), while all other types of licenses are declining.
The gun permit for hunting activities is down 9%, due to the increasingly restrictive regulations for hunting, which is consequently less practised; the one for self-defence,... (GunPolicy.org)
Portugal Breaks Records in the Seizure of Weapons and Explosives in 2018
20 February 2019
Observador (Portugal)
PSP bate recordes na apreensão de armas e explosivos em 2018
De acordo com os dados da PSP, além da apreensão, o número de armas entregues voluntariamente em 2018 também aumentou. Armas de caça ocupam a maior parte das apreensões (40%).
Só em 2018, a Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) apreendeu 8.979 armas, mais 200% em relação aos números de 2014 e uma média de 25 armas apreendidas por dia. No caso das munições, os números aumentaram 23%, de 71.121... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Gun Laws Become Less Restrictive
27 September 2018
Corriere della Sera
As of Friday, September 14, when the measure went into effect, gun laws become less restrictive. And there is no need to notify the family that there are weapons in the house. The Official Gazette, in fact, published Legislative Decree 104 last August 10, which transposes--the first nation to do so--the European Directive 853/2017 (amending the previous EU Directive 477/1991) making less restrictive the legislation on the possession of legally held weapons. In practice,... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Portuguese Registries 'Lose' 1 Million Weapons
10 December 2017
CM Jornal (Portugal)
Em Portugal, há livretes que atestam a legalidade de mais de 1,5 milhões de armas de fogo. Mas a PSP, que está a atualizar estes registos, estima que, na realidade, apenas 300 mil armas existam de facto nestas condições. Ou seja, mais de um milhão de pistolas, revólveres ou caçadeiras, entre outras, estão 'desaparecidas' ou têm documentos duplicados ou foram registadas sem que existissem na realidade.
De acordo com fontes policiais contactadas pelo CM, muitas... (GunPolicy.org)