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)
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)
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)
3D-printed Guns Becoming More Accessible
31 July 2021
Al Jazeera
There are mounting concerns over the proliferation of 3D-printed weapons amid growing arrests across Europe of people downloading and or trying to build their own guns.
"All you need is a weekend's worth of time and $50 for the materials".
That was the advice of Stephan Balliet, a German Neo-Nazi who has been sentenced to life in prison for killing two people after attempting to attack a synagogue in the city of Halle on October 9, 2019.
Balliet, 27, was referring to... (GunPolicy.org)
Is the Possession of Weapons Sufficiently Regulated in France?
10 June 2021
BFM.TV (France)
As cases of feminicide and gun assaults have increased in recent weeks, many questions have arisen around the sale and control of guns.
Handguns and long guns
At the end of a search carried out on Wednesday at Arthur C.'s, the second man arrested as part of the investigation into the slap given to Emmanuel Macron the day before, in the Drôme, the investigators seized this "booty", as well as a copy of Mein Kampf. This discovery raises many questions about the... (GunPolicy.org)
Austrians Buy More Firearms Than Ever Before
4 January 2021
Die Presse (Austria)
Die Nachfrage nach Handfeuerwaffen ist in Österreich im Jahr 2020 in bisher unerreichte Höhen geschossen. Das geht aus Daten einer Marktstudie des Marktforschungsinstituts Branchenradar.com hervor. Zuwächse gab es demnach bei Neuanschaffungen, vor allem aber am Gebrauchtwaffenmarkt. Die Nachfrage habe sich um nahezu zehn Prozent im Vergleich zum Vorjahr auf insgesamt 71.250 Stück erhöht. Damit wurden um 6400 Gewehre und Faustfeuerwaffen mehr verkauft als im Jahr... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 5 Million Registered Firearms in France
24 November 2020
Ouest France (France)
Combien d'armes circulent en France ?
L'Agrippa [application de gestion du répertoire informatisé des propriétaires et possesseurs d'armes] recensait, au 12 novembre 2020, plus de 5 millions d'armes ( 5 263 642 armes ) : 3 889 660 déclarées et 1 373 982 armes de catégorie A et B soumises à autorisation. En 2009, l'application avait recensé plus de 3 millions d'armes dont 2 147 849 déclarées. C'est donc 1 741 811 armes de plus en circulation dans l'hexagone.... (GunPolicy.org)
Number of Firearms Increased by One Third in Austria in Six Years
26 August 2020
Der Standard
Nicht viele Wirtschaftszweige profitieren von der Corona-Pandemie: Scheidungsanwälte womöglich und die Hersteller von Schutzmasken und Desinfektionsmitteln. Definitiv gestärkt aus der Krise hervorgehen werden die Schusswaffenproduzenten.
Denn die Registrierungen neuer Kurz- und Langfeuerwaffen haben in Österreich seit dem Frühjahr noch einmal kräftig angezogen. Um die Nachfrage zu bedienen, wird in den heimischen Waffenfabriken teils in Dreischichtmodellen rund... (GunPolicy.org)
Illicit Arms Sales: Togo Receives Help From France to Combat Illicit Trafficking
7 January 2020
TogoWeb (Togo)
[Translated content]
Togo, through the National Commission for the Fight against the Proliferation, Circulation and Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons, has been receiving technical support from France in the area of controlling the illicit arms trade since Monday 6 January 2020. At the end of the meeting, the participants will formulate recommendations to strengthen Togo's legal arsenal in terms of controlling the international arms trade.
"This... (GunPolicy.org)
Record for private gun purchases in Austria
7 January 2020
ORF
Rekord bei privaten Waffenkäufen
Die Zahl der Waffen in privater Hand ist im letzten Jahr gestiegen. Selbst das „Rekordjahr" 2015 sei in den Schatten gestellt worden, hieß es am Dienstag. Mittlerweile sind in Österreich über eine Million Waffen in Privatbesitz registriert.
Es wurden 2019 sowohl mehr Neu – als auch Gebrauchtwaffen verkauft. Nach einem Minus im Jahr zuvor fiel das Plus mit 7,7 Prozent sehr deutlich aus. Insgesamt wurden laut Branchenradar... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Gun Referendum Background
20 May 2019
EuroNews
Switzerland — one of the most heavily armed countries in Europe — voted to comply with stricter European Union gun laws in a referendum Sunday.
While Switzerland doesn't belong to the EU, it is part of the bloc's Schengen Area which is a zone that can be visited without a visa or passport by citizens of 26 European nations.
Following terrorist gun attacks in Paris and Brussels in 2015 and 2016, the EU tightened gun rules, known as the "EU Gun Ban", the bloc... (GunPolicy.org)
Increasing number of household with firearms in Austria
6 May 2019
Salzburger Nachrichten
Die Zahl der Schusswaffen in Privatbesitz ist im Jahr 2018 in Österreich angewachsen, allerdings in geringerem Ausmaß als zuletzt. Mit Stichtag 1. Jänner 2019 waren 1,056.203 private Schusswaffen registriert, ein Plus von 3,2 Prozent binnen Jahresfrist. Bis 1. Mai legte der Besitz weiter kontinuierlich zu - auf 1,068.582 Schusswaffen, teilte das Innenministerium der APA auf Anfrage mit.
Im Jahr 2018 verlief der Anstieg gleichmäßig durch alle Bundesländer und... (GunPolicy.org)
800,000 Firearms in Circulation in Belgium
9 June 2018
Brussels Times (Belgium)
Vlaams Vredesinstituut, the Flemish Parliament's opinion poll and research organisation, has said there are currently 781,419 guns registered in Belgium. "That's more than in 2006, when the laws on guns became tighter and owners of illegal weapons were free to hand them in with no fear of penalties", researcher Nils Duquet told the Het Belang van Limburg.
After the new gun laws came into effect, the number of registered weapons dropped from 778,585 in 2006 to 707,869... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
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)
Nearly 876,000 Weapons Registered in Switzerland
18 August 2017
Tribune de Genève
The Online Registry of Arms (CLRA) platform has catalogued thousands of weapons. We are far off the mark.
Some 876,000 rifles and pistols are currently listed on the Online Registry of Arms (CLRA) platform. They belong to 279,000 owners.
Asked by the ATS, Markus Röösli, head of the program "Harmonization of Swiss Police Informatics", confirmed these figures published by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
Military Weapons Not Included
However, they only give a partial... (GunPolicy.org)
France Finds 100 Registered Gun Owners on Terror Watchlist
6 July 2017
Agence France Presse
Paris - Authorities in France have identified some 100 people believed to legally own firearms despite being an anti-terror watchlist, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said on Wednesday.
The announcement comes two weeks after a known gun enthusiast rammed a car laden with weapons and gas canisters into a police van on Paris' Champs-Elysees avenue, the latest in a string of jihadist attacks to hit France since 2015.
The attacker, Adam Djaziri, was the only person... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland Now Has National Online Firearm Registration [FR]
24 November 2016
Tribune de Genève
[Translated summary: Swiss Police are now able to search firearm registers online, which allows them to obtain in one place the information about all private guns owned or transferred. Before, they had to contact every cantonal office individually. Police can also use the new system before making an intervention, to learn about the firearms owned by the people involved.]
Depuis début octobre, la police peut effectuer une recherche en ligne dans les registres d'armes... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Registration Up 100% to 747,888 Guns in Belgium [FR]
22 November 2016
Derniere Heure (Brussels)
[Translated summary: In five years, applications for firearm possession in Belgium increased by 100%. The Walloon region is the most armed with 347,113 firearms, followed by Flanders with 324,580. Brussells has 76,205 registered firearms. According to the authorities, the main reason given by new applicants is sport shooting.]
Il y a plus d'armes en Wallonie qu'en Flandre.
Phénomène de société, crainte inspirée par le terrorisme, réaction à une législation... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Stash Seized from Anti-State Extremists in Germany
18 November 2016
Local (Germany)
Police in Wuppertal on Thursday showed off the massive arsenal of two so-called Reichsbürger - people who don't recognize the legitimacy of the German state.
The pair's stash included 12 rifles - some of which had magnifying scopes - nine pistols, three air-pressure guns and one semi-automatic firearm. Police also discovered more than 20,000 rounds of ammunition.
The two Reichsbürger, aged 40 and 57, had weapons permits as marksmen, but authorities had decided to... (GunPolicy.org)