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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Tens of Thousands of People in Flanders Consider Buying a Gun
8 June 2021
Brussels Times
In Flanders, tens of thousands of people said they would consider buying a firearm for the first time or again, citing feelings of insecurity as playing the biggest role in this, according to research by the Flemish Peace Institute published on Tuesday.
The survey of 2,500 adults in Flanders found that 4% said they were considering the purchase of a firearm, more so because of the conviction that in certain circumstances, people should be able to take the law into... (GunPolicy.org)
Belgium Melts Down Over 22,000 Firearms Into Recycled Steel
30 April 2021
Reuters
BRUSSELS - Belgian authorities this week destroyed more than 22,000 guns collected by police, melting them down into some 60 tonnes of recycled steel.
About half of the firearms were collected from across the country, principally handed in by owners, some of whom had inherited but not wanted to keep them, Carina van Cauter, the governor of East Flanders province, said in a statement.
The other half were outdated police weapons.
"The result is impressive: 22,457... (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 Guns in Austria Increased By One Third in Six Years
26 August 2020
Der Standards (Austria)
Not many sectors of the economy are benefiting from the Corona pandemic: divorce lawyers, perhaps, and the manufacturers of protective masks and disinfectants. Firearms producers will definitely emerge stronger from the crisis.
This is because registrations of new short and long firearms in Austria have risen sharply again since the spring. In order to meet the demand, domestic gun factories are producing around the clock, sometimes in three-shift models, while... (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)