GUN LAWS -- SWITZERLAND ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Emmanuel Baechler ------------------------------------------------------------------------ First of all, firearms are regulated by a feredal law, but it has to be applied by "cantons" (equivalent of states). As there is 26 cantons, there is 26 practices. Happily most of them agreed, in a sensed way, on how to apply that law. In order to buy a handgun, you must get a purchase license from the police. To get it, you must be over 18, you must be member of a shooting society (at least for the first ones) and, if you live with other peoples, they must somewhat agree with that (I really don't know what can happen if they don't). The first license takes a little bit of time, around one month. all the other ones come in a week. I forgot to mention, that you must indicate a motivation when you ask for a license. The most current one is "shooting and collection". In fact it is so frequent that it has been proposed to directly print it on the sheets. Unhappily the police did not like the idea. The policy is that a .22 is *STRONGLY* recommended as a first handgun. However you will be able to buy a 9mm or a .45. The only handguns that you won't be able to get for the first licenses are pocket handguns (>= .44 Magnum). Pocket handguns remain difficult to get, unless you are a collector, or if you ask for a purchase license, with "defense" as a motivation. To get a such license, you need good reasons. Full auto rifles are submitted to licenses. In order to get one, you must be considered as a collector. In my canton, this is automatic after the fifth license. People in that situation can get almost whatever they want. However, people cannot use full auto rifles in full auto mode! There are some exceptions, but they are quite rare and require quite a lot of effort to get them. Other sort of rifles, bolt action, semi-autos, pump-action and so on are free of license. Finally, carrying is not regulated in switerland. So, when you get a handgun license, you are totally free to carry it, if you want: this is your responsibility. The practice is such that unless you are a money carrier or something like that, you should carry your(s) weapon concealed. Carrying a weapon openly cannot cause you real problems, but you risk much more controls from the police. The exceptions: * Geneva and Basel forbirds full auto rifles, they almost forbid semi-autos (they make *very* difficult to get them). They also regulate the carrying of fireamrs. * Vaud and Neuchatel require licenses (the same as for handguns) for semi-autos and pump action rifles. The conditions are the same than for handguns. Finally, silencers are forbiden. About amunition: There is no restriction, in the sense that you can buy whatever you find on the market without any quantity limitation. However: (1) if you buy ten tons of 9mm Para, I am sure that the police will become highly interested by your activities. (2) You are not free to import amunition by yourself: they must go through a federal office, which may agree or not with what you want, and it is very difficult to go against their decision (administrative mafia). This office has strange rules: while many JHP ammo are imported, he refused to import GECO Action Safety. Just another example: While Hydra-Shock is imported in 9mm Para, .40S&W and 10mm Auto, it is not imported in .45ACP. There is no limitation about the quantity of firearms that you can own. Howvever, if you buy 4 AK-74 a week, the police might ask you some questions. Note that the canton of Basel restrict the number of semiauto rifles that someone can buy to two per year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: {withhold at author's request} ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Any Swiss citizen serving in the army is able to keep a gun at home. Officers are allowed to keep a pistol and ammunition, enlisted men are allowed to keep their assault rifle at home, but are not supposed to keep ammo at home. Teenagers (boys and girls) ages 16-19 (pre-military) can partake in "young riflemen" pre-military clubs where they are issued with a standard assault rifle which they keep at home for the duration of the courses (several months). In terms of buying a gun, buying a pistol is relatively difficult - requires a police permit that needs a security check. However buying a non full-auto rifle is pretty trivial - you can just walk into a shop and buy one - no permit required!