| From: | "Gurth" <gurth@******.nl> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Gun laws in other countries than the U.S. |
| Date: | Thu, 21 Dec 1995 11:05:36 +0100 |
> Since most of us on the list are from the U.S. (at least that was the
> case about 4 months ago and I assume it hasn't changed). How about
> enlightening us as to how hard it is to get firearms in some of the other
> countries..
The Dutch situation:
Join a legitimate shooting club and be a member for a year before you can
even apply for a permit. Once armed with the permit you can buy a weapon
(some gun stores don't even allow entry to people who don't show a permit
or hunting license). Then once a year the police come to check that you
still have the weapon and that it's the one you have a permit for. Oh, and
you have to hoot it at least a certain number of times a year (I forgot
the exact number, I think it's 12 or so) at a recognized venue such as a
shooting club or contest, where you get a stamp for it. Without the
minimum required number of stamps, and I believe you're not allowed to
keep the weapon in your home any longer. It stays at the police station in
the meantime until you sell it or get the number of stamps you need.
Also, transporting weapons is hideously illegal unless you are on your way
from your home to a shooting club or the other way around. (Stopping by
the pub with your rifle in the trunk of your car does _not_ fall under
going home from a shooting club :) The fine for carrying a firearm and
ammunition is in the order of 100,000 guilders (US$60,000+ ...) plus quite
likely some time in jail.
Nearly any firearm can be gotten on a permit, except those that fire more
than one round per pull of the trigger. For instance, an AK is allowed as
long as the fully-automatic firing mode has been disabled. Most people
tend to shoot .22LR rifles or pistols, though.
On related issues, you're not allowed to even own a non-working replica of
a firearm if it's not recognizable as clearly a toy or something. 1:1
scale models of firearms are thus illegal, the reasoning being that they
can be used to threaten with as if they were real.
David van Nederveen Meerkerk said on 20 Dec 95...
> Here in Holland,
I hate that name...
> aAs far as I know, unless you've criminal contacts, very
> hard. It's almost impossible to get a permit as a civilian, I don't know
> under which restrictions you can. Even private security corporations are
> not allowed to carry any weapon, only the police are allowed to do that.
Forgot about that, yeah... Only police and military forces carry firearms,
and only the military are allowed automatic weapons. The police have H&K
MP 5 SMGs, but may _not_ use automatic fire from them. Note that private
security forces may not carry _any_ weapon, not even tuncheons or similar
implements.
Makeshift weapons also fall under the weapons laws -- a heavy wrench in
your pocket if you're going to club if seen as a weapon, and not something
to repair your car with should it break down. Mace is similarly outlawed.
And no, I don't feel unsafe or threatened or whatever :)
--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
We need to start a band.
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Character Mortuary: http://huizen.dds.nl/~mortuary/mortuary.html <-
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