Originally Posted by
OLIAR15
Switzerland has the reputation to be a very gun friendly country, especially compared to neighbouring countries in Europe.
However new gun laws are being introduced under the pressure of the European Union with whom Switzerland has bilateral commercial trade accords.
You need to apply for a gun permit at the bureau of arms for each gun. Cost is $ 50 per permit. For that you obviously need a virgin criminal record. You may put up to three guns on the same permit but those have to be bought the same day from the same seller. That leads to some regrouping amongst sellers at gun shows, and also to some compulsive buying, to fill the second and third line and amortise the permit.
We used to be allowed to carry, concealed only, but that now requires another permit which is nearly impossible to get unless your profession requires it. Private transaction used to be allowed without permit but that’s no longer the case.
We are still allowed to acquire and possess full auto weapons for collection purposes, or professional needs. Those require an exceptional permit, which has a few more conditions required, such as already having a small collection, a bolted safe, bolts have to be stored separately and another permit is required to shoot them.
This limits interest in them and they are therefore fairly cheap here, say $ 2-2500 for an M16, $ 1500 for a Glock 18, HK MP5 start at $ 2000, a Thompson starts at $ 1800 etc..
The Swiss army is a militia / conscripts army. The particularity was that service was spread over years, you started with basic training for four months (plus another three if you go to under officer school), then you’d have a repeating or training three weeks course every year until a certain age, depending on your grade. I think it used to be close to 40 yrs for private, and up for officers.
At the end of you service you have the possibility to keep your service rifle (for private) or pistol (for officers). Therefore attics and gunshows are littered with old straight pull rifles, Stgw 57 and 90 (full auto bits are removed), Swiss revolvers, Lugers, P210 and 220.
Nowadays and with the end of the Cold War 30 years ago, the Swiss army has been drastically reduced and professionalised, went from 600’000 potential soldiers including reservists to abt 150’000 today. It’s still conscripts but shorter and a lot more kids get away without having to do it. Which in a way is a shame, as it’s good life introduction for the 18 yr old knuckleheads (my son in law was sadly exempted, it would have done him a world of good).
At the end of your service you have to possibility to keep your service rifle or pistol for a $ 100 fee. You must have participated in three qualifying shoots in the last three years of your service. This is a fairly recent requirement, a friend found out the hard way when the army told him he missed one and couldn’t keep his rifle. He bought a civilian Sig 550 for $ 2800.
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