Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe. The vast majority of men
between the ages of 20 and 30 are conscripted into the militia and undergo
military training, including weapons training. The personal weapons of the
militia are kept at home as part of the military obligations. However, it is
generally not permitted to keep army-issued ammunition, but compatible
ammunition purchased for privately owned guns is permitted. At the end of
military service period the previously used gun can be converted to a privately
owned gun after a weapon acquisition permit has been granted. Switzerland
thus has a relatively high gun ownership rates. In recent times a minority of
political opposition has expressed a desire for tighter gun regulations. A
referendum in February 2011 rejected stricter gun control.
Number of guns in circulation In some 2001 statistics, it is noted
that there are about 420,000 assault rifles stored at private homes, mostly
SIG SG 550 models. Additionally, there are some 320,000 semi-auto rifles and
military pistols exempted from military service in private possession, all
selective-fire weapons having been converted to semi-automatic operation
only. In addition, there are several hundred thousand other semi-automatic
small arms classified as carbines. The total number of firearms in private
homes is estimated minimally at 1.2 million to 3 million.
In 2005 over 10% of households contained handguns, compared to 18% of U.S.
households that contained handguns. In 2005 almost 29% of households in
Switzerland contained firearms of some kind, compared to almost 43% in the US.
According to current estimations of guns per 100 residents is about 25, which is,
for example, lower than Germany, France, or Austria.
Regulation Switzerland's Weapons Law and Weapons
Act has been revised to accede to the Schengen Treaty effective 12 December
2008. The law is applied to the following
weapons: Firearms, such as pistols, revolvers,
rifles, pump guns, lever-action rifles, self-loading guns;
Air and C02 guns with muzzle energy of at least 7.5 joules, or if there is risk
of confusion with a firearm; Imitation, alarm gun and soft-air guns
when there is risk of confusion with a firearm;
Butterfly knives, throwing knives, knife-handed operation with automatic
mechanism with total length greater than 12 cm and blade length greater than 5
cm; Daggers with symmetrical blade is less
than 30 cm; Devices that are intended to hurt people
like rod, throwing star, brass knuckles, slings with armrest;
all electric shock devices and spray products with irritants in Annex 2
weapons Regulation, except for pepper spray.
Generally prohibited arms are: Automatic firearms such as machine guns,
etc. Automatic knife when the blade more than
5 cm and total length of more than 12 cm Butterfly knife when the blade more than
5 cm and total length of more than 12 cm Throwing knives; regardless of the shape
and size Symmetrical daggers when blade length
less than 30 cm Brass knuckles
Shock rods Throwing Stars
Skidding with armrest Stun guns
Weapons that imitate an object of utility as shooting phones, etc.
= Acquisition= Buying guns
In order to purchase most weapons, the purchaser must obtain a weapon
acquisition permit. Swiss citizens over the age of 18 who are not
psychiatrically disqualified nor identified as posing security problems,
and who have a clean criminal record can request such a permit. Foreigners with
the following citizenship are explicitly excluded from the right to possess
weapons: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Turkey, Sri Lanka,
Algeria and Albania. The following information must be provided to the
cantonal weapon bureau together with the weapon application form:
valid official identification or passport copy
residence address criminal record copy not older than 3
months For each transfer of a weapon or an
essential weapon component without weapons acquisition permit, a written
contract must be concluded. Each Party shall keep them at least ten years. The
contract must include the following information:
Family name, first name, birth date, residence address and signature of the
person who sells the weapon or essential weapon component
Family name, first name, birth date, residence address and signature of the
person who purchases the weapon or an essential weapon component
Kind of weapon, manufacturer or producer, label, caliber, weapon number,
and date and place of transfer; Type and number of official
identification of the person who acquires the weapon or the essential
weapon component and an indication of the processing of
personal data in connection with the contract in accordance with the privacy
policy of the Federation or the cantons, if firearms are transmitted.
This information must be sent within 30 days to the cantonal weapon registration
bureau, where the weapon holders are registered.
Some weapons do not need a weapon acquisition permit:
Single-shot and multi-barreled hunting rifles and replicas of single-shot
muzzle By the Federal Council designated hand
bolt-action rifles, which are commonly used in off-duty and sporting gunnery
recognized by the military law of 3 February 1952 and shooting clubs for
hunting purposes in Switzerland Single-shot rabbit slayer;
Compressed air and CO2 weapons that develop a muzzle energy of at least 7.5
joules, or may be confused because of their appearance with real firearms
Buying Ammunition In order to purchase Ammunition the
buyer must follows the same legal rules like for buying guns. The buyer can only
buy munition for guns he/she is legally owning and must provide the following
information to the seller: valid official identification or
passport: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Turkey,
Sri Lanka, Algeria and Albania) residence address
criminal record copy not older than 3 months
weapon acquisition permit not older than 2 years, or a weapon carrying permit not
older than 5 years This also applies for weapons which do
not require a weapon acquisition permit. This information must be sent within 30
days to the cantonal weapon registration bureau, where the weapon holder is
registered. The same applies to black powder and
modern black powder substitutes for use in firing historical rifles.
The possession of the following munition is generally prohibited:
Ammunition with armor piercing bullets Ammunition with projectiles containing
an explosive or incendiary device Ammunition with one or more floors to
the release of substances which damage the health of people in the long run
Ammunition, missiles and missile launchers for military explosive
Ammunition with projectiles for transmitting electric shocks
Ammunition for handguns with deformation effect
= Carrying guns= To carry a loaded firearm in public or
outdoors, a person must have a Waffentragbewilligung, which in most
cases is issued only to private citizens working in occupations such as security.
It is, however, quite common to see a person serving military service to be en
route with his rifle, albeit unloaded. Conditions for getting a Carrying Permit
There are three conditions: fulfilling the conditions for buying a
permit stating plausibly the need to carry
firearms to protect oneself, other people, or real property from a
specified danger passing an examination proving both
weapon handling skills and knowledge regarding lawful use of the weapon
The carrying permit remains valid for a term of five years, and applies only to
the type of firearm for which the permit was issued. Additional constraints may
be invoked to modify any specific permit. Neither hunters nor game wardens
require a carrying permit. = Transporting guns=
Guns may be transported in public as long as an appropriate justification is
present. This means to transport a gun in public, the following requirements
apply: The ammunition must be separated from
the gun, no ammunition in a magazine. The transport needs to be as direct as
possible and needs a valid purpose: For courses or exercises hosted by
marksmanship, hunting or military organisations,
To an army warehouse and back, To show the gun to a friend or a
possible buyer To and from a holder of a valid arms
trade permit, To and from a specific event, e.g. gun
shows. Army-issued arms and ammunition
collection The Swiss army has long been a militia
trained and structured to rapidly respond against foreign aggression.
Swiss males grow up expecting to undergo basic military training, usually at age
20 in the recruit school, the basic-training camp, after which Swiss
men remain part of the "militia" in reserve capacity until age 30.
In October 2007, the Swiss Federal Council decided that the distribution of
ammunition to soldiers would stop and that previously issued ammo would be
returned. By March 2011, more than 99% of the ammo has been received. Only
special rapid deployment units and the military police still store government
issued ammunition at home today. When their period of service has ended,
militiamen have the choice of keeping their personal weapon and other selected
items of their equipment. However, keeping the weapon after end of service
requires a weapon acquisition permit. The government sponsors training with
rifles and shooting in competitions for interested adolescents, both male and
female. The sale of ammunition – including Gw Pat.90 rounds for
army-issue assault rifles – is subsidized by the Swiss government and
made available at the many Federal Council licensed shooting ranges. That
ammunition sold at ranges must be immediately used there under
supervision. The Swiss Army maintains tightened
adherence to high standards of lawful military conduct. In 2005, for example,
when the Swiss prosecuted recruits who had reenacted the torture scenes of Abu
Ghraib, one of the charges was improper use of service weapons.
= Storage of military-issued ammunition= Prior to 2007 members of the Swiss
Militia were supplied with 50-rounds of ammunition for their military weapon in
a sealed ammo box that was regularly audited by the government. This was so
that, in the case of an emergency, the militia could respond quickly. However,
since 2007 this practice has been discontinued. Only 2,000 specialist
militia members are permitted to keep their military-issued ammunition at
home. The rest of the militia get their ammunition from their military armory in
the event of an emergency. = Recreational shooting=
Recreational shooting is widespread in Switzerland. Practice with guns is a
popular form of recreation, and is encouraged by the government,
particularly for the members of the militia.
Prior to the millennia about 200,000 people used to attend the annual
Feldschiessen, which is the largest rifle shooting competition in the world.
In 2012 they counted 130,000 participents. For the 2015 Federal
Shooting 37'000 shooters are registered. In addition, there are several private
shooting ranges which rent guns. Gun crime
In 2014 there were 173 attempted and completed homicides, of which 18
involved firearms. 41 of them were completed, therefore Switzerland had a
murder rate of 0.49 per 100,000 population, the lowest raw figure and
lowest rate for 33 years, since the start of the nationwide coordinated
collection of statistical data, despite a strong growth of inhabitants over the
same period. See also
Number of guns per capita by country Gun crime
Gun politics Schweizerischer Schützenverein
Swiss Army References
External links Ordonnance fédérale sur les armes, les
accessoires d’armes et les munitions Swiss federal application law on
weapons, weapon accessories and ammunition.
Swiss Portal for hunting and fishing proTELL website
Firearms Training Company with Swiss Protell membership
Bearing arms in Switzerland. a well organized pro-army and pro-gun
rights association in Southern Switzerland