Swiss gun laws are looser than California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and New Jersey

[acalix]

Overview of gun laws in Switzerland: http://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/2cl0uk/swiss_gun_ownership_and_gun_laws_condensed_into_a/

Meanwhile in MA you need to wait months and go to the police station for an interview. Even my friend in New Brunswick says Canadian laws are looser.

You don't even need a license to buy a hunting rifle or shotgun in Austria: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_of_gun_laws_by_nation#Austria

Try doing that in New Jersey.

[upaloopa]

1. We should have stricter gun laws. We have more idiots

with guns. I never hear of gunners in other countries carrying rifles into stores to educate everyone else.

[gejohnston]

3. They don't have Bloomberg either

or any other prohibition lobby of any consequence. Newton's third law of motion applies.

[Starboard Tack]

12. Probably because they don't need Bloomberg

Some kids don't need much parenting.

[acalix]

4. My state has stricter gun laws than Canada

[Starboard Tack]

13. Consider yourself lucky

Canada is a relatively civilized country

[acalix]

20. No thanks

I reject your bubble wrap society.

[Viva_Daddy]

2. Swiss are not being terrorized by fear-mongers like Americans are.

[safeinOhio]

5. Yes, I agree lets adopt Swiss gun laws

Conditions for getting a Carrying Permit[edit]
There are three conditions:

fulfilling the conditions for buying a permit (see section above)
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 (unless otherwise surrendered or revoked), 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.[citation needed]

Transporting guns[edit]
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, i.e. gun shows.[16]

Wikipedia

[The Green Manalishi]

7. I think those are an excellent starting point. And ending point.

I like guns. I like shooting as a sport much as people do golf. I think burglars, rapists and carjackers should be subject to lethal force by their intended victim .

I also think that ANY misuse of a firearm should result in severe penalties, and that, like driving, flying and having children there are far more people who should not be allowed than should be.

It should damned hard to get a permit to carry a gun, but OTOH any citizen who is willing to put in the effort (including demonstrating competence and safe storage)and does not have convictions for violent crimes or restraining orders.
\
YYMV; common sense *could* yield a result that all but the most insane extremists on both sides of the issue could live with.

[acalix]

9. I love shooting sports and hunting.

Same with yachting and motorcycles. I absolutely agree that not everybody should own a gun, I have no problems with licensing.

But there should be a reasonable balance.

[Starboard Tack]

14. That's the problem. There is no "reasonable balance" in the US

Any idiot can buy a gun and almost any idiot can get a permit to carry.

[acalix]

18. No AWB or magazine limits

[Eleanors38]

6. Switzerland. Blood in the streets over there.

[ileus]

8. Don't they realize guns kill people?

And here we thought all of Europe was as afraid of guns as American 2A regressives.

[jimmy the one]

10. 100 to one ratio in guns

acalix: Swiss gun laws are looser than California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and New Jersey

Some are, some aren't. Difficult to say which gun laws are overall stricter.

Isn't this swiss law stricter than calif's etal, as well as being the dreaded gun registration???: •{Redditt}: Semi auto guns can only be bought with a permit which takes 5 minutes to fill and you just need to send it to the police and wait 1-2 weeks. This permit consists of entering your personal info and what types of guns you are buying.
•You only need to provide a justification for owning a semi auto gun if you are buying it for other purpose other than sports, hunting or collecting.

I don't think this even is considered in cal,mass,hawaii,nj: •Owning guns for self defense is very hard and you have to prove that your life is really in danger.
•Since guns for self defense are rare, you cannot buy hollow points unless you are a hunter. Armor piercing ammo is also restricted, and since using FMJ ammo for self defense is not a very good idea, it makes little sense to get a gun for self defense..??????? fmj ammo he meant?

•The background checks are not done on the spot. You have to order one online or by going to the post office. After paying 20 Swiss Francs you receive a background check per mail, this background check can only be used for two months when buying a gun.

Cal et al stricter here: •Silencers/Suppressors and laser sights are restricted and can only be bought with the same special permit that you fill to get Full Auto guns.

Similar to cal,hawaii, nj Mass: Concealed carry licenses are EXTREMELY hard to get. You have to prove that your life or the life of other people is in danger, or that you need a gun for your job. After getting the permit you have to pass a written and practical examination, the permit is valid for 5 years.

Your OP contention holds here: •You can own as many guns as you like with all the ammo you want, there are no "assault weapons" ban, no short barrel rifle restrictions and full auto guns can be bought with a special license.

redditt: •Sports shooting is very popular in Switzerland that's why we have a high gun ownership (the people in the militia don't count to the gun ownership because their rifles are not their possession)

Even when counting the approx. quarter million in the swiss home guards, the gun rate is about 35-40%, compared with in USA near 100% (*guns per capita).
In California there are maybe 10 million to 15 million guns, while in Switzerland about 3 million.
In the USA there are approximately 300 million guns while in Switzerland about 3 million, or in other words, America has about 300 million more guns than the swiss.....

[acalix]

11. It's easier and faster getting a gun in Switzerland than any of those states.

Swiss also lack an AWB and magazine capacity laws.

Look at per capita rates. Gun ownership in Switzerland exceeds all those states.

[Starboard Tack]

15. The Swiss have a completely different mentality regarding guns.

They do have a ban on automatic weapons and restrict personal ownership to 3 guns.
They don't carry concealed weapons for self defense either. Ownership of guns is not a right and all guns are obtained under license.
Their death by gun rate is one tenth that of the US. Go figure.

[acalix]

17. misinformation

There is no limit on how many guns you can own. You can only obtain three with a single license, buy those three guns and obtain another license for more guns. Licenses are shall issue and take two weeks to obtain.

It takes months to a year to get a license in New Jersey.

[Starboard Tack]

19. I think this covers the latest on Swiss Gun legislation.

Current Swiss Gun-Control Law

Overview

The Weapons Act contains a comprehensive regime for the licensing of the acquisition and carrying of permitted weapons; the banning of certain weapons, including automatic firearms; and the production and trade in weapons, including the reporting obligations of dealers and a registration system that covers all privately owned guns, including those acquired by inheritance, but not including hunting rifles. The federal Weapons Act is implemented by the cantons and the cantons also keep registers of privately owned guns. The provisions on ammunition are in keeping with the principles of the Act, which aims to deter abuse while permitting lawful gun ownership.

Acquisition of Guns

An acquisition license is required primarily for handguns. Rifles and semiautomatic long arms that are customarily used by recreational hunters are exempt from the licensing requirement,[44] whereas fully automatic guns are banned.[45] An applicant for a weapons license must be at least eighteen years of age, may not have been placed under guardianship, may not give cause for suspicion that he would endanger himself or others with the weapon, and may not have a criminal record with a conviction for a violent crime or of several convictions for nonviolent crimes.[46] The license is issued by the canton of residence of the applicant but is valid throughout Switzerland. The license is valid for six months, maximally nine months.[47] It is usually valid for the acquisition of one weapon only.

The acquisition license is required only if a weapon is acquired from a dealer. No license is required for transactions between private individuals. Instead, these are permitted as long as the seller verifies the identity and age of the buyer by checking an official identification document and as long as he has no reason to believe that the buyer has been or should be disqualified from gun ownership. The buyer may ascertain these circumstances by requesting information from the cantonal authorities, but only if the buyer consents in writing.

Carrying of Guns

The carrying of a gun for defensive purposes requires a carrying license, which will be granted only if the applicant is qualified to acquire guns; demonstrates a need for the weapon to protect himself, others, or property against existing dangers; and has passed an exam to test his required theoretical knowledge and practical skill. The theoretical exam tests knowledge of criminal provisions on violent crimes and self-defense, and necessity as a justification or excuse; federal and cantonal weapons law provisions; types of weapons and ammunition; and security measures and proper conduct when carrying weapons.
The practical examination tests the applicant’s skill in handling the weapon, including loading, unloading, operating the safety device, and shooting.

A carrying license permits the concealed carrying of a handgun. No carrying license is required for the transporting of an unloaded weapon for legitimate purposes, such as travel to and from the shooting range or hunting environment, as long as the ammunition is kept separate from the weapon.
http://www.loc.gov/law/help/firearms-control/switzerland.php

[hack89]

16. Fortunately their chocolate laws are still strict. Nt

[Buzz cook]

21. Switzerland also

Has one of the highest European firearm death rates. iirc if you control for population size it has the highest European gun death rate.

This link sure seems to indicate that.
http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/switzerland

[gejohnston]

22. Which is only because of their suicide rate

in fact, almost all of their gun deaths are suicides. Their gun prohibition lobby, to the degree that it exists, argue that the suicide rate will magically go down or suicide by gun is some how worse than suicide by rope. Both are absurd.
Their suicide rate is still lower than gun free UK. It is also lower than Norway, which has a higher gun ownership rate, yet they tend not to use guns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate

[Buzz cook]

24. Suicide by gun is worse than suicide by rope.

The argument that suicides shouldn't be counted as a gun death is one of the nice sounding but false rightwing talking points. It's similar to the old America isn't a democracy, it's a republic silliness.

The argument that people who attempt suicide will continue to do so till they succeed is false.

Simply put suicide with a gun is almost always fatal, with a rope or pills for example it is not. Many people who attempt suicide fail, then regret their actions and seek help. That is not possible for those that use a firearm.

So a gun death by suicide is just as valid a statistic as being shot by another person. They both are victims of gun violence.

By the way your link has Switzerland at number 43 in the number of suicide 100k.
The list I link to has Switzerland at number 4 over all and number one in deaths per 100k. That is of Western European nations.
If as you claim Switzerland's gun death rate is inflated by the inclusion of suicides then shouldn't Belgium, number 17 on your suicide list, to have a higher gun death rate because of its greater suicide rate?

[gejohnston]

27. the people who use pills usually are reaching out for help

the people who use ropes, guns, bridges, tall buildings, trains etc. are serious.

The argument that suicides shouldn't be counted as a gun death is one of the nice sounding but false rightwing talking points. It's similar to the old America isn't a democracy, it's a republic silliness.

They use the number to give the false impression that the murder rate is higher than it actually is. It isn't right or left wing, it is simply being dishonest, which is typical for gun control groups. They also say and "gun suicides" and "gun murders". Part of that is a sleight of hand hoping that the naive will see a drop in "gun suicides" and assume the suicide rate dropped, when in fact it did not. Part of it is (me being basically cynical) is that Bloomberg et al really don't care about saving lives as much as they do about ideological and cultural dominance.

As for the US not being a democracy, go read the Federalist Papers. Why do think the Electoral College exists and how senators were elected before the 17th Amendment. Check this out
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democracy_vs_Republic

If as you claim Switzerland's gun death rate is inflated by the inclusion of suicides then shouldn't Belgium, number 17 on your suicide list, to have a higher gun death rate because of its greater suicide rate?

No for the same reason England has a higher suicide rate, but guns are not used. Belgium has a lower rate of private gun ownership (Switzerland has private ownership plus military issue in the home). Norway has a higher rate of private gun ownership rate and a higher suicide rate, but they tend not to use guns. Why is that? Finland has a higher suicide rate and an even higher private gun ownership rate (households with at least one private firearm in the home) than the US according to some studies (until they adopted EU rules, a 15 year old could legally buy a gun.) yet, they are less likely to use a firearm. The interesting thing about Australia is that gun suicides dropped 65 percent after the states adopted the National Firearms Agreement, but the suicide rate did not. Researchers don't actually know why, only that the agreement had nothing to do with it. The number of private gun owners didn't actually drop. In fact, there are more privately owned guns and maybe more gun owners now than before NFA.

Simply put suicide with a gun is almost always fatal, with a rope or pills for example it is not. Many people who attempt suicide fail, then regret their actions and seek help. That is not possible for those that use a firearm.

Rope is as fatal as a gun if you make the noose correctly. Pills are a cry for help. From what I have read, they are either serious or they are not. Those who are serious make sure nobody gets there in time.

[Travis_0004]

28. In a lot of countries lime Switzerland and the US you can not ban guns

There just isnt the political willpower to do so.

Even if people could only one a single shot gun there would still be suicides. So changing gun laws to reduce suicide is almost impossible. Suicide should be adressed as a mental health issue, not a gun contol issue.

[acalix]

31. Lies. Hanging is fatal most of the time.

http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/statistics/case_fatality.html

[acalix]

23. Suicide has no bearing on my safety.

If it did Japan would be one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

I really don't care.

[Buzz cook]

25. Japan is a dangerous place

To those who attempt suicide.

Sorry you don't care about other people.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

29. re: "Japan is a dangerous place"

Sure is, in Japan, if you murder 10 people and then kill yourself, this will be counted as 11 suicides.

[acalix]

30. it's you that doesn't care about saving lives

You don't care about the 90,000 alcohol deaths. You just want to get drunk. It's never about saving lives, you just want more control.

I believe in personal responsibility. I believe in the legalization of drugs.

Whatever I do with my own body, or whatever drugs I consume or smoke is none of your business, or society.

My body, my choice. The freedom to make choices includes the freedom to make the wrong ones, including permanent ones. That is the cost of a society that allows freedom. If this wasn't the case then smoking would have been banned eons ago, seeing as smoking is hardly a rational choice and is deadly a lot of the time.

You sir are a control freak. You're no better than the RW who want to control what a woman does with her own body.

Pls go

[Starboard Tack]

33. Did I miss something here?

"You don't care about the 90,000 alcohol deaths. You just want to get drunk. It's never about saving lives. You just want more control"

You say you believe in personal responsibility. Do you have a link to substantiate the above?

Or do baseless accusations against another member of DU, not caring about "alcohol deaths", wanting to "get drunk" and "wanting more control", not come under your definition of "personal responsibility"?

And you have the audacity to tell this member to "please go"

If this is the tone you wish to adopt, I'm sure there are plenty of RW Libertarian websites that would welcome your comments.

Meanwhile, enjoy your stay.

[acalix]

34. Yeah, you did.

Society is selective about the lives it wishes to save. One gun death is a tragedy, ten thousand alcohol deaths is a statistic.

There's no contradiction in my beliefs. I don't support more taxes on alcohol, it's merely to illustrate how advocates lie when they claim it's about saving lives. I don't see these same people clamoring for minimum pricing on alcohol even though it's a guarantee far more lives would be saved.

[upaloopa]

26. Well did you read the post about the FBI

saying that mass shootings are on the rise in this country? Maybe we need more strict laws!
I don't live in those other countries.

[NYC_SKP]

32. It's a crock. They've jumped the shark in data manipulation.

If you have the technology to run the data through mulitple filters, eventually you can make it say whatever you want.

In this case, they found that if they only look at 2001-2013 data, crimes committed in "closed spaces", on non-Thursdays with Fair to Cloudy weather, then the data making their point was HUGH!

None of the many articles on the Internet included a link to the actual study, but I tracked it down.

Have you seen it? Not read it, have you even seen a link to it?