Go ahead, risk a little “EU tension” . . .
What the EU wants:
- Under a Revised Firearms directive, a ban on weapons capable of rapidly firing multiple rounds
- Automatic and semi-automatic weapons would either be banned or heavily restricted
- Each owner of such a weapon, and the weapon itself, are known to police across Europe
- All essential weapon components should be clearly labelled and registered electronically
Switzerland has an estimated 2.3 million guns, with a population of 8.5 million. …
But the proposals have raised hackles in Switzerland, which has a long, and for many Swiss, proud tradition of gun ownership. After Swiss men complete their obligatory military service, they are permitted to keep their assault rifles.
There are gun clubs in every town and village, and target-shooting is a hugely popular sport.
Swiss law does require gun owners to have a permit, but getting one is relatively easy.