komunikacja: Overview of gun laws by nation

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right to keep and bear arms, and have more liberal gun laws than neighboring jurisdictions. Gun control typically restricts access to certain categories of firearms and limits the categories of persons who may be granted permission to access firearms. There may be separate licenses for hunting, sport shooting, self-defense, collecting, and concealed carry, each with different sets of requirements, privileges, and responsibilities. Gun laws are usually justif…

Evidence: 61 • authority: 92

Illegal firearms markets: Transaction patterns, evolving sources, and importance in criminal misuse.. In the United States, the legal status of the 30 to 40 million annual firearms transactions is defined by state and federal regulations. These regulations primarily aim to reduce criminal misuse while preserving access for the large majority of adults who lack a serious criminal record or are otherwise proscribed from possession. Illegal firearms transactions are embedded in the "formal market"-sales, mostly of new guns, by licensed retail dealers required to screen purchasers and maintain records-and the "informal market," where any of the 80 million gun owners may act as a source. A growi…

Evidence: 54 • authority: 72

A criminal record (not to be confused with a police record or arrest record) is a record of a person's criminal convictions history. The information included in a criminal record, and the existence of a criminal record, varies between countries and even between jurisdictions within a country. In most cases it lists all non-expunged criminal offences and may also include traffic offences such as speeding and drunk driving. In most countries, a criminal record is limited to unexpunged and unexpired actual convictions (where the individual has pleaded guilty or been found guilty by a qualified court, resulting in the entry of a conviction), while in some it can also include arrests, charges di…

Evidence: 47 • authority: 72

This is a list of laws concerning air guns by country. Most countries have laws about air guns, but these vary widely. Often each jurisdiction has its own unique definition of an air gun; and regulations may vary for weapons of different bore, muzzle energy or velocity, or material of ammunition, with guns designed to fire metal pellets often more tightly controlled than airsoft weapons. There may be minimum ages for possession, and sales of both air guns and ammunition may be restricted. Some areas in the world require permits and background checks similar to those required for firearms proper.

Evidence: 39 • authority: 72

In Germany, access to guns is controlled by the German Weapons Act (German: Waffengesetz), which adheres to the European Firearms Directive and was first enacted in 1972, and superseded by the law of 2003. This federal statute regulates the handling of firearms and ammunition as well as acquisition, storage, commerce and maintenance of firearms. In a debate on stricter gun control after a school shooting that resulted in 16 deaths, German weapons expert Holger Soschinka asserted that "Germany has one of the strictest weapons laws worldwide - and it is sufficient". However, others criticized it as too lax and argued that more control is needed, with one anti-weapons group describing the law…

Evidence: 39 • authority: 92

Firearms as a Market-Driven Epidemic: Potential Pathways to Reduce Preventable Firearm-Related Harm in the United States.. Policy Points For half a century, firearm-related deaths and injuries have been endemic in the United States, with COVID-19 contributing to a record high of 48,830 deaths in 2021, an epidemic rate increase. By 2023, national trends masked a significant 10-fold difference in firearm-related death rates among states. Over decades, some states have experienced large, sustained reductions in firearm-related death rates, while others have experienced increases. Firearms are a consumer product that fit the definition of a market-driven epidemic (MDE), with the firearms indust…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

Gun laws in Washington regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of Washington in the United States. The Constitution of Washington protects an individual's right to bear arms. Washington preempts localities from regulating firearms in any manner more restrictive than State law except as explicitly authorized by the State legislature. Authorized local firearm regulations include: "Restricting the discharge of firearms in any portion of their respective jurisdictions where there is a reasonable likelihood that humans, domestic animals, or property will be jeopardized. Such laws and ordinances shall not abridge the right of the individual guaranteed by Art…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

Firearms policy in the Republic of Ireland is subject to control measures that rank among the strictest globally. With approximately seven civilian firearms per 100 people, Ireland is the 107th most armed country in the world. Firearm laws include strict legislation governing licensing and application of it by the Gardaí. The legislation has multiple overlapping Firearms Acts that define it, but the core principles include: all firearms must be licensed individually, each applicant must have a good reason for having the firearm, a safe place in which to use it, a secure place in which to store it, and be of sound mind and temperate habits. The Firearms Act, 1925, states that a legal licence…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

The National Firearms Act (NFA), 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, 48 Stat. 1236 was enacted on June 26, 1934, and currently codified and amended as I.R.C. ch. 53. The law is an Act of Congress in the United States that, in general, imposes an excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms. The NFA is also referred to as Title II of the federal firearms laws, with the Gun Control Act of 1968 ("GCA") as Title I. All transfers of ownership of registered NFA firearms must be done through the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (the "NFA registry"). The NFA also requires that the permanent transport of NFA firearms ac…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

Firearms are federally regulated in Canada through the Firearms Act, the Criminal Code, and the Canadian Firearms Program, a program operated within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Regulation is largely about licensing and registration of firearms, including air guns with a muzzle velocity of more than 500 ft/s or 150 m/s and muzzle energy greater than 4.2 ft⋅lb or 5.7 J. Civilian ownership and use is legal after obtaining a possession and acquisition licence (PAL) or a restricted possession and acquisition licence (RPAL) issued by the RCMP. An RPAL is required for handguns and short-barrelled semi-automatic rifles. For PALs there are generally no justification requirements beyond not po…

Evidence: — • authority: 92

Alignment between self- and perceived peer support for specific firearm policies: Results from a representative survey of adults in nine U.S. states.. Objective Despite widespread support for various firearm policies, minimal progress has been made in enacting these policies. One potential explanation is the misperception of peer support for firearm policies among individuals with differing political beliefs. Methods A representative sample ( n = 7529) of adults from nine states was recruited via KnowledgePanel and completed a self-report survey between June 13 and July 10, 2023. Results There was bipartisan support for several firearm policies regulating the acquisition and use of firearms…