Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete
How can this be? I though those weapons were illegal in France
|
Fully automatic weapons, weapons of greater than 20mm in caliber, and magazines with a capacity greater than 20 rounds (handguns) or 31 rounds (long guns) are illegal. Semiautomatic weapons converted from fully automatic and those with folding stocks are illegal to purchase as of August 2018, but previously owned ones may be kept, subject to the regular regulation on rifles.
Generally, other handguns, rifles and shotguns may be owned if you are over 18 and have a license, usually requiring affiliation with a local shooting range, a medical certification, and storage in a gun safe or gun room. There are also exceptions to allow people under 18 to use weapons with parental approval. There are certain limits on ammunition, generally around 1000 rounds in stock.
So, what the media insist on always calling "assault rifles", i.e. semi-automatic versions of actual military-style assault or battle rifles, are legal in France. The restrictions are a lot more onerous than in the U.S., but France not nearly as restrictive as other Western European nations. There are about 1600 shooting clubs in the country.