Hello, Mr Rawles!
Thank you for a great and very useful blog. Thanks for your time and effort that makes for a good, bulky read every morning. On more then one occasion I´ve had to hurry to work because of the lengthy articles.
It seems like you´re receiving letters about gun ownership from around the globe so I thought I´d share Sweden´s gun situation with you.
Sweden has quite liberal gun laws for those who are determined, compared to many other European countries. Compared to the US it´s a hassle, of course, but no problem if you are focused.
Sweden has a different gun culture, as self defense, upholding the constitution and freedom from the king aren´t really seen as gun related issues. If you want a gun here you´ll have to pass for a hunter or sportsman.
The first step in either case is to take classes. To receive a permit for hunting rifles or shotguns you have to have what’s called a “hunter´s degree”. It´s obtained by going to evening classes fifteen (15!) times, scoring 60 of 70 points on the test and passing four different shooting tests, two for rifles and two for shotguns. The time and cost varies some, depending on how much time you need to practice at the range but an inexperienced shot should expect at least eighty hours, with fifty of those hours spent on the classes themselves, and at least $700. The course is $500 with books, the training at the range is $25 an hour with an instructor and then $15 for 25 rounds of shooting on your own. When you are ready you´ll have to pass the four shooting tests which are $50 for the two shotgun tests and another $50 for the rifle tests. Of course, if you´re a terrible shooter there is no limit to what you can spend on classes and tests but I figured that for the average beginner, like myself, it should amount to around $700 total.
Now, the assault on your wallet doesn´t end there, because even with the classes the police still have their say and they charge you for it. The first permit costs $75 for the first gun, with $25 for every additional gun. The permits have to be renewed every five years also. That means you´ll have to pay the same in five years time. Failure to comply with this makes your guns illegal and you risk to be charged with possession of an illegal firearm, which carries a six month sentence, assuming that your guns are unloaded.
Once all the paperwork is done and you´re looking to buy a gun the law requires you to have a gun safe. This either has to be bolted to the wall or weigh more than 330 lbs. For someone living in a rented apartment, like a do, this can pose a problem. We also have a four rifle limit, with the possibility to acquire two additional rifles [under some circumstances]. There are limitations on ammunition as well. These limit the amount of powder you can keep in your home. The limit is set by the fire department and should pose no problem to the average survivalist, since it is of 44 lbs. of powder in cartridges. I haven´t done an exact calculation but it should be around 10,000-to-12,000 rounds.
Pistols are somewhat easier and cheaper [to obtain a license]. You start by joining a shooting club. They arrange classes and usually have their own range. The classes are almost always included in the membership fee and the mandatory test is taken in-house. Once you´ve achieved a certain degree of marksmanship, you´ll get certificate from the club which you present to the police for a permit. From there it the same procedure of course, $75 and the gun safe.
There is a problem with pistols though: You have to start out with a small caliber pistol. This is to weed out anyone wanting a gun for nefarious reasons but also to keep away those not interested in the sport and participating in club activity. This is however not necessarily a bad thing. I was thinking about the article by M.J.M., titled “How to Approach Shooting“, recently posted on your blog.
Once you’ve got your .22 pistol it takes six months of ownership and after you have shown a genuine interest in shooting, the club issues a large caliber certificate. These certificates are required every time you renew your license so you can´t just do a year of hard work and you´re set, to be able to have your gun you´ll have to practice and partake in club activity.
The upside of all this is that, due to limited market, guns are cheap in Sweden. The pries are more or less as in the US but Sweden has a 25% sales tax on top of all other taxes. When I read about the cost of food, land other preps I get envious but guns seems to be equally priced.
Regards; – D. in Sweden