@Tiltsta whats the purchase/ownership process like there in the land of Bytor and the snow dog?
Gun ownership is outlined as a right under Swiss law.
There are three layers of weapons one can purchase/obtain.
Layer 1 is called freiwaffen. If you are a permanent resident or Swiss citizen you can buy bolt action, break action and single shot long guns with no paperwork at all.
Layer 2 is called restricted. For these you need a Weapon Acquisition Permit (WES in German). This allows you to buy semi auto, pump action, lever action, or handguns. There are no barrel length regulations. This requires a permit that is shall issue from yout local state police office and a form from the federal government that you have no criminal records. The permits take about 10 days to get. A permit lets you buy three guns. You can get as many permits as you want and even have multiple active permits. This is also the permit required to buy ammo...or you can also use a criminal record extract form. You don’t need one every time you buy ammo, they are good to buy ammo with for a couple of years.
Layer 3 is for forbidden weapons. This includes silencers, laser sights, and full auto machine guns. You need an approval from the local state police that you can buy these things. Collecting or sports is an acceptable reason. In my state it requires a police interview about what you want and why. Then you get the form and can buy three items. It takes about 10 days to get it all done. It is nothing like the US, and most applications are approved. We have no import ban for full autos or age restrictions like in the US, so you can go to a local store and buy a brand new auto gun, like an HK MP5 or something like that. Unlike the US, full auto guns are actually slightly cheaper than semi autos, as they are just less popular due to the fact that some ranges do not allow them.
Some weirdness exist in the system like in the strange laws in the US. A butterfly knife is regulated the same level as a belt fed machine gun. A CO2 paintball gun is the same in the eyes of the law as a semi auto AR15. Hollow points are illegal for handguns, but legal for rifles, or carbines that fire pistol ammo, for civilians. For the police, the exact opposite rules are applied, so they only have pistol hollow points. Weird. There are no magazine size bans, barrel length bans, bayonet lug rules, grip rules, etc...a gun is a gun. There are no loopholes here (like fake shoulder stock arm braces, AR pistols, thumbhole stocks, partially finished lowers, parts kit/sear kits, etc), as there isn't much to get around. A gun is a gun and it is in one of the three groups of single shot, self loading/handgun, or automatic fire. You can buy ammo and guns online and have them sent through the mail to your house. You just mail a copy of your ID and WES permit and money and a gun store will mail you a gun. Anyway, we have lots of rules, some more restrictive than the US, some much less restrictive.
CCW permits are nearly impossible to obtain. No one really needs to carry a gun here anyway, as we have very little crime, and lots of police. You can get a permit if you are a retired cop/judge, if you need a gun for work, or are a clear target for crime/kidnapping, etc. It is rare to get one. Of course, prior to the late 1990's there was no law against carrying a concealed gun, so I've heard the police here are a little lenient on the enforcement of the law.
