Martin32
26th September 2009, 16:40
The current law in Czech Republic is quite liberal, but very complicated, at first it seems to be very idiot-proof, but there are still some leaks, unclear parts or regulations, that only derogate law abiding gun owners.
This wikipedia article says a lot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_Czech_Republic
and I can confirm that it pretty much reflects the reality, I'm just gonna clarify some main points.
First, lets talk about guns, weapons, ammo, accessories and their legality:
A) - Restricted. Firearms, ammunition and accessories that are restricted to the army, police, special forces etc.
This category includes:
Firearms: Fully-automatic firearms, military weapons (cannons, rocket-launchers, ..), explosives, weapons with restricted integrated accessories.
Ammunition: Now this is one unclear point, because restricted ammunition is in gun law described as "short arms ammunition designed to cause more tissue disruption" (it's maybe not exacly like that, but in similar way). Now everybody can explain this to himself in a different way, what all kinds of ammunition does that 'designed to cause more tissue disruption' refer to. Usually it applies on Expanding Full Metal Jacket bullets and Jacketed Hollow Point bullets. Some may claim that Semi-Jacketed bullets, or FMJ bullets with special tip design, like this Fiocchi Black Mamba:
http://www.supra.cz/common/img/214205!1.jpg
meet that specification too, but it's not considered. These are legal.
Incendary, explosive, armor piercing ammunition, or ammunition with steel or depleted uranium core are restricted too. I think that makes sense, who shoots for sporting, doesn't need to set the target on fire, hunters dont need the game to explode, and who shoots for self-defense, doesn't need to perforate next ten people behind the aggressor :).
Restricted ammunition is legal to own for collecting without permit "in only a small quantity". What is meant to be the "small quantity" is again not clearly explained.
Accessories: Laser aiming modules. Now this is stupidity #3 (no. 1the restriction on EFMJ or JHP and such, #2 is the full-auto restriction, why I tell later). Almost all gun owners agree that laser could be very helpful in defensive situations, when good aim is neccesary and aiming through basic sights is not very easy in such critical stress situation. Funny thing is, that laser aiming modules are only illegal on a firearm, you can still sell, buy have or carry them, but you cant have them attached to any gun. Laser sights are usually sold under name "laser pointer". The facts, that these laser pointers cost a lot more than usually, and have mounting rails on them, are just coincidence .. :D
Sound suppressors. Another dumb regulation. But explain it to politics, that who wants to have silencer legally, doesn't want to use it for crime ... again, these are illegal to be mounted on firearsm, but you can have them. Any skilled handyman can make himself one, and if you need an explanation for the police, you can say "its not a silencer, it just looks like a silencer, but its an .. oil filter or something" and their investigation is over, because they got nothing on you.
And also telescopic sights with night-vision. Probably to prevent illegal hunting at night, but its not illegal to have separated NVGs and rifle with normal riflescope, so I'm not sure if that really works.
Category A is something that could be called like somthing between No-Issue and May-Issue. To obtain a restricted firearm, ammunition or accessory, you need a Gun-license and you have to apply for an Exemption at the police, and have particular reason for it. Acceptable reasons are: collecting (if you have museum, your chances are bigger than if you just want to fondle with that gun at home), or for "working in extremely dangerous occupation" ...
For common citizen, there is a chance of getting the exemption, but smaller than a chance of winning a lottery. The officer can just say "NO", and that's final. And he almost always does say no. It varies from every region, somewhere are better chances.
Owner of restricted firearm must let the police in for inspection of the security of the firearms.
Then, there is the category
B) It includes almost all the semi auto, repeating, single-shot, short, long, centerfire, rimfire firearms. Available for all Gun-license holders. For obtaining, a permit from the police is neccesary, and reasons may be collecting, sport, hunting, self defense, or occupation. This permit is like a shall-issue - I've never heard of anybody who wouldn't get the permit. Caliber, magazine capacity, or firearm layout is not relevant, there is no caliber limit (unless the firearm or ammunition of such caliber is restricted).
Category C)
Weapons of this category are single-shot rimfire rifles, airguns with muzzle energy exceeding 16J, mechanical guns with tensioning power over 150 N (bows, crossbows).
They can be sold to any Gun-license holder, and have to be registered at the police in no longer than 30 days after purchasing (I think).
Category D)
Mechanical guns up to 150N, airguns up to 16J, flobert firearms up to 7,5J, gas pistols*, paintball guns, airsoft guns**, and firearms, that are modified to be unable of firing***.
Available to anyone above 18 years, no license needed.
* Gas pistols are firearms chambered for rounds that shoot paralyzing substance like oleoresin capsicum, tear gas or such. They have an obstruction inside the barrel so they can't fire live ammunition, and made of low-quality material, so they fall apart when someone tries to drill that obstruction out. However, someone has claimed that he managed to turn such a gun into firearm, but its not worth the trouble. Using that gun with live ammunition is very dangerous, and altering guns without having gunsmith license is criminal offense. Bad guys still get a real gun, and legal citizens can get a normal gun legally, so this doesnt help anyone.
** Airsoft guns are to be sold to people over 18 years, but its not always observed. Nobody is really making a big deal of it, because airsoft guns barely exceed 1,5 J muzzle energy, and kids who play airsoft are aware of injury they may experience, so they usually wear eye protection of their own will. Like I said, noone makes a big deal of this, because it is not a big deal. There were some attempts to get airsoft guns banned, because right when they came on market, some children hurt their eyes, but it never passed. Time passed on, kids learned their lesson that they have to be more careful when playing with these, and so no horrors are happening.
*** There defunct weapons are to be found in almost every military surplus store in here. They usually have their trigger removed, the barrel is welded in so nothing can go throug, and have some holes drilled in, so they cant be fixed. Usually also includes welding the slide so it cant move, or cutting out a part of the chassis.
Pepper sprays, telescopic nightstics and electric paralysers are legal from 18 years, no permit or license neccesary. The legal age for selling such things is not always observed as well. It's just like with alcohol and tobacco :).
Knives of any kind are not a subject of any restriction. It's up to the dealer, if he sells it to you, or says "no, sorry, you're too young". Same with lighters, matches, batons, and such.
Now, I've said A, now its time for B, and thats the gun licenses.
There are bacically six categories for gun owners.
Applicant for the license must report to the police department where he applies for his license, then he must pass written and oral exam on gun legislature, and pass a shooting test, that takes place at nearest shooting range, with shotgun, pistol, and rifle, and also perform disassembly and assembly of an short gun.
A) For collecting purpose, museum activity or such (you can just say that you like to collect firearms, its not neccesary to actually have a museum). Minumum age is 18.
This category requieres lowest score from the shooting test. According to the new amendment, this is the only category that allows the application for exemption to obtain restricted firearms. Allows the holder to obtain and keep any arms of category A, B or C (of course the legal actions for obtaining are required).
B) For sportshooting or pastime shooting. You don't need to be member of any sport shooting association, but if you are, you can have this license from 15 years of age. Otherwise its from 18. Allows the possesor to obtain and keep any guns of category B or C, and any ammunition, except restricted ammunition (that only in small quantity)
C) For hunting. Available for anyone of at least 18 years of age, or 16 for members of high shools of hunting. Allows obtaining only long guns of category B or C. Hunting with short guns is not legal here. About ammo, I'm not sure with this, but I think that possesor of this license can obtain only ammo for the type of firearms he owns. Allows open carry of the long gun, but unloaded.
D) For person's occupation. Available since 21 years of age, thus for police, army, special forces. This is more complicated. Allows open carry of loaded firearm.
E) For self defense. Available since 21 years of age.
This license is something like permit to carry. I'm not sure if the holder of this license can obtain long guns, but I do know that he can only obtain ammo for the type of weapon he owns. Maximally two firearms can be carried on person.
Only this license allows the holder to concealed carry firearms, and carry them with loaded magazine and round in the chamber.
'Concealed' is considered that 'no part of the gun is left visible'. Everyone can interpret that to himself in a different way. One can hide the gun into a holster and under a jacket, or into specially designed satchel, or just put it behind the belt and cover it with T-shirt, and when no part of gun is visible, it is concealed, even though the outlines of the concealed gun might be seen.
It's usually better to conceal the gun properly so noone can tell you carry one, unless you care to be stared at as at some terrorist or criminal - it's because guns aren't very popular. Majority of Czech people doesn't even realize they have some right to keep and bear arms.
Czech gun-lobby Gunlex is doing its best to keep this rights, but our shooting community is not very large, and thats why it can't afford to do too much faux-pas, because naturally some fool would call for banning firearms immediately and with 'smartness' of our politicians, we would end up like Germany, or UK.
Excessive pacifism and pseudohumanism is the worst disease of the Europe, it alerady cost us World War II, and its probably gonna cost us even more.
Which also relates with another problem. The gun law here is not too bad, but worse problem is, the courts. Defense at the court is harder than the defense on the streets. I will write more about that later.
This wikipedia article says a lot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_Czech_Republic
and I can confirm that it pretty much reflects the reality, I'm just gonna clarify some main points.
First, lets talk about guns, weapons, ammo, accessories and their legality:
A) - Restricted. Firearms, ammunition and accessories that are restricted to the army, police, special forces etc.
This category includes:
Firearms: Fully-automatic firearms, military weapons (cannons, rocket-launchers, ..), explosives, weapons with restricted integrated accessories.
Ammunition: Now this is one unclear point, because restricted ammunition is in gun law described as "short arms ammunition designed to cause more tissue disruption" (it's maybe not exacly like that, but in similar way). Now everybody can explain this to himself in a different way, what all kinds of ammunition does that 'designed to cause more tissue disruption' refer to. Usually it applies on Expanding Full Metal Jacket bullets and Jacketed Hollow Point bullets. Some may claim that Semi-Jacketed bullets, or FMJ bullets with special tip design, like this Fiocchi Black Mamba:
http://www.supra.cz/common/img/214205!1.jpg
meet that specification too, but it's not considered. These are legal.
Incendary, explosive, armor piercing ammunition, or ammunition with steel or depleted uranium core are restricted too. I think that makes sense, who shoots for sporting, doesn't need to set the target on fire, hunters dont need the game to explode, and who shoots for self-defense, doesn't need to perforate next ten people behind the aggressor :).
Restricted ammunition is legal to own for collecting without permit "in only a small quantity". What is meant to be the "small quantity" is again not clearly explained.
Accessories: Laser aiming modules. Now this is stupidity #3 (no. 1the restriction on EFMJ or JHP and such, #2 is the full-auto restriction, why I tell later). Almost all gun owners agree that laser could be very helpful in defensive situations, when good aim is neccesary and aiming through basic sights is not very easy in such critical stress situation. Funny thing is, that laser aiming modules are only illegal on a firearm, you can still sell, buy have or carry them, but you cant have them attached to any gun. Laser sights are usually sold under name "laser pointer". The facts, that these laser pointers cost a lot more than usually, and have mounting rails on them, are just coincidence .. :D
Sound suppressors. Another dumb regulation. But explain it to politics, that who wants to have silencer legally, doesn't want to use it for crime ... again, these are illegal to be mounted on firearsm, but you can have them. Any skilled handyman can make himself one, and if you need an explanation for the police, you can say "its not a silencer, it just looks like a silencer, but its an .. oil filter or something" and their investigation is over, because they got nothing on you.
And also telescopic sights with night-vision. Probably to prevent illegal hunting at night, but its not illegal to have separated NVGs and rifle with normal riflescope, so I'm not sure if that really works.
Category A is something that could be called like somthing between No-Issue and May-Issue. To obtain a restricted firearm, ammunition or accessory, you need a Gun-license and you have to apply for an Exemption at the police, and have particular reason for it. Acceptable reasons are: collecting (if you have museum, your chances are bigger than if you just want to fondle with that gun at home), or for "working in extremely dangerous occupation" ...
For common citizen, there is a chance of getting the exemption, but smaller than a chance of winning a lottery. The officer can just say "NO", and that's final. And he almost always does say no. It varies from every region, somewhere are better chances.
Owner of restricted firearm must let the police in for inspection of the security of the firearms.
Then, there is the category
B) It includes almost all the semi auto, repeating, single-shot, short, long, centerfire, rimfire firearms. Available for all Gun-license holders. For obtaining, a permit from the police is neccesary, and reasons may be collecting, sport, hunting, self defense, or occupation. This permit is like a shall-issue - I've never heard of anybody who wouldn't get the permit. Caliber, magazine capacity, or firearm layout is not relevant, there is no caliber limit (unless the firearm or ammunition of such caliber is restricted).
Category C)
Weapons of this category are single-shot rimfire rifles, airguns with muzzle energy exceeding 16J, mechanical guns with tensioning power over 150 N (bows, crossbows).
They can be sold to any Gun-license holder, and have to be registered at the police in no longer than 30 days after purchasing (I think).
Category D)
Mechanical guns up to 150N, airguns up to 16J, flobert firearms up to 7,5J, gas pistols*, paintball guns, airsoft guns**, and firearms, that are modified to be unable of firing***.
Available to anyone above 18 years, no license needed.
* Gas pistols are firearms chambered for rounds that shoot paralyzing substance like oleoresin capsicum, tear gas or such. They have an obstruction inside the barrel so they can't fire live ammunition, and made of low-quality material, so they fall apart when someone tries to drill that obstruction out. However, someone has claimed that he managed to turn such a gun into firearm, but its not worth the trouble. Using that gun with live ammunition is very dangerous, and altering guns without having gunsmith license is criminal offense. Bad guys still get a real gun, and legal citizens can get a normal gun legally, so this doesnt help anyone.
** Airsoft guns are to be sold to people over 18 years, but its not always observed. Nobody is really making a big deal of it, because airsoft guns barely exceed 1,5 J muzzle energy, and kids who play airsoft are aware of injury they may experience, so they usually wear eye protection of their own will. Like I said, noone makes a big deal of this, because it is not a big deal. There were some attempts to get airsoft guns banned, because right when they came on market, some children hurt their eyes, but it never passed. Time passed on, kids learned their lesson that they have to be more careful when playing with these, and so no horrors are happening.
*** There defunct weapons are to be found in almost every military surplus store in here. They usually have their trigger removed, the barrel is welded in so nothing can go throug, and have some holes drilled in, so they cant be fixed. Usually also includes welding the slide so it cant move, or cutting out a part of the chassis.
Pepper sprays, telescopic nightstics and electric paralysers are legal from 18 years, no permit or license neccesary. The legal age for selling such things is not always observed as well. It's just like with alcohol and tobacco :).
Knives of any kind are not a subject of any restriction. It's up to the dealer, if he sells it to you, or says "no, sorry, you're too young". Same with lighters, matches, batons, and such.
Now, I've said A, now its time for B, and thats the gun licenses.
There are bacically six categories for gun owners.
Applicant for the license must report to the police department where he applies for his license, then he must pass written and oral exam on gun legislature, and pass a shooting test, that takes place at nearest shooting range, with shotgun, pistol, and rifle, and also perform disassembly and assembly of an short gun.
A) For collecting purpose, museum activity or such (you can just say that you like to collect firearms, its not neccesary to actually have a museum). Minumum age is 18.
This category requieres lowest score from the shooting test. According to the new amendment, this is the only category that allows the application for exemption to obtain restricted firearms. Allows the holder to obtain and keep any arms of category A, B or C (of course the legal actions for obtaining are required).
B) For sportshooting or pastime shooting. You don't need to be member of any sport shooting association, but if you are, you can have this license from 15 years of age. Otherwise its from 18. Allows the possesor to obtain and keep any guns of category B or C, and any ammunition, except restricted ammunition (that only in small quantity)
C) For hunting. Available for anyone of at least 18 years of age, or 16 for members of high shools of hunting. Allows obtaining only long guns of category B or C. Hunting with short guns is not legal here. About ammo, I'm not sure with this, but I think that possesor of this license can obtain only ammo for the type of firearms he owns. Allows open carry of the long gun, but unloaded.
D) For person's occupation. Available since 21 years of age, thus for police, army, special forces. This is more complicated. Allows open carry of loaded firearm.
E) For self defense. Available since 21 years of age.
This license is something like permit to carry. I'm not sure if the holder of this license can obtain long guns, but I do know that he can only obtain ammo for the type of weapon he owns. Maximally two firearms can be carried on person.
Only this license allows the holder to concealed carry firearms, and carry them with loaded magazine and round in the chamber.
'Concealed' is considered that 'no part of the gun is left visible'. Everyone can interpret that to himself in a different way. One can hide the gun into a holster and under a jacket, or into specially designed satchel, or just put it behind the belt and cover it with T-shirt, and when no part of gun is visible, it is concealed, even though the outlines of the concealed gun might be seen.
It's usually better to conceal the gun properly so noone can tell you carry one, unless you care to be stared at as at some terrorist or criminal - it's because guns aren't very popular. Majority of Czech people doesn't even realize they have some right to keep and bear arms.
Czech gun-lobby Gunlex is doing its best to keep this rights, but our shooting community is not very large, and thats why it can't afford to do too much faux-pas, because naturally some fool would call for banning firearms immediately and with 'smartness' of our politicians, we would end up like Germany, or UK.
Excessive pacifism and pseudohumanism is the worst disease of the Europe, it alerady cost us World War II, and its probably gonna cost us even more.
Which also relates with another problem. The gun law here is not too bad, but worse problem is, the courts. Defense at the court is harder than the defense on the streets. I will write more about that later.