Firearms regulation in Switzerland

Firearms regulation in Switzerland allows the acquisition of semi-automatic, and – with a may-issue permit – fully automatic firearms, by Swiss citizens and foreigners with or without permanent residence.^{[note 1][2]} The laws pertaining to the acquisition of firearms in Switzerland are amongst the most liberal in the world.^[3] Swiss gun laws are primarily about the acquisition of arms, and not ownership. As such a license is not required to own a gun by itself, but a shall-issue permit is required to purchase most types of firearms.^[4] Bolt-action rifles do not require an acquisition permit, and can be acquired with just a background check.^[4] A reason for the acquisition of a firearm is required to be issued an acquisition permit for semi-automatics.^[5] Permits for concealed carrying in public are issued sparingly.^{[note 2][6]} The acquisition of fully automatic weapons, suppressors and target lasers requires special permits issued by the cantonal firearms office.^[7] Police use of hollow point ammunition is limited to special situations.^[8]

The applicable federal legislations are SR 514.54 Federal Law on Weapons, Weapon Equipment and Ammunition (German: Waffengesetz, WG, French: Loi sur les armes, LArm, Italian: Legge sulle armi, LArm) of 20 June 1997 (current edition of 15 August 2019),^[6] and SR 514.541 Ordinance on Weapons, Armament Accessories and Ammunition (German: Waffenverordnung, WV, French: Ordonnance sur les armes, OArm, Italian: Ordinanza sulle armi, OArm) of 2 July 2008 (current edition of 15 August 2019).^[2] The Weapons Law recognises a qualified "right to acquire, possess and carry arms".^{[note 3][6]}

Swiss gun culture has emerged from a long tradition of shooting (tirs), which served as a formative element of national identity in the post-Napoleonic Restoration of the Confederacy,^[9] and the long-standing practice of a militia organization of the Swiss Army in which soldiers' service rifles are usually stored privately at their homes (it became the choice of the soldier in 2010 ^[10]). What started as a gun culture centered around defense of the country through military duty also became a target shooting, and collecting one.^[11] In addition to this, many cantons (notably the alpine cantons of Grisons and Valais) have strong traditions of hunting (see #Gun_culture_in_Switzerland), accounting for a large but unknown number of privately held hunting rifles, as only weapons acquired since 2008 are registered.^[12] However, in a 2019 referendum voters opted to conform with European Union regulations which restrict the acquisition of semi-automatic firearms with high-capacity magazines.^[13] A permit for semi-automatic firearms equipped with high-capacity magazines is issued to anyone fulfilling art. 8 of the Weapons Act under the promise they will show after five and ten years that they're members of a shooting club, or that they used a firearm at least once a year within that five and ten years period ^[14] or to weapons collectors. The law pertaining to the acquisition of a high-capacity magazine by itself did not change.^[15]

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