The Truth About Guns in Germany

By Dan Zimmerman

By Claudia Bommer

The New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Cologne and other cities and the subsequent news that Germans are arming themselves – most of them within the legal limits of German gun laws – raised a question among readers: What do German gun laws look like and how can guns be bought legally there? Since I’m a legal gun owner here in Germany owning several handguns and rifles (bolt-action as well as semi-automatic) here’s the truth about gun laws and ownership . . .

History of German Gun Laws

Even though carrying guns was sometimes restricted during German history, there was no law restricting gun ownership until 1922. The first gun laws were imposed during the Weimar Republic and the Nazis used these laws to ban people they considered enemies from owning guns. After the defeat of Nazi Germany, Germans were almost completely banned from owning guns until full sovereignty was regained in 1952 when the Reichswaffengesetz gained its validity back.

For the Federal Republic of Germany that meant guns had to be registered and you needed a license to carry (for which you needed a reason). Before the tightening of German gun laws in 1976 Germans could …Read the Rest

Source:: Truth About Guns