What countries allow full auto?

[exilefromhell]

Boy is it's slow in here...

I would still like to know though. Easy, slightly restricted, registered like the US, whatever.

Thanks!

[KarlPMann]

I don't know very many, or what the exact restrictions are but here's what I know. Israel allows them and so does Switzerland with very few restrictions to citizens. There are 1 or 2 in Northern Europe but with restrictions, I think Finland and maybe another near there. Tasmania used to but not sure as of recently. I think in Finland they had to be older (like WWII or older maybe). I'm afraid that's all my knowledge of foreign MG ownership. Karl.

[exilefromhell]

Thanks for the info! I also found this posted be members of various boards.

IIRC Denmark requires the use of silencers at shooting ranges...noise pollution and all.

Norway allows them.

Silencers are not subject to licencing at all in France, they are accessories, you don't even need to be 18 years old to buy one...

[KarlPMann]

Yea, as far as silencers go, Switzerland allows them as well. At one point they were considering making them mandatory. They have been having problems with range noise. Since all eligible persons must qualify annually with their "duty weapon" (for lack of the proper term). Karl.

[Ninja Monkey]

Originally posted by KarlPMann
Tasmania used to but not sure as of recently.

Isn't Tasmania just a political sub-division (don't know if they call them provinces or states or whatever) of Australia? Knowing that Australia is in the process of banning most handguns, I doubt that they'd allow full-auto.

[KarlPMann]

Originally posted by Ninja Monkey
Isn't Tasmania just a political sub-division (don't know if they call them provinces or states or whatever) of Australia? Knowing that Australia is in the process of banning most handguns, I doubt that they'd allow full-auto.



Yes they do, $30 for life, just as we allow full-auto toys at $200 for life, yet we make certain semi-autos illegal. I didn't say it made any sense! But up until the "Port Arthur Massacre", there were very few gun laws in the Australian state of Tasmania. I don't know how the changes in these laws have affected MG's in Tasmania. But, I believe the people who were already licensed for MG's are still allowed to own them. I would imagine getting a new license under current law would be near impossible or impossible. Karl.


Edited to add link.

http://www.geniac.net/portarthur/slaughte.htm

[Roughneck-2zero]

I haven't personally been there, but I think the Phillipines are very gun friendly these days. I've been on one guy's website from there and he has nothing but full-auto or suppressed weapons.

There are gunsmiths there that will convert any Glock model to full-auto using factory G18 parts. He has pics of his full-auto G17, G19, G26 all using G18 parts. They all look like factory jobs. Pretty cool.

ps. I think Venezuella allows full-auto, and some South American contries are still gun friendly.

[KD5MSY]

Just turn on CNN! They always show contries with EVERY ONE running around with a AK-47. So I think you could go to any 3rd world country. But I will stay right here, and try and keep the semi-autos I got.

[prebans]

Small Arms Review just did an issue about machinegunning in Finland. Per capita, they have more MG's than we do here in the US!

Mike

[KarlPMann]

Originally posted by prebans
Small Arms Review just did an issue about machinegunning in Finland. Per capita, they have more MG's than we do here in the US!

Mike

Switzerland is in that boat too. They require certain people to own a "Main battle rifle". This means "NATO approved caliber", fully automatic/select fire, and I believe maybe Swiss made. The requirement to own is something like all persons who can be called to duty in defense of the country. IIRC for their 6 million citizens there are ~1.5 million MG's. That compared to our 300 million owning about 250,000. Sounds like a good second home to me! Especially as their climate is similar to what I am used to. Karl.

[Glockspiel]

In Switzerland and Israel, automatic weapon ownership is regulated more than the world is led to think. You need a special dealer license in Switzerland to get a class III for private ownership. Otherwise your'e lent an assault rifle from the government as a militia member, until you exceed military service age, whereupon your assault rifle is given back in to the QM.

In Israel, civilians cannot buy full autos, but in some cases (those who live in places declared dangerous) you have full autos (Uzis and M-16s) lent by the government to the citizenry. Generally speaking, a reserve soldier cannot keep his service rifle at home (or indeed any other firearm, unless he fulfills very specific government keeping and bearing criteria). Service rifles are issued at the beginning of reserve duty and returned at the end. If your reserve duty starts near a Palestinian city, you initially travel to your home base uniformed and unarmed.

Besides, the things I personnaly have against fully automatic gunfire:
1. It's a waste of ammo.
2. Apart from the first two rounds, the firer doesn't have much say about where his shots will be landing, unless he is a gorilla or he is firing a bipoded / tripoded machine gun.

[exilefromhell]

Interesting. Thanks to all who have contributed thus far.

[cconatvz]

Venezuela does not allow full-auto guns to civilians. Some military officers (even retired ones) receive permits, particularly the ones that becomes farmers near Venezuelan borders due to guerrilla issues.

I've seen a lot of civilian glock users that carry a select-fire accesory in their glocks and you can get that accesory for 400$ or so but it's not legal to carry or even posses it.

Two or three months ago I picked-up a National Guard's non-comissioned officer that was asking for a ride along my route to work (an oilfield near Maracaibo city). We were chating about a lot of things. When he saw my holstered g-23 he asked: Why haven't you got that nice full-auto gadget for your glock? Cause its illegal, I replied. Are they? he asked and proceeded to tell me that most of the time he sees those accesorries installed on a lot of the glock that he reviews during his duties. I toll him that he was supposed to take those guns out of the street but he replied that as long as the holder have gotten a valid goverment semi-auto permit he didn't care about full-autos. One of the National Guard's main duty is to control the weapons in civilians hands because they are the ones that have the most exposure to civilians of the 4 branches of the Venezuelan military. On a side note, Venezuelan Army is the goverment branch that issues our permits for guns (handguns and long guns). As you see, it's illegal to have full-autos but nobody cares if you have one. A very different issue would be to be involved in a shooting and be declared not-guilty in a self-defense case but go to jail for possesing an illegal gun.

[Clyde in CO]

Originally posted by Glockspiel
Besides, the things I personnaly have against fully automatic gunfire:
1. It's a waste of ammo.
2. Apart from the first two rounds, the firer doesn't have much say about where his shots will be landing, unless he is a gorilla or he is firing a bipoded / tripoded machine gun.


Well, I kind of agree with you on the waste of ammo point. I want a fully auto rifle strictly becuase they are fun to shoot.

But your second point is not enitrely true. I've fired hand held automatic rifles and sub machine guns (ak-47, MP5) and I put all the rounds right through the center of the paper, exactly where I wanted them to go. ... I guess that makes me a gorilla. ;f

[SomeGuyInAHat]

Apparently, it is extremely easy to obtain automatic weapons in Somalia.

[SteelGuitar]

Originally posted by KarlPMann
Switzerland is in that boat too. They require certain people to own a "Main battle rifle". This means "NATO approved caliber", fully automatic/select fire, and I believe maybe Swiss made. The requirement to own is something like all persons who can be called to duty in defense of the country. IIRC for their 6 million citizens there are ~1.5 million MG's. That compared to our 300 million owning about 250,000. Sounds like a good second home to me! Especially as their climate is similar to what I am used to. Karl.

not exactly correct. every man who did his mandatory military service gets an assault rifle and a pistol with ammo for both by the military. they have to keep it at home along with a set of bdu's and other equipment (helmet etc.). that is due to the fac that the swiss constitution says that the armed forces is a militia. therefore military service is mandatory for every swiss male. you can refuse to use weapons though but you still have to fullfill the service (boot camp, marches etc.) the current issue rifle of the swiss armed forces is the sig sg 550 or STG90 (military name)
http://www.sigarms.ch/Sturmgewehr/neu/sg_550_neu_gr.jpg
the current issue pistol is the sig p220
http://www.sigarms.com/apps/cmt/img/P220_large.gif
but there is constant rumors that the p220 is gonna get replaced by the sigpro 2009 soon.
besides that every swiss citizen who is at least 18 years old and crime free can apply for a special permit for full auto weapons. the permits are issued by the chanton (same as a state in the us) and are relatively easy to get. like applying for a ccw.

[micah]

Now, if only the US would make a law saying all American citizens must posess a Swiss made "main battle rifle"