Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world too, would you rather live there?
yup.... mandatory military training and a requirement to keep a fully automatic weapon in the home at all times... this equals the lowest crime rate in the world...
To carry firearms in public or outdoors (and for an individual who is a member of the militia carrying a firearm other than his Army-issue personal weapons off-duty), a person must have a Waffentragschein (gun carrying permit), which in most cases is issued only to private citizens working in occupations such as security.
Changes due to the Schengen treaty
The rules laid out above were changed on 1 December 2008 as Switzerland joined the Schengen treaty; and all member countries must adapt some of their laws to a common standard. Following the draft of the Swiss government for the new Waffengesetz (weapons law), these points will change:
Unlawful possession of guns will be punished.
Gun trade among individuals will require a valid weapon acquisition permit: this is, from a Swiss point of view, a radical restriction that is assumed will undercut private gun trade dramatically.
Every gun must be marked with a registered serial number.
Airsoft guns and imitations of real guns will also be governed by the new law.
Only one weapon may be purchased per weapon acquisition permit: Presumably, this will dry out the market for relatively cheap used guns, including popular collector's items such as Swiss army revolvers from the late 19th/early 20th century.
Weapons acquired from an individual in the last ten years (which did not require a weapon acquisition permit) have to be registered. As a central weapons register was politically unfeasible, the authorities hope to get an overview of the market through this registration requirement.
While the above mentioned "free arms" remain exempt from the weapon acquisition permit, the vendor is required to notify the local arms bureau of the sale.
But also remember, they have a remarkably homogenous population there (almost all white Europeans). Add to that the fact that most of the population is very well educated, that taxes are extremely high (as in the rest of Europe) in order to insure universal health care and that even the least wealthy are provided for, and that there is a tremendous respect for the rule of law there, and I think you'd come closer to the REAL reasons for a lower crime rate.
Bearing arms in Switzerland
Strict legislation in Switzerland has made it extremely difficult to obtain a license to bear arms, and the trend is moving towards even stricter laws. For information purposes only, 400 people had a license to bear arms in the canton of Geneva in 1998. Only eight "survivors" still have authorization today. Understandable when you realize how little violent crime there is in Switzerland.
For those who wish to try nonetheless, a license to bear arms can be issued to any person who fulfills the conditions for obtaining a purchasing license:
The buyer must provide an official piece of identification
Police clearance from the home country
Demonstrate that he or she needs to bear arms for personal protection or to protect other persons or goods against specific dangers (A detailed letter of interest is required)
Pass an examination on the correct handling of weapons and on the legislation on the use of firearms (NB: the examination takes place in one of the three official languages)
Licenses are issued by the competent authority of the canton of residence for a specific type of firearm and for a maximum of five years. The license is valid throughout Switzerland. Note that you do not require a license to bear arms in order to transport an unloaded weapon for which you have a purchasing license, as long as it can be reasonably justified (e.g.: going to the shooting range). Outside of required travel to the shooting range or to an authorized gun dealer, you need a license to bear arms to transport your weapon even when it is unloaded.
yup.... mandatory military training and a requirement to keep a fully automatic weapon in the home at all times... this equals the lowest crime rate in the world...
"But also remember, they have a remarkably homogenous population there (almost all white Europeans). "
Unlawful possession of guns will be punished.
Gun trade among individuals will require a valid weapon acquisition permit: this is, from a Swiss point of view, a radical restriction that is assumed will undercut private gun trade dramatically.
Every gun must be marked with a registered serial number.
noticed the guns were chained to the firing line when they were shooting at the range.
They were also pointed into a metal cylinder to fire. I assume you cannot take the muzzle out the cylinder and point it in any other direction. I wonder if those are range (government?) provided guns as opposed to those owned by individuals
I can walk out my back door and shoot anything I own to my hearts content. I can buy all the ammo I want and store it and all my guns anyway I want. I don't need permits, ID cards or anything else to own my guns, (as many as I want), or the ammo to shoot them. I can own all the primers, powder, and bullets as I want with no one checking up on them. I don't think even the Swiss can say that. I will stay here.