So.. in Italy, you need a permit to get a gun.
It has to be a sporting licence, or a self defense licence.
The sporting licence is better because you can have more kind of guns.
I think that every 3 years you have to see you doc to check that you are not crazy, and the licence is renewed with the "carabinieri" (LEO).
handguns and such, you can own a limited number. I guess its something like 8 maximum. Hunting rifles are unlimited in numbers.
Certain calibers are prohibited and only allowed for the police. Example: 9x19 parabellum. That is way, most handguns in Italy are chambered in 9x21-
you have to declare all the guns and ammo you buy to the LEO.
You can use your firearm for self defense in your home, but I dont think you can carry unless you are a professional, or that you are really threathened, and get a special permit.
When you dont renew your licence, you can keep your guns at home, but cannot transport them anymore, nor buy ammunition.
I should ask my oncle more precisely, he still lives there...
...others I dont know. im pretty sure that .233 and 308 are not, 30-06 neither..
So, I must make clear a couple of things:
First: the sporting licence (called "Porto di fucile TAV") is not better than the difence licence: they're both equal, and both permit you to buy the same kind and number of firearms; the difence licence, that is distinguished in handgun and long gun difence licence, permits you to carry your gun and to use it for self-defence. But this kind of permit is given
only to particular people category like jeweller, vigilantes, privare police, tax collector, magistrates,
not to normal citizens.
Second: the defence licence has to be renewed after 5 years, but every year you must do a medical examination; the sporting licence, instead, has to be renewed after 6 years, and doesn't need of any medical check.
Third: all kind of permit (self-defence, sporting, hunting and collection) can be issued not only by Carabinieri (who are a sort of army police, like Gendarmérie in France), but by Italian Police too (who is no longer bound under army oath since 1981). For example all my gun permits - sporting, hunting and collector - had given me by Police.
Fourth and last: with all gun licences you have a limit of 3 handguns cataloged as "common guns" (or "defence guns"), of 6 sporting guns (hand or long guns) and unlimited hunting rifles and shotgun.
Not handguns because in Italy is
not legal hunting with handguns. The collection licence is exactly used for buy and keep at home more of 3 common (or defence) guns and 6 sporting guns, but, in theory, you couldn't shot with the guns you have "in collection", because you could't buy ammo; the real situation , instead, is that nobody (me too) respects this
stupid rule and shoots also with these guns.
For the rest, is correct what our friend Shung has just said.
About banned calibers, in Italy, among most famous calibers, are not legal: 9X19 (9 Parabellum, 'cause it's considered a war caliber), if not that in a couple of S&W revolvers and only with naked lead bullets; .500 S&W Magnum, that's legal only in Tanfoglio Raptor single-shot pistol and only with fmj bullets; all .50 caliber handguns,
except for .50 AE and 500 Linebaugh, and all .50 caliber rifles -
except for muzzleload rifle and .50's Express (NE, Jeffery, Rigby, Gibbs, etc.) for big game hunting. It goes without saying that are not legal .50 BMG, .510 DTC, etc., while are
perfectly legal .600 and .700 NE, 4Bore, .223 Rem, .308 Win and .30-06 Springfield, that is the most popular caliber among italian deer hunters.