Italian Gun Laws
- Thread starter Matt King
- Start date
- Status
kingpin008
Member
You're going to have to be more specific - do you want laws in regards to self defense, transport, purchasing, CCW, hunting...there are myriads of uses for guns, and as such, many different laws pertaining to them. A little more detail to your question helps us answer it.
Shung
Member
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.
Are you moving to AVIANO AFB (USAFE) ? or Ederle in Vicenza ? actually i was born 3km from AVIANO, and I still go there 3 times a year.
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.
Are you moving to AVIANO AFB (USAFE) ? or Ederle in Vicenza ? actually i was born 3km from AVIANO, and I still go there 3 times a year.
another okie
Member
I don't know the laws in detail, but Italians do love to hunt, especially for migratory birds and hogs. I've also been to an IPSC match there, near Florence. In most of the European countries where I do know the laws it's possible to own most types of guns if you are law abiding and willing to submit to endless paperwork and regulation. In Italy it probably involves a bribe or two as well, since everything else there does.
Shung
Member
I think that you need to get a medical visit, and than go through paper work, which can last for a month or 2... I don't think it is THAT hard.. Even more if you are up north in italy.
about caliber, I know one for sure: the 9x19 is banned for civilians (replaced by 9x21) ... others I dont know. im pretty sure that .233 and 308 are not, 30-06 neither..
Bigger is Better
Member
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.
Shung
Member
Grazie per le informazioni più complete Non vivo piu in Italia da piu di 26 anni, e o solo 27 anni Erano informazioni che mi riccordavo da mio zio.
otherwise, when I said:
it was an answer to this quote :
So I meant that 223, 308 and 30-06 WERE ACTUALLY legal
Non vivo piu in Italia da piu di 26 anni, e o solo 27 anni Erano informazioni che mi riccordavo da mio zio.otherwise, when I said:
it was an answer to this quote :
So I meant that 223, 308 and 30-06 WERE ACTUALLY legal
Novus Collectus
Member
Lots of great info Bigger is Better. How hard, or possible is it for non-citizen residents to get a license in Italy?
Regolith
Member
This piqued my interest. If you don't mind, could you explain what you mean by vigilantes? I'm guessing the basic meaning of the word is a bit different in Italian than it is in English, as here it means common citizens who (usually illegally) take justice into their own hands. I don't think that Italy would condone that sort of behavior...
Last edited:
Bigger is Better
Member
Ya, excuse me, I'd have to give more explainations: A vigilante in Italy is a private cop - who is different than private investigator - who works for a private supervision company and supervises the banks, factoryes, dangerous districts, escorts carry money truks, etc. Something like John Candy and Eugene Levy in "Armed and Dangerous" movie.
Scusa amico, non avevo proprio capito che fosse quello il senso. Chiedo scusa :banghead:
E comunque spero vivamente che continuerai a frequentare questo forum, 'che fra tanto inglese, che faccio tanta fatica a scrivere in modo da farmi capire (o almeno ci provo), scrivere qualcosa in italiano di tanto in tanto è per me una cosa fantastica.
Novus Collectus
Member
What are the laws about reloading ammunition?
Bigger is Better
Member
I don't think that in Italy can be possible for non-citizen to get a gun licence.
In my country is legal to reload all kind of ammunition you can shot with factory loads and you can find in a gunshop, and you need the same licences I've just written about also to buy reloading components (bullets, cases, powder, primers, presses, dies, etc.). Only problem is to see which cases, bullets, dies (for which caliber) are immediately available, and if they are imported or not.
Spinner
Member
Compared to ....?
Compared to the UK, some aspects of the Italian gun laws don't sound too bad.
Compared to Australia, some aspects of the Italian gun laws don't sound too bad.
Compared to New Zealand, some aspects of the Italian gun laws don't sound too bad.
It all depends on your point of view. Saying that XYZ's countries firearms laws are "very strict" actually doesn't tell me very much at all. It tells me about as much as saying "different from those in the USA".
Nolo
Member
I think France's are better.
But yeah, they don't look bad. I'd call them a "Tier Two" country.
Y'know, we should make an easy-to-understand quick reference guide for countries firearms laws.
Maybe I'll start on that.
I'm thinking something like this:
Tier One: Not restrictive at all. Guns require no registration or permit to own. Machine guns may or may not be banned or require license. (e.g., U.S.A, Switzerland)
Tier Two: Restrictive. Legal to own firearms only with permit and/or registration. Machine guns and some kinds of military-style semiautomatics may be banned. (e.g., France, Italy)
Tier Three: Prohibitive. Illegal to own most, or all, kinds of firearms. Permits for weapons may be very difficult to get. All or nearly all semiautomatics and machine guns may be banned. (e.g., U.K., Australia)
What do you think? I'm guessing it'd be a good "short answer" whenever anyone asks these sort of questions. They wouldn't be a definitive answer, but kind of a short overview.
P.S.:
I think California would qualify as something like "Tier One-Point-Five". Iraq something like "Tier Two-Point-Five"
P.P.S:
I'll have to do research on the various firearms laws in many countries to assemble the system. But this could really help when somebody asks "What are Zambia's gun laws like?"
But yeah, they don't look bad. I'd call them a "Tier Two" country.
Y'know, we should make an easy-to-understand quick reference guide for countries firearms laws.
Maybe I'll start on that.
I'm thinking something like this:
Tier One: Not restrictive at all. Guns require no registration or permit to own. Machine guns may or may not be banned or require license. (e.g., U.S.A, Switzerland)
Tier Two: Restrictive. Legal to own firearms only with permit and/or registration. Machine guns and some kinds of military-style semiautomatics may be banned. (e.g., France, Italy)
Tier Three: Prohibitive. Illegal to own most, or all, kinds of firearms. Permits for weapons may be very difficult to get. All or nearly all semiautomatics and machine guns may be banned. (e.g., U.K., Australia)
What do you think? I'm guessing it'd be a good "short answer" whenever anyone asks these sort of questions. They wouldn't be a definitive answer, but kind of a short overview.
P.S.:
I think California would qualify as something like "Tier One-Point-Five". Iraq something like "Tier Two-Point-Five"
P.P.S:
I'll have to do research on the various firearms laws in many countries to assemble the system. But this could really help when somebody asks "What are Zambia's gun laws like?"
like most other countries, it seems that Italy opted to go with the "what you NEED and not what you want" approach (i.e. a limited market that only allows conventional and common-type choices).
for what it is worth, the process sounds much better than anywhere else outside of the US. Most other 'laxed' places ban handguns unless you're part of a shooter's club, and don't allow self-defense in any form.
for what it is worth, the process sounds much better than anywhere else outside of the US. Most other 'laxed' places ban handguns unless you're part of a shooter's club, and don't allow self-defense in any form.
Swiss gun laws suck compared to here in the US:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_Switzerland
Dravur
Member
I know you can have double barreled shotguns and revolvers cuz I saw it on the Godfather.
Well, that was Sicily, so maybe the mob can use other guns in the rest of Italy
Well, that was Sicily, so maybe the mob can use other guns in the rest of Italy
Nolo
Member
Ooookay, then, is there any other "Tier One" countries out there besides the US?
Spinner
Member
Nolo, if you wanna do that, I can provide information on New Zealand's firearms laws for you.
- Status
