Gun Politics In Finland
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Firearms regulation in Finland incorporates the political and regulatory aspects of
firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
s usage in the country. Both hunting and shooting sports are common hobbies. There are approximately 300,000 people with hunting permits, and 34,000 people belong to sport shooting clubs. Over 1,500 people are licensed weapons collectors. Additionally, many reservists practice their skills using their own semi-automatic rifles and pistols after the military service. Legal firearms in Finland must be registered and licensed on a per-gun basis. There are approximately 1.5 million registered small firearms in the country. Out of those, 226,000 are short firearms (
pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...
s,
revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
s) with the rest being long firearms (
rifle A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
s,
shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
s). There are approximately 650,000 people with at least one permit, which means 12% of Finns own a firearm. Overall, legal
gun ownership rate Gun ownership is the status of owning a gun, either legal or illegal. In 2018, Small Arms Survey reported that there are over one billion small arms distributed globally, of which 857 million (about 85 percent) are in civilian hands.
is similar to countries such as Sweden, France, Canada and Germany. Estimates place the number of illegal, unregistered firearms between some tens of thousands and upwards of a million. A large portion of these are thought to be weapons hidden during the
aftermath Aftermath may refer to: Companies * Aftermath (comics), an imprint of Devil's Due Publishing * Aftermath Entertainment, an American record label founded by Dr. Dre * Aftermath Media, an American multimedia company * Aftermath Services, an Americ ...
of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The current Firearms Act of 1998 is a near full rewrite of the earlier, 1933 law. The law was revised to comply with the
European Firearms Directive Directive (EU) 2021/555 is a legal act of the European Union which sets minimum standards regarding civilian firearms acquisition and possession that EU member states must implement into their national legal systems. It codified Council Directiv ...
after Finland joined the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
. Following the school shooting incidents in 2007 and 2008 in which the perpetrators used .22 caliber semi-automatic pistols, legislation regarding short firearms was considerably tightened in 2011. Nevertheless, no types of firearms are outright banned, and in principle a person can apply for a licence for any type of gun.


Regulation

The ownership and use of firearms is regulated by the Firearms Act of 1998. A license is always needed for possession of a firearm and all firearms are registered. Firearms may only be carried while they are being used for a specific purpose (e.g. hunting, shooting at the range). When transporting a firearm to or from such activity, the firearm must be unloaded and stored in a case or pouch. The owner of a firearm is responsible for making sure that firearms and ammunition do not end up in unauthorized hands. The exact requirements regarding storage of firearms depends on their type and quantity.
Air gun An air gun or airgun is a gun that fires projectiles pneumatically with compressed air or other gases that are mechanically pressurized ''without'' involving any chemical reactions, in contrast to a firearm, which pressurizes gases ''chemica ...
s up to 6.35 mm (0.25 inch) in caliber are not regulated regardless of their muzzle energy. Larger bore air weapons need a permit, unless the person already holds a firearms licence. Bows and crossbows are not regulated items in Finland, while pepper spray is. Suppressors are considered firearm components, but can be used without requiring any separate licensing. Magazine capacity is not restricted nor is there regulation regarding other firearm accessories. An unlicensed person may use firearms only under direct supervision. Simple unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by fine or up to two years in prison, although more severe punishments may apply e.g. in the case of fully automatic weapons or when used to commit other crime. However, an unlicensed firearm may always be turned in without repercussions, provided this happens at the initiative of the person in possession of the firearm. Certain types of ammunition, such as expanding pistol rounds or incendiary rounds, require special authorization (in addition to a firearms licence) to purchase. The amount of ammunition a person may possess is not limited by the Firearms Act. However, legislation related to the safe storage of explosive materials does apply. Ordinarily, this means a maximum of 20,000 rounds of ammunition (including loose primers) and 2 kg of gunpowder per household, with larger quantities requiring separate storage.


Proposed changes to regulation

Currently, work is underway to streamline the license application process in straightforward cases. An applicant who already has existing permits and has a proven track-record with responsible ownership would be able to apply for further permits more easily. In 2017, the EU adopted changes to the Firearms Directive that became known as the " EU Gun Ban". In local implementation, the major change to firearms users will be that self-loading rifle and pistol magazines with a capacity of more than 10 and 20 respectively will become more strictly controlled. Under the new law, they will only be available to sports shooters and reservists, but not hunters. Being knowingly in (unlicensed) possession of such a magazine will cause any firearms licenses to be revoked.


Licensing

When applying for a licence to purchase a firearm, the applicant must fill in a form with information such as the type and mode of operation of firearm, and the intended purpose of use (although one can use any firearm for any legal purpose regardless of the original application, e.g. a range gun for hunting or vice versa). According to the law, the firearm must be appropriate for the stated purpose, but evaluating this is largely left to the discretion of the police. For example, while an
AR-15 An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation d ...
is suitable for practical shooting, the police may consider one inappropriate for hunting. Valid reasons for obtaining a firearms license are: The application process includes a check of criminal records, the police interviewing the applicant and in some cases a computer-based personality test or a medical health certificate. Any significant history with violence or other crime, substance abuse or mental health issues will cause the application to be rejected. Membership in a hunting or shooting club or other appropriate organization is considered a positive, though membership can not be legally required as the Constitution of Finland guarantees freedom of association. If the application is approved, an acquisition permit is mailed to the applicant. A dealer (or private person) may only sell a firearm if the buyer has the appropriate paperwork to show. There is no waiting period as such, but in practice processing an application takes a minimum of several days, usually a few weeks. Licences can be valid either until further notice or for a fixed term, which is sometimes the case for a people applying for their first license, and always with the first pistol license. A licence-holder may also borrow other firearms from the same or lesser category (e.g. a rifle licence is valid for borrowing shotguns and small-caliber rifles, but not pistols) and purchase ammunition for any firearm he owns or is permitted to borrow. Classification of firearms For legal purposes, firearms are divided into 13 different types: A firearm is considered a short firearm if its overall length is at most 600mm, or its barrel length at most 300mm. In any other case the firearm is considered a long firearm. Firearms are further divided into four modes of operation: Sub-compact pistols A pistol is considered sub-compact or a "pocket gun" if it fits in a rectangular box of 180 x 130 mm. Special legislation applies to these easily concealed firearms and they are not licensed for sporting purposes. Some common pistols such as
Glock 19 Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was the ...
fall under this description, and are therefore generally unavailable to e.g. IPSC shooters in Finland. Specially dangerous firearms Some types of firearms are considered "specially dangerous". Licences for such firearms can only be granted on a very limited basis and are essentially for recognized collectors and filming purposes only. A firearm is considered specially dangerous if: * its mode of operation is automatic fire * it is a cannon, rocket launcher or comparable weapon system * it is disguised as another object With the changes to the EU Firearms Directive, rifles with a magazine capacity of more than 10 cartridges and pistols with a magazine capacity of more than 20 cartridges were put into category A, or prohibited weapons. In Finnish nomenclature these firearms were added to the specially dangerous category, which essentially restricts their availability to established practical shooters and those actively participating in reservist activities. The same firearms can be used with lower capacity magazines without being considered specially dangerous. Short-barreled rifles and carbines Short-barreled rifles and pistol carbines fall under the any other firearm category and, while not restricted by law, are more difficult to get a licence for. The primary concern is again that, being easy to conceal, they are particularly dangerous should they be stolen and fall into criminal hands.


Personal protection and self-defense

In the 1980s and 1990s, roughly 7% of firearm licenses were granted for the purpose of personal protection. However they have stopped giving licences on that basis, although existing permits remain valid. It is still possible to obtain a licence for pepper spray for the purpose of self-defense if a concrete threat exists. Carrying a firearm licensed for hunting or sporting use outside of that specific activity is not allowed. One can nevertheless legally defend himself by any means available, including firearms. Any use of force must always be proportional to the threat.


Role in crimes

Between 2010 and 2015, firearms were used in 15% of all homicides. In 73% of these the firearm was illegally possessed by the perpetrator. The two school shootings in Jokela in 2007 and Kauhajoki in 2008 are by far the worst peacetime mass murders in Finland, with 8 and 10 victims, respectively. In both cases the perpetrator was armed with a 0.22 rimfire pistol licensed only shortly before. In the case of Pekka-Eric Auvinen, the original application was for a 9 mm pistol, but this was rejected. In the aftermath police were blamed for being too lax in issuing licences, as neither perpetrator had any significant history with sports shooting. Police defended their decision, stating that nothing suspicious had come up with the information available, so there was no reason to reject the application. Legislation was revised in 2011 and now pistol licenses can only be issued following a two-year period of documented, active pistol shooting hobby, and only to persons 20 years old or older.


Role in suicides

In 2013, firearms (both legally and illegally held) were used in 18% of suicides. Some consider this a problem and would like to see stricter firearms legislation. Others point out that the number of suicides is already steadily going down, while the number of firearms has remained constant.Findicator
"Number of suicides fell clearly"


Military reserve

Military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require a ...
guns are stored by the
Finnish Defence Forces The Finnish Defence Forces ( fi, Puolustusvoimat, sv, Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime the Finnish Border Guard (which i ...
, and are only given out during reservist training or
mobilization Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and ...
.


See also

*
Crime in Finland Crime in Finland is combated by the Finnish police and other agencies. Crime by type Murder In 2021, Finland had a total of 105 homicides + 23 negligent homicides. Half of murders involve men of specific groups (unemployed, undereducated, ...


References


External links


Firearms ActPermits and licences for firearms
{{Gun laws by country
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
Law of Finland Society of Finland