DBW...
portugal
38 www.guntradeworld.com
“Regulations surrounding fi rearms in
Portugal were made much stricter in 2007.”
DOING BUSINESS WITH... PORTUGAL
Some simple research online can
quickly give you an insight into
potential partners in Portugal,
but another way to do this would
be to contact the Associação
dos Armeiros de Portugal,
or Association of Portuguese
Armors – AAP
(www.armeiros.org).Th is is a
non-profi t organisation that was
formed in 1987 with the aim of
supporting and defending the
interests of companies in the
Portuguese hunting and shooting
markets. Th e AAP off ers technical
and legal support to its members,
helps them with export and
import and also communicates
regularly to them about issues the
industry may face.
Other helpful associations in
Portugal include the Federaçao
Portuguesa de Tiro com
Armas de Caça (www.fptac.
pt), Confederaçao Nacional
Dos Caçadores Portugueses
(www.cncp.pt) or FENCAÇA –
Federaçao Portuguesa de Caça
(www.pagina.fenaca.pt).
Regulations surrounding
fi rearms in Portugal were
controversially made much
stricter in 2007, amidst an outcry
from industry companies and
associations. However, after
an initial dip, the market has
recovered well and the country
is in fact reporting a growth in
both the number of shooters (an
estimated 20 per cent increase
in the last seven years) and the
number of gun shops in the
country.
Licences for fi rearms in the
country are split into four main
categories: Class A for military
standard weapons such as auto
rifl es or large calibre handguns;
Class B for self-defence
handguns; Class C for rifl es and
shotguns with barrels under
600mm; and Class D for rifl es
and shotguns with barrels over
600mm. Some competency tests
and training must also be taken
if you want to apply for one of
these licences but the rich hunting
grounds in rural Portugal seem to
be enough of a draw to keep new
shooters joining the sport.
All guns must be registered
with police-backed body the
Centro Nacional de Armas de
Fogo, which uses fi rearms offi cers
to ensure guns are being stored
safely and legally and that the
people who own them are fi t to
do so. In this sense, Portugal is
not much diff erent to many of its
neighbouring European nations.
Th e police force in Portugal
stated as recently as 2016 that
the number of legally-held
fi rearm licences in the country
stands at around the 1.5 million
mark, with an average of 5,000
new licences added to that fi gure
in the average year. It says that
almost all of these were held with
the purposes of hunting in mind.
sUMMaRY
Portugal may not have the same
reputation traditionally as some
of its European neighbours as
a hunting destination but this
is slowly changing as both the
gun market and the economy in
general slowly start to get to their
feet after a decade or so of tough
blows. Portugal is a changing
nation and the age of its shooters
and those in the shooting industry
is getting more diverse with this
change. Over the next fi ve to 10
years you can expect Portugal to
continue to grow as, not only its
own bank of shooters grows, but
also tourism to the country for
the sport increases too. It would
be a sensible time to consider
doing business with Portugal.
Much of Portugal is rural,
o ering plenty of hunting
and shooting opportunities.
/www.guntradeworld.com
/(www.armeiros.org).Th
/(www.fptac
/(www.cncp.pt)
/(www.pagina.fenaca.pt)
