DBW...
NORWAY
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“Today, there are
1,329,000 guns registered
in private ownership in
Norway.” DOING BUSINESS WITH... NORWAY
GUNS IN NORWAY
e following was written by M. Michael Brady from Asker,
Norway for the Feb. 24, 2017, issue of e Norwegian American.
is article gives you the key information needed from inside the
Norwegian gun industry.
Norwegian gun culture re ects a tradition of hunting and of
marksmanship. ere are almost half a million registered hunters in
the country, nearly a 10th of the population, and the two top hunting
districts – Agder and Hedemark – have the highest percentages
of hunters and of gun ownership. Shooting is a traditional sport;
Norwegians have taken part in Olympic shooting events since the second
Games in 1900 and, to date, Norway ranks seventh in the number
of Olympic medals in shooting. And in biathlon, the sport combining
ri e shooting and cross-country ski racing, Norway leads in number of
medals awarded in Biathlon World Championships. Yet, despite the high
level of awareness of them, guns are seldom seen outside the settings of
their uses, such as in marksmanship or biathlon meets or during hunting
seasons.
Today there are 1,329,000 guns registered in private ownership in
Norway, some 90,000 more than in 2011. Anders Groven, secretarygeneral
of the Norwegian Shooting Association, reckons that the increase
re ects the rising a uence of the country, as hunters can now a ord
selections of ri es for di erent sorts of game.
Gun laws have been prominent in public debate since far-right
terrorist Anders Behring Breivik used two semi-automatic guns to
kill 69 young people at a youth camp on the island of Utøya on July
22, 2011. A commission appointed to investigate the mass murder
has recommended that semi-automatic weapons be prohibited. But a
complete ban seems unlikely, as there’s political opposition to it in the
Storting.
After the January 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, the EU initiated
drafting of a new directive that will further restrict semi-automatic
guns. Countries throughout the Schengen Agreement area, including
Norway, will be obliged to comply with it.
e man in Norway most aware of the current and imminent future
changes in gun ownership most likely is Willy Røgneberg, the manager
of Oslo Skytesenter (shooting centre), the country’s largest gun shop.
He observes that, “In Norway we’ve always had lots of guns, as we have
a hunting culture. Most people in Norway respect weapons and view
them sensibly. Here in the shop we’ve hardly ever had a customer come in
to buy a gun on impulse, not least because so doing is illegal.” To that he
adds the opinion that the country’s gun laws are su ciently strict.
NORWEGIAN GUN OWNERSHIP RULES:
Civilian gun ownership in Norway is restricted to holders of a
Våpenkort (Firearms Permit) that certi es a legal use for a gun, such as
hunting or sports shooting. Holders must be 18 for ri es and shotguns
and 21 for handguns. A Våpenkort is issued only upon proof of capability
to own and use a gun, such as a valid hunting licence or sports shooting
licence. A hunting licence is issued upon completion of a nine-session,
30-hour course on guns, wildlife, and environmental protection, and
a sports shooting licence is issued upon completion of a rearms safety
course of at least nine hours.
Ownership of a gun requires that it or a part essential for its function
be locked in a certi ed gun safe bolted to a permanent part of the
dwelling. Essential parts include bolts for ri es, slides for pistols, and
barrels for shotguns.
A valid Våpenkort must be shown to buy ammunition.
Oslo Skytesenter manager
Willy Røgneberg in the shop.
Image: Monica Strømdahl,
courtesy of Oslo Skytesenter.
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