Swedish gun laws vs. 308/30-06

03 April 2002, 22:54

<PCH>

Is this the Soviet Union or what?

I'm thinking of getting me a 30-06. But the local police dept. told me my chances are slim to get a firearms permit unless I sell one of my other 4 guns. You're allowed to own 4 guns of whatever kind you like. But to get another you must motivate why you need it. ANd since I already own a 308 I don't need a 30-06 accordning to the police. It doesn't matter if the 308 is a lightweight carbine and the 30-06 is a normal sporter. However a 243 or 222 would be no problem. They must think I will start a private army or rob banks if I get a 30-06 in addition to my 308. Which of course would be impossible with a 243 and 308.

Do you know any country with liberal gun laws and good hunting that might need an experienced forester??

04 April 2002, 02:25

John Y Cannuck

I feel your pain, and so does every other Canadian. This is what registration brings!

04 April 2002, 03:02

King Baboon

Guys,

Here in France you couldn't even have this problem, because 308 win, 30-06 and 223 rem are considered military calibers and are simply forbidden... On the other hand you can own so many rifles as you can afford

04 April 2002, 03:52

308winchester

I guess you could get a 308 and a 30 06 in Norway if your lokalpolice station is friendly and you can prove that you really need them and there is a differens in use. But if you go to the wrong station you will get turned down just like in Sweden.

Johan

04 April 2002, 06:06

<Mats>

Just work on the motivation issue a bit... "The .308 is used for hunting mostly roe when I'm walking around quite a lot, but now I got this moose hunting where the shooting ranges are longer and the .308 simply wouldn't suffice. The .30-06 on the other hand is too long and heavy and can't be used for more mobile hunting..." Or "I need the .30-06 for moose but I'm also teaching my 16 year old daughter, and the .308 is all she can handle..."

I have a 6.5x55, a 9.3x57 and an 8x57 complementing two shotguns, a .22 LR and a .222 Rem. Yup, that's seven, and I have a bunch of handguns too. Nema problema as long as you motivate it...

-- Mats

04 April 2002, 06:18

<Mats>

Forgot to add: When you want number seven, be prepared to offer a damn good explanation... Up to six is normally no major problem at all, and if you own a 6.5 you can normally get by the "already own a Klass 1" crap by saying that "no normally equipped man would shoot moose with that pea-shooter..."

That's how I got the 9.3 (# 6). The .222 (# 7) was a bit more trouble, but I stated that I needed it to train young shooters (my son, age 12 at the time and my niece, age 14...) Being a good guy helps, of course - I've used my extracurricular activities a bit (Pres. of a shooting club, politically active, union official...) Every littel bit helps.

-- Mats

04 April 2002, 07:48

Fritz Kraut

PCH,

your local police is simply wrong. Write an application for a licence, and a separate letter why you need that .308. Tell them about the purpose for it and in what way it differs from your .30-06.

When I applied for my 9,3x57, and already had a 8x60, which both are legal for moose bear and boar, I stressed the difference of sights and the handling. "The 8x60 is equiped with sights for long distance shooting from a stand and to heavy and clumsy for stalking. The 9,3x57 is sighted for fast short-distance shots at moving game. I need both of them for several purposes." I got my licence without problems.

If they still deny you a licence, go to the county court ("lï¿½nsrï¿½tten") and ask for you licence ("ï¿½verklaga beslutet"). In most cases you can get your licence that way.

Gun control is just politically correct harrassment of loyal citizens. Outlaws donï¿½t care about licences. Our Norwegian neighbour can buy a shotgun at the nearest iron monger without a licence, and they donï¿½t kill or shoot each other more than we do in our hard gun control Sweden.

Best regards,

Fritz

------------------
...the mark of the hunter is the ability to get close.

04 April 2002, 09:39

<PCH>

Good to hear some input. I had a feeling the police weren't correct about this. However I'm going to sell one or both of my old rifles anyway, when I get the right buyer. The thing is I want the licence for the 30-06 now, so the gunsmith can fix it before hunting season comes along. If I owned only 3 guns, getting a license for another rifle would be a matter of only a few days. Applying for an extra rifle is apparently very complicated for the Police to handle in a few days and not to mention how long time going to court would take.

This gun control thing is for sure just harrassment of loyal citizens.

04 April 2002, 11:34

<jeremy w>

Have you looked into Switzerland? Heard it is a pretty decent place.

04 April 2002, 15:14

D Humbarger

You mean to tell me that I would have trouble explaining why I need 27 rifles?
"Just because I want them" isn't good enough?

------------------
Doug Humbarger
NRA Life member

04 April 2002, 15:43

<leo>

I heard that every legal age person in Switzerland is required to own a gun.

04 April 2002, 16:11

Pa.Frank

Come live in Pennsylvania.
Decent hunting. 7 million acres of public land available in Pa.
I have five 30-06's in my safe along with two 308's, a 7MM mag, a 30-30, a 7.62x39, a 22 hornet, a 303 enfield, a bunch of .22's and two more 30-06's on order.
I also have about 8,000 rounds of 30-06 ball ammo in addition to whatever hunting ammo I have. It just isn't an issue here.

So what are you waiting for... Come on over!

------------------
Don't tread on me!
Pennsylvania Frank

04 April 2002, 16:14

Pathfinder

This is what happens when gun owners don't fight for their rights, join the NRA, vote for pro gun candidates and speak out against stupid, feel good legislation. Most people seem to just throw up their hands and exclaim "what can I do". Thank God our founding fathers didn't feel that way.

04 April 2002, 18:26

460wby

I agree with you Pathfinder!!
This is nothing new to me. Stop being so naive. If shooters around the world think they can fight this alone, they're going down.
WE MUST STAND TOGETHER!!

------------------
Shoot well, and hit hard.

Arild.
(And YES, I'm a NRA member!)

04 April 2002, 20:01

boha

PHC
Our legal systems are quite similar.
Please remember that you are APPLYING for a license. You have to present all the relevant facts (i.e. why you need a 30-06). You can use all the facts you can imagine, because the police officials do not know the circumstances you live in, and even if they did, ou would still have to present them. They are required by law not to know anything about your facts unless you present them!
Everything is admissible:
- cost of ammo, 308 is probably cheaper (surplus ammo); so you can practise more and become a better hunter, but use 30-06 for serious hunting, where the edge is needed.
- difference in weight of the guns.
- when hunting with a hound you carry a lightweight carbine, when hunting from a stand you use a standard sporter.
- synthetic stock v.s. walnut; weather aspects.
- explain why the 30-06 is not similar; handloading with modern powders will give you a much more flat shooting rifle, not to mention that you need to use heavier bullets.
- the rifle in question pleases your heart, which is the best reason of them all, although the hardened bureaucrat probably cannot understand it.

If it doesnï¿½t work; move to my district in Finland. ï¿½lg are abundant, whitetails grow more and more, even roe. Iï¿½ll grant you a license. If you wanted to do something wrong with a rifle you could use the 308, right?

BoHa

04 April 2002, 20:44

aHunter

I never understood why more guns are more dangerous to Governement or other people or whatever than one single gun. But Governement officials seem not to understand this. In turn, I accept that guns have to be kept in a secure place at home.

Donï¿½t forget there is another danger to owning many guns, too: my wife seems not be able to see the necessity for more guns :-))

Good shooting! Hermann

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05 April 2002, 09:14

Thomas

Ya thats a funny thing, I just cane seem to shoot more than one rifle at a time. I must be handicapped or something.

04 April 2002, 22:03

1894

PCH,

I gather you're selling one but anyhow here goes. This is similar ney identical to the situation in UK. We must provide a good reason for each firearm. I managed to find a good reason for having a 6.5x55 and 7x57 which as anyone knows are well nigh identical in performance.

My good reason was that I had aquired some new woodland stalking of bigger deer and wanted to use a heavier bullet than my 6.5x555 could stabilise. My 6.5x55 couldn't stabilise more than 120gr
Seeing as 30-06's come with 1 in 10 twist for up to 220gr and 308's come with 1 in 12 for 180s I would think this would be an applicable argument

I also seem to remember from my brief stay that all applications for more than 6 guns had to be OK's by your local Jagerforebundet office? Maybe you could speak to your local friendly Jagerforebundet to see if they will lend support.

Good luck

[This message has been edited by 1894 (edited 04-04-2002).]

05 April 2002, 00:04

John Y Cannuck

aHunter
Take your wife shooting/hunting. I did, she will soon own more guns than me!

05 April 2002, 00:53

<PCH>

I'm beginning to believe that the purpose of all this is, under the disguise of fighting crime, to:
1. provide jobs for bureucrats
2. keep anti-gun voters happy by more restrictions.
3. keep gun owning voters happy by still letting them buy guns.

ONe or two rifles and a shotgun will cover more or less all hunting in the world just fine. But still they let us have one rifle for rain another for sunshine and another for big moose and another for small moose etc etc. We can obviously get whatever gun we want as long as we motivate it for someone who most likely don't know what hunting is about anyway. It only takes a little longer time than if we didn't have to motivate when applying for license. So itï¿½s just politics as usual!

05 April 2002, 06:00

<ithaca_deerslayer>

I didn't know the restrictions were so tight in Sweden and Norway.

Within the US, many pro-gun people consider NY state to be bad. But no such restrictions on rifles and shotguns. Full-auto requires a special permit. No silencers. Handguns require a permit, but generally are allowed as many as we want. NY city, however has more restrictions.

Anyway, if there was a 4 gun limit, I go with:
1. handgun for carry and self defense.
2. .22lr rifle for small game.
3. 12ga shotgun for birds.
4. .30-06 rifle for medium and large game.

Some areas of NY don't allow rifle for hunting deer, so I also need:
5. 12ga shotgun with short open cylinder barrel with rifle sights for slugs.

Also, the .22lr is not good for long shots on varmits in open fields, and the .30-06 is a bit overpowered for such shots, so also need
6. .223 rifle for woodchucks

and so on ...

05 April 2002, 09:17

PerN

PCH
It can't be that complicated my latest licens took less then a week and was my 6'th gun. It must have been the local police that understood that I needed to have a 458Win to the bigger games
PErN

[This message has been edited by PerN (edited 04-05-2002).]

06 April 2002, 09:28

jpb

quote:
Originally posted by PerN:
PCH
It can't be that complicated my latest licens took less then a week and was my 6'th gun. It must have been the local police that understood that I needed to have a 458Win to the bigger game
PErN

Yes Per, but I'll bet that you didn't tell the police that one of the "larger game" you needed a big rifle (like the .458 Win Mag) was beaver! :0

However, now that you have that license and that big rifle you won't have to wait for the beaver to come out of the lodge before you shoot...

jpb

06 April 2002, 09:30

aHunter

John, I did try, no use, she is DEFINITELY anti hunt ( not necessarily anti gun, she has no problems with mine, even shoots handguns, as long as they donï¿½t get more. But then she doesnï¿½t know all ...)

Hermann

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05 April 2002, 22:30

1894

PCH,

Don't knock your own country. You have hunting as part of your culture, you have a state funded Jagaforebundet, it does not seem hard to get access to hunting, you have a wonderful variety of wildlife both to watch and to hunt and you have a fantastic ethical code that puts most other countries to shame.

You have so much forest space that it is recognised as safe to shoot birds on treetops with centrefire rifles (I was told I could should capers with my 9.3!)

You ONLY have a right to own 6 guns or more if you put up a good argument.

What more do you want - blonde women.

There's only one thing you'll gain by moving - an appreciation of what you allready have.

A very jealous 1894

06 April 2002, 00:51

<PCH>

1894,
The grass always greener on the other side...
Yes, I think Sweden is a great country and I couldn't see myself moving permanently to any other place. I just get a bit worked up sometimes over ignorant bureuacrats och stupid regulations. I actually only want to own 3 guns, so the 6 gun limit is no trouble for me personally in a longer perspective.

So, are you going to do any moose hunting in Sweden this year?

Imho, shooting capecaillies with centerfires is the only decent and sporting way of doing it.

06 April 2002, 02:33

J.W. Blute

PCH

I'm not sure exactly how the laws in your country work.......but here is a suggestion. Get one of your friends who only owns three guns to purchase one of the rifles you own in an unrelated caliber like .22 or 6mm. (since your friend only has three rifles no questions will be asked.)

Then purchase the 30-06 that you want. (again since you now only own 3 rifles no questions will be asked)

Now, once you have your 30-06, purchase your rifle back from your friend. Since the rifle is other than .30 cal it should be no problem convincing the police you have a "need" for the fifth rifle.

Remember, there is nothing wrong with using a system to your advantage. This way you get your 30-06 and donï¿½t have to loose one of your rifles in the process.

------------------
J.W.
Hero of the Hapless
Master of the Obvious

[This message has been edited by J.W. Blute (edited 04-05-2002).]

08 April 2002, 17:41

<wrangler>

Thomas - not very politically correct, there. You are not "handicapped", you are "ballistically challenged".

08 April 2002, 18:37

<Paladin>

If you moved to Minnesota, USA:
1. there are plenty of trees to keep a forester busy;

2. you'd fade unnoticed into the population, which is heavily Swedish and Norwegian (except for plenty of Indians);

3. you can have hundreds of rifles, shotguns, and so on without having to ask anyone's permission --except maybe your wife, if she realises there are a lot more than she first remembered;

4. you still can have the "pleasure" of freezing your ass off in the winter, plus all the snow you can shovel;

5. Minnesota moose are a LOT bigger than Swedish moose --an excellent reason for a bigger rifle;

6. When buying rifles and shooting meese (plural of "moose") becomes boring, there's always the Indian casinos to challenge your sporting blood.

So why wait???

Paladin

08 April 2002, 23:18

1894

quote:
Originally posted by PCH:
1894,

So, are you going to do any moose hunting in Sweden this year?

I'm waiting on the final outcome of my attempt to join the local hunting syndicate in Wormland. My sponsor is hopeful but it's not yet the time of year for thinking about moose. One way or another I'll be there! I have an order for a skin which might even pay for the airfare!

At the moment I'm gearing up to host my Swedish friends for stalking here. Each time I see a buck I have to pass on it......it doesn't get any easier!

09 April 2002, 01:40

rockhead

quote:
Originally posted by jpb:

However, now that you have that license and that big rifle you won't have to wait for the beaver to come out of the lodge before you shoot...
jpb

why don't you just bag them inside the sauna.. er...lodge?

09 April 2002, 07:24

<JOHAN>

HEJ

Precis som de andra sï¿½ger handlar det vï¿½ldigt mycket om motivera sitt tidigare innehav. Gï¿½ med i Svenska vapenï¿½garfï¿½rbundet. Stï¿½ller sig snutarna pï¿½ tvï¿½ren fï¿½r du hjï¿½lp.

Jag JO anmï¿½lde handlï¿½ggaren pï¿½ vï¿½r polis station. Polisen blev fï¿½lld fï¿½r tjï¿½nstefel och ï¿½r jï¿½vligt trevlig nï¿½r jag kommer pï¿½ besï¿½k.

Ha det bï¿½st

09 April 2002, 08:30

308winchester

quote:
Originally posted by Fritz Kraut:
PCH,
Gun control is just politically correct harrassment of loyal citizens. Outlaws donï¿½t care about licences. Our Norwegian neighbour can buy a shotgun at the nearest iron monger without a licence, and they donï¿½t kill or shoot each other more than we do in our hard gun control Sweden.
Best regards,
Fritz

Just needed to say that you can't get a shotgun in Norway without a lisens. You could 15 years ago, but not anymore. You'll need to give good reason for having shotguns to.

Johan

09 April 2002, 22:21

<PCH>

Paladin,
Moving to Minnesota wouldn't be like moving at all. On my first visit there I found it very amusing that it was so much like Scandinavia. Even my english with a strong swedish accent would melt in!!
However, if I'm not misinformed. You're only allowed to shoot one moose per lifetime in Minnesota. Hundreds of rifles won't make up for that as I with my one rifle I can shoot hundreds of moose in Sweden!! I think I prefer it that way.

1894,
e-mail me if you like. Maybe I can help you.

13 April 2002, 12:33

<Greg Y>

PCH...My wife is Swedish and I really enjoy visiting your country, and I hope to do some hunting there in the near future. You could certainly move to East Texas and do plenty of forestry work. Then you could (1)own all the firearms you want,(2) shoot cowboy single-action competitions,(3) hunt some of the best whitetail deer in the US,(4) hunt W.TX for Mule deer and antelope,(5) hunt the WHOLE state for some HUGE feral HOGS,(6) pheasant hunt in the panhandle,(7) dove and quail hunt most of the state,(8)hunt some of the best duck and goose areas in the country,(9)load all the ammo you could ever shoot (10) and ON and ON !!! OH YES, I forgot to mention you can practice your wing shooting on our HUGE MOSQUITOS !! HA,HA.. So hurry over to Texas and buy yourself a good pair of boots and a good Resistol Hat!! HEJDO from TEXAS...GREG

14 April 2002, 01:25

Fritz Kraut

quote:
Originally posted by 308winchester:
Just needed to say that you can't get a shotgun in Norway without a lisens. You could 15 years ago, but not anymore. You'll need to give good reason for having shotguns to.
Johan

O.K. Johan,

I didnï¿½t know about that change of the circumstances in Norway. However, there must still be a lot of un-licenced shotguns in Norway, but as I know you are not more eager to kill eachother in Norway because of all guns than the people in Sweden or other comparable countries.

Gun control is still harassment of peaceful and loyal citicens.

Best regards,

Fritz

------------------
...the mark of the hunter is the ability to get close.