Swiss Balk At EU Concept Of Stripping ‘Assault Rifles’ From The People [View all]

Switzerland and the European Union are at odds over efforts by the EU to curb the neutral country’s treasured gun culture and citizen-soldier tradition.

While not an EU-member, Switzerland has entered into a series of treaties over the years to adopt various laws in conjunction with the organization in order to trade freely with in the European Single Market. At the same time, the Alpine country, which has been more or less neutral since splitting from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499, has maintained a tradition of national service in their military while keeping some of the loosest gun laws in Europe if not the world.

With over 3,000 shooting ranges, a vibrant gun culture that embraces marksmanship and fires some 75 million rounds per year in practice against a population of 8 million persons, and a firearms manufacturing tradition that created SIG and Oerlikon Contraves, Switzerland is comfortable with guns. In fact, it is estimated there are some 600,000 firearms capable of full-auto fire in civilian hands in the nation.

But the EU is in the midst of a crack down in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels and elsewhere that has seen everything from museum pieces and replicas to black powder and airguns come under increased scrutiny.

Now, as reported by Reuters, EU proposals that could see Switzerland add mandatory psychological tests and club membership requirements to gun owners has some seeing red.

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http://www.guns.com/2016/09/01/swiss-balk-at-eu-concept-of-stripping-assault-rifles-from-the-people/

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Swiss Tell EU - Hands Off Veterans' Assault Rifles

By John Miller | ZURICH

Friction between Switzerland and the European Union over the bloc's plans to tighten gun control following a rise in militant attacks could turn into another serious snag in ties already tested by Swiss efforts to curb immigration.

The proposed directive, which applies to non-EU member Switzerland only because it is part of Europe's Schengen open border system, has raised hackles among the Swiss, who resent intervention from Brussels.

Christoph Blocher, a leading voice of the Swiss right and a eurosceptic, says Switzerland should consider abandoning Europe's Schengen system of passport-free travel if the Swiss people rejected the proposed measures in a referendum.

Drafted after militants killed scores in attacks in Paris last year, the EU plans on gun control aimed to curb online weapons sales and impose more restrictions on assault weapons.

But the initial proposal provoked an outcry in Switzerland because it meant a ban on the long Swiss tradition of ex-soldiers keeping their assault rifles.

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http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-swiss-eu-guns-idUKKCN1161KP