UPDATE - 25.01.23: Gun Law Reform: Faeser Temporarily Stopped!

Once again, hunters and sport shooters are threatened with trouble due to the tightening of gun laws. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is currently planning another tightening of gun laws in Germany. This is particularly aimed at countering the threat to the state and citizens posed by right-wing extremists.

What Impact on Hunters and Sport Shooters?

Unfortunately, the planned tightening, as proposed by the Interior Minister, would primarily have far-reaching consequences for the peaceful and law-abiding legal gun owners in the Federal Republic, which number around 2 million. More and more associations representing these individuals are therefore forming against the Minister's plans. During a summit meeting of representatives from important associations in hunting and shooting sports, the German Shooting Federation (DSB), the Forum for Gun Law (FWR), and the German Hunting Association (DJV) strongly criticized Faeser's activism and symbolic politics.

In a draft of the new gun law, for example, semi-automatic weapons would be completely banned for private acquisition and possession, and many other bureaucratic hurdles would be created for legal gun owners. 

The representatives of sport shooters and hunters see these hurdles as a presumption of guilt against them. In a statement from the German Shooting Federation (DSB) and the associations organized in the Forum for Gun Law (FWR) (DJV, BDS, BDMP, DSU, VDB, JSM, among others), it states:

"Another tightening of gun laws after 2020 would once again presumptively condemn legal gun owners – without any gain in security. This activism and symbolic politics are therefore firmly rejected by the alliance of associations. Instead, the associations call on the Federal Minister of the Interior to consistently implement the provisions of the coalition agreement. This means, first of all, an evaluation of the recent changes to gun laws – which has probably not even begun yet – as well as the disarmament of terrorists and extremists and a clear commitment to legal, law-abiding gun owners.

In the coalition agreement, it states that they want to "(…) jointly design existing control options more effectively with the shooting and hunting associations as well as with the states." Instead, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has made public demands unilaterally that are unacceptable and do not provide any added value for public safety.

The alliance of associations assures that they are already actively working on the current developments in the area of gun law in the common interest of the 2.2 million members. As soon as an official draft law is available for comment, coordinated proposals will be submitted to the legislative process."

What Can Hunters and Shooters Do Against the Planned Tightening of Gun Laws?

It is now up to legal gun owners to make it clear to politicians that they stand united against these planned tightening measures and to strengthen the relevant associations. 

It is also important to make it clear to politicians how many people in the Federal Republic of Germany oppose these tightening measures. This can be done, among other things, through demonstrations, open letters, and petitions. 

Those who wish to raise their voice in the form of such a petition can do so here:
www.openpetition.de/waffenrecht  

Furthermore, it is of course important that hunters and sport shooters behave exemplary regarding the acquisition, storage, and use of firearms, thus demonstrating that firearms in the possession of law-abiding and orderly citizens do not pose a danger to public order – regardless of whether they are revolvers, pistols, repeaters, self-loading rifles, shotguns, blank-firing weapons, or other forms of weapons.