ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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Firearms Laws and Policies (firearms regulation or gun control) - A list of laws and conditions governing the production, sale, transfer, possession, possession, design changes, and use of firearms by civilians.

In some countries it is allowed to keep and carry firearms. Countries that regulate access to firearms generally restrict access to certain categories of firearms and determine who may be licensed to use them. There are separate licenses for hunting, sport shooting (such as target shooting), self-defense, collecting and concealed wearing. Different types of licenses generally have different requirements for obtaining them, permissible categories of weapons, and conditions for their storage and use.

Gun laws are generally enacted to reduce the use of small arms in criminal activities by defining weapons that are considered to be the most damaging and easiest to conceal, such as handguns and other short-barreled weapons. Persons restricted from legal access to firearms may include persons under a certain age or with criminal records. Firearm licences may be denied to those who experts believe are at the greatest risk of harm to themselves or others. For example, people with a history of domestic violence, alcoholism, drug addiction, mental disorders, depression or suicide attempts. Persons applying for a firearm licence must demonstrate their competence by taking a course on safety handling and have a safe place to store them.

Legislation restricting small arms may extend to other weapons, such as explosives, crossbows, knives, electroshock weapons, and air weapons. It can also limit the use of certain parts of firearms, in particular, high-capacity stores, sights (sighting systems) of night vision and devices for silent shooting (mufflers). There may be restrictions on the quantity or types of ammunition purchased. Due to the global scope of this article, it is not possible to cover all these issues in detail. Instead, the article will attempt to briefly describe each country’s gun laws regarding the use and possession of small arms by civilians.

The right to bear arms is stipulated in the constitutions of only three countries: Guatemala, Mexico and the United States. At the same time, Americans, accounting for about 4% of the world’s population, own 46% of the world’s stock of civilian firearms.

Dictionary and terminology
The wording of the term “firearms” in gun laws may vary from country to country.

Countries, in their policies towards weapons, can be dispersed