u/Ruffus98

Hello everyone,

I am a Canadian firearms enthusiast and sport shooter who is seriously considering moving to France or elsewhere in Europe.

Unfortunately, the Canadian government has imposed increasingly severe restrictions on licensed, law-abiding firearms owners. Canada has already frozen most handgun purchases and transfers, while more than 2,500 makes and models of modern sporting and semi-automatic firearms have been prohibited since 2020.

The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear a challenge concerning the original 2020 prohibition, so we are waiting to see what happens. However, even under an optimistic scenario, affected owners could spend years waiting for a future government to reverse these policies. We may ultimately be forced to surrender or deactivate our firearms, or perhaps be allowed to retain some of them without being able to use, transport, transfer or replace them. Either way, the future of the sport in Canada does not look particularly encouraging.

Firearms, hunting and sport shooting are among my main passions—especially handgun shooting, AR-platform rifles and other modern sporting firearms.

Fortunately, I have been a French citizen since birth through my father, although I have never lived in France. I speak French fluently because of my education and because I spent most of my life in French-speaking parts of Canada. I also work remotely as an independent contractor, so I have considerable flexibility regarding where I live and work. As a French citizen, I have the right to establish myself in France or elsewhere in the European Union I think;)

I have already done some research into the French system. My general understanding is:

• Category C includes most ordinary hunting rifles and shotguns and is generally subject to declaration.
• Category B includes handguns, many semi-automatic rifles and certain pump-action shotguns. These firearms require an individual authorization.
• Category A contains firearms and equipment that are generally prohibited for civilian ownership.
• Category D includes certain freely available or less strictly regulated weapons and historical firearms.

From my Canadian perspective, the French system currently appears surprisingly attractive in certain respects. Canadian shooters can no longer purchase handguns, and most of the modern semi-automatic rifles that interest me are now prohibited. In France, many comparable firearms remain obtainable under Category B authorization. Sound moderators are also lawful in France, whereas suppressors are prohibited devices in Canada.

I understand that Category B ownership is not automatic. It requires membership in an approved shooting club, a valid French Shooting Federation licence, evidence of regular participation, an authorization through the SIA system, appropriate storage and periodic renewal. I also understand that an extended absence from shooting can create problems when renewing an authorization.

Nevertheless, I would greatly appreciate hearing from people who actually participate in the French firearms community. In particular:

• How difficult is it to find a club that accepts new members?
• Are waiting lists common, particularly in southern or southwestern France?
• Once you are licensed, can you visit and shoot at other clubs, or are you generally limited to your home club?
• What types of shooting are most common—traditional precision shooting, IPSC, TAR, long-range shooting, PRS, dynamic disciplines or something else?
• Are there ranges where people can practise more dynamic or practical forms of shooting with semi-automatic rifles and handguns?
• Are longer-distance ranges becoming more available?
• Is the community generally welcoming to younger shooters and people interested in modern firearms?
• Do clubs tend to be overly formal and restrictive, or does that depend mostly on the individual club?
• How long does the complete process normally take, from joining a club to receiving a first Category B authorization?
• Do French shooters feel that the political and legal situation is relatively stable, improving or becoming more restrictive?
• Are organizations such as the UFA and other firearms associations actively defending sport shooters and lawful firearms ownership?

I would also be interested in hearing from people who have experience owning firearms in more than one European country.

For example, does anyone primarily live in France while owning or renting a second home in the Czech Republic and lawfully keeping firearms in both countries? Is that realistically possible if the person satisfies the residence and licensing requirements of each country, or do the national residence requirements make this impractical?

I am not looking for ways around any laws. I would follow all applicable licensing, registration, storage, transportation and residency requirements. I am simply trying to understand whether maintaining lawful shooting activities in two European countries is something people genuinely do or whether it is mostly unrealistic.

Overall, I would love to hear what everyday life is actually like for a French sport shooter—not merely what the regulations say on paper.

How often do you shoot? What firearms and disciplines do you enjoy? Are you satisfied with the availability of clubs, ranges, firearms and ammunition? Do you feel that the community has a future?

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.