r/EuropeGuns

I am browsing through internet and I found a lot of interesting things about FRTs and inserts suchs as Kabuto (which are actually an modification as I understand and therefore illegal in EU because it is an modification), but I cant help but to wonder.... does anyone have FRTs in Europe or knows someone who has? I can't find any info on internet, but since it is a gray area in law, I do not see so much legal issues to them being available?

Hi,

I am from Germany and have been actively sport shooting a little bit over a year now and was wondering if there are any stores or websites that sell lead wipes (the single use ones you use to clean your hands etc) or lead removing soaps that ship to Germany.
I have found d-lead wipes on the brownells austria and brownells switzerland websites but they don’t ship to Germany. Oddly enough you can’t find or order them on the german Brownells website (brownells-deutschland).
I live near the Austrian border so I could theoretically drive somewhere and buy them, but I would prefer to order them online and get them shipped.
Do they contain an ingredient that’s forbidden in Germany for ecological reasons or is there another reason you can’t find these products in german stores or online stores?
You can’t even find them on amazon etc.

Thanks and greetings from Bavaria!

During recent talk with German colleague it became apparent how France is country with most hunters in Europe. On the other hand these numbers does not translate into any wider influence on hunting culture and trends in Europe, which are mostly set by German makers and influences.

My question is what are the most popular firearms brands used by hunters in France and is it legally easy to become a hunter in France.

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.

I'm looking to buy my first AR in the next few weeks and was hoping some of you could tell me about your experiences or opinions on the any of the following rifles. I'll be using it primarily for competition.

Tinck Arms ARX15-MS Pro 12,5" 1820€

S&W Sport 3 16" 1750€

Stag Arms Tactical 16" 1890€

I'm most interested in the Tinck Arms for 2 reasons:

I prefer to support European companies and I'm planning to use a suppressor most of the time and so a shorter barrel would make it less unwieldy in competition/training.

Canadian here. Which cartridges would you list as the top 10 most popular calibers across Europe?

I understand every country would have a different list (and I would like to know what each of those are as well), but as a whole, what are the most sold/most used/ most popular centerfire rifle cartridges?

I own several vintage shotguns, and am concerned on the upcoming ban.

Those of you who also own such, is there an alternative? Is it expensive?

Obviously I can buy a new one, and use steel, but I would still like to use my old toz hammer.

I've been doing some research before making my first firearm purchase and one thing I keep running into is how murky the supply chain ethics can get in this industry. I want to make sure my money isn't going toward a company that has been implicated in illegal arms trafficking, contraband trade, or has had documented ties, however indirect, to cartel violence or terrorist movements.

I know it's a difficult bar to clear given how arms can end up in the wrong hands through many channels, but I'm specifically looking to avoid manufacturers who have been at the center of documented scandals in this space.

I've heard good things about CZ (Česká zbrojovka**)**. But I honestly don't know enough to say for certain that they're clean.

Happy to hear recommendations for other brands too. Thanks in advance.

I have some questions related to constitutional carry, specifically in Croatia. Is there any legal prohibition of carrying gun if you are under 21? I know that full gun rights are "given" when you are 21 but I saw that you can buy gun at 18 but I guess you can't get CCW permit?

Hey! I'm looking for advice on 6000 series Safariland, that a P10C with TLR-1HL would fit into without any modifications needed. I've read about G19, M&P or Sig, bought a brand new one for G19 but it doesn't fit at all.

Is there someone here who has first-hand experience and can recommend a specific holster model? Better yet, is there by chance someone here from Czechia who has a holster I could test-fit my P10C in? Much appreciated.

Edit: This is not a simple "Go to Safariland's holster finder" question as they only officially offer a single 7TS (7000 series) holster, which is entirely different from a 6000 series one.