Firearms law: VDB calls for fewer acquisition restrictions for sport shooters
In its 364-page submission on Germany’s firearms law review, the VDB calls for simpler acquisition, need assessments and storage rules.
Germany · Association position / ongoing debate
Germany’s association of gunsmiths and firearms retailers, the VDB, submitted its final response to the firearms law review to the Federal Ministry of the Interior on 30 September. Presented on 5 October, the document runs to 364 pages. According to the association, it incorporates around 130,000 individual responses from a consultation survey.
For sport shooters, the VDB calls for the abolition of the rule limiting how frequently firearms may be acquired, with acquisition instead tied to the requirements of each discipline. It also wants owners to be able to replace a firearm with an equivalent one without a new assessment of their recognised need.
On storage, the association proposes additional recognised security standards and allowing existing category A and B cabinets to pass to new owners. It also seeks less bureaucracy for conversion systems and further digitalisation of the National Firearms Register.
These demands form part of the ongoing political debate and do not change existing obligations. The submission brings together the VDB’s proposals for the ministry’s further evaluation.