Can you own and shoot from holiday home abroad

[Gazoo]

Hello, this has most likely been done to death but, if I was a wealthy individual , say one of those RFD with lots of spare cash for instance.
Which countries can you buy a holiday home in, legally acquire goodies and begin to target shoot like a civilised christian again? (for the record , and strictly speaking, I am neither)(nor an RFD either , just trying to fan the flames of lively debate, Hep!)
:flag5:

[techguy]

In the US you have to be a permanent resident, so that's out of the question..

[tkd67]

I know someone who has a holiday home in Florida, and is a UK resident, but he told me he has rifles in the U.S. He said he done this buy staying in the U.S for six months then he could apply for a driving licence, thus on enquiring this he was able to buy and store within.

[BamBam]

Here's the US regs for a Non-immigrant alien.

[saddler]

EC countries would be easier for residence criteria & you may initially be able to use your European Firearms Pass.

Finland is very good for gun laws. France just got better too.

[dave_303]

I have a friend from uni who does this, his folks own a place in France, he joined a gun club there and currently only has guns in France due to the greater choice.

[R.G.C]

EC countries would be easier for residence criteria & you may initially be able to use your European Firearms Pass.

Finland is very good for gun laws. France just got better too.

My club (400 members) has several brits members, resident or semi-resident.

For rifles, except semi-autos, I believe the EFP would be sufficient for a semi-resident. If you are resident,you can own and buy them freely if they are simply declared and if you are a member of the Federation Francaise de Tir or hunting permot holder.

Only calibres restrictions: .223; 7,622x39, .50BMG and 14,5 Russien. For those and all semi-autos and pistols, you need tp be resident to obtain a FAC valid now for 5 years....AND FREE!!

Only problem: ranges go up to 200metres only

R.G.C

[froggy]

Salut,

I am not a wealthy individual or one of those RFD with lots of spare cash and that is precisely why I shoot on the continent since it is probably a far more expensive hobby in the UK not to mention the guns restrictions that we are unfortunately all too familiar with.

Along couple of UK shooters in my London club, I have a residence in France and I am a member of the FFT with a French FAC. This enables me to own & store some "restricted" semi auto rifles/pistols. Shooting in my region suffers from the lack of ranges that RGC mentioned and from a very static type of shooting.
For dynamic shooting I have an arrangement by which I paid for a couple of firearms that are for my sole use but that are technically owned & stored by a Central European shooting club. That limits me to shooting visits. I believe some UK shooters have similar arrangements with some US clubs (?).

I appreciate it is not for everybody but since my UK rifles are stored at my club anyway, I am used to the concept of not sleeping under the same roof so it does not bother me. I make regular "shooting" visits and it gives me the pleasure to blast away without thinking about re-mortgage every time I want to buy a box of ammo. It works very well for me

[nickb834]

......

Only calibres restrictions: .223; 7,622x39, .50BMG and 14,5 Russien. For those and all semi-autos and pistols, you need tp be resident to obtain a FAC valid now for 5 years....AND FREE!!

R.G.C

I don't quite understand that bit about calibers, is it that you can't have them on an EFP, or that you can't have them at all even with a French FAC?

I thought I understood that military calibers weren't allowed at all in France (By "Military" I took that to mean calibers that France / NATO used) so would have thought that .308/7.62x51 and 9mm were also out of the question?

[nickb834]

EC countries would be easier for residence criteria & you may initially be able to use your European Firearms Pass.

Finland is very good for gun laws. France just got better too.

Hmmm, curious in what way did France get better?


Anybody know what the gun laws are like in Germany for non-residents? I can get by with colloquial German (my grammar is terrible to be fair!)

I've had a look at the German laws for residents and whilst they are restrictive on the quantity (in this case it's prescribed as opposed to in practice like the UK) the permissable type of firearms are pretty much UK as per pre 1988.