Weapons
The following are considered as weapons: firearms (pistols and rifles), compressed air and CO2 weapons, imitation, blank and soft air weapons and also knives with a total length of more than twelve centimetres or a blade with a length of over five centimetres. Daggers with a symmetrical blade of less than 30 centimetres, batons, throwing stars, knuckledusters, catapults with an arm support and also electric shock devices and spray products (sprays with irritants, except pepper spray) also fall under the weapons law however.
Basically you need a permit to buy weapons if you want to purchase a firearm. The following do not need a permit to buy them: weapons subject to declaration such as single-shot «rabbit killers», soft air weapons, alarm and blank guns, paintball weapons, replicas of single-shot muzzle-loaders, compressed air and CO2 weapons, repeating sport rifles, single-shot and multi-barrelled hunting rifles, repeaters for hunting and ordnance repeating rifles. The requirement to have a permit to purchase a weapon and the obligation to declare a weapon do not only apply for purchasing but also for giving weapons as a gift and when inheriting weapons.
The following do not fall under the weapons law: firearms which were manufactured before 1870 and cutting, thrusting and other weapons produced before 1900. For these the regulations of the weapons law for carrying and transporting weapons also apply however.
A special permit must be applied for to own prohibited weapons such as automatic firearms and automatic firearms modified to be semi-automatic (except Swiss ordnance weapons), bazookas, laser and night aiming devices, silencers and grenade launchers as an addition to a firearm and knives which can be extended with an automatic mechanism. Daggers with a symmetrical blade, batons, throwing stars, knuckledusters, catapults with an arm support and electric shock devices also fall under this regulation however.
Weapons may not be carried in publicly accessible places without a licence to carry arms. Here it must be observed in particular that soft air guns are now also considered as a weapon and are therefore also subject to the ban on being carried. If you transport a weapon from A to B, for hunting for example, you do not need a permit to carry the weapon. When transporting firearms the weapon and ammunition must be kept separately.
Tip
If anything is unclear contact the weapons office of your police.
