Current Status of Legislation Regarding Magazines in EU Memberstates

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Here is a quick summary of current status of legislation regarding magazines in various member states. Please note, that expression «normal capacity» means in the context of this text
a magazine which is not restricted capacity-wise to 10 rounds for long firearms and 20 rounds for short firearms.

This might be useful in case you are a sportshooter, hunter or (firearms) collector who has to travel inside EU with firearms once this whole global pandemic gets done with us…

Austria:
Full grandfathering for guns and magazines that fit into them. Sportshooters may possess and acquire normal capacity magazines.

Belgium:
There is new «magazine permit» and sportshooters can keep their magazines just like before.

Netherlands:
Collectors can still acquire and possess normal capacity magazines.
Sportshooters can still acquire and possess normal capacity magazines as long as they have suitable firearms which can be used in a recognized discipline.
It is noteworthy that before EU directive, all magazines were subject to license, now afterwards only normal capacity magazines are subject to licensing.
Magazines are not licensed individually, you can have as many as you want as long as you have suitable firearms permit.

Malta:
Magazines have not been subject to registration or licensing – before or after directive, but directive was implemented in such a way that you need to have either a collector license or target shooter license.

Czech Republic:
Legislation is still being implemented, and if it gets passed, there shall be a «magazine license». This will be automatically issued to anyone owning a firearm, ie full «grandfathering». New firearms owners subject to stricter regulation will have to apply for permit and meet special requirements.

Greece:
Only certified sportshooters, which means members of clubs and members of shooting federation are entitled to possess magazines over 20 rounds and they will be subject to licensing. For non-sportshooters, no grandfathering and magazines need to be handed to authorities. And we all know how that has worked in case of prior gun bans…

Germany:
Magazines bought prior to grandfathering date (13.06.2017) have to be reported to authorities for grandfathering. Magazines bought after 13.06.2017 and 31.08.2020 are forbidden but you may ask special allowance to keep them. After 01.09.2020 you need to apply for special permit to buy a normal capacity magazine.
The legislation does not work because magazines bought after 13.06.2017 are «forbidden» and need to be stored in very secure safe, you are not allowed to use them (while you can possess them), no parcel service want to transport them and basically you are only allowed to transport them to other countries for international matches. Except – there is no category A in german firearms passport, which means that its not really feasible to move them outside Germany anyway. German organizations plan on suing the German government for this legislative abomination.

Spain:
The Spanish organization ANARMA – member of Firearms United – is suing the heck out of the Spanish Government. Lets call it a pre-emptive measure.

Sweden:
Swedish government and police has been trying to desperately ban all normal capacity magazines and police have heavily lobbied for more stricter than required implementation. Parliament has so far blocked all those attempts and current situation is a stalemate. Basically Police and firearms enthusiasts both lobby hard and we shall see which side emerges as a winner.

Finland:
Any firearms permit granted prior to Grand Fathering date (13.6.2017) works as a «magazine permit» giving you right to buy, possess and and aquire normal capacity magazines for ANY firearm of the same type you have (rifle/pistol). If you dont have any grand fathered weapons, and your first permit is granted after 13.6.2017, you only have to have one of your firearms declared as CAT A in order to again possess normal magazines for all firearms you have. Reservist, Sportshooting, Collecting (=everything but hunting) qualifies you for applying cat A firearms

Ireland:
Really frigging unclear. Its a mess. The directive (which is an abomination in itself) was implemented without any consultation of experts. End result is that nobody knows how the law should be interpreted. Basically Irish should be handing in magazines and any semi-automatic firearms which have been converted from full auto to authorities without compensation, but as far as we know, not a single firearm or magazine have been handed in.

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