LEGAL: Ownership of air pistols in Germany??

[shakennotstirred]

I am planning on purchasing a Steyr LP50 (w/ 1911 grip adaptor) to allow me to continue training for Service Pistol competition (and heck, maybe I'll start competing w/ the air pistol) in Germany.

I am pretty familiar w/ the rules surrounding the Waffenbesitzkarte (WBK), and the reason I don't have my cartridge guns is a lack of a WBK (the US Forces representatives are not pushing the issue of getting us WBKs in a timely manner).

What do I have to do in Germany to own an air pistol? Can I just order one on the internet?

Thanks.

[sparky]

I am planning on purchasing a Steyr LP50 (w/ 1911 grip adaptor) to allow me to continue training for Service Pistol competition (and heck, maybe I'll start competing w/ the air pistol) in Germany.

I am pretty familiar w/ the rules surrounding the Waffenbesitzkarte (WBK), and the reason I don't have my cartridge guns is a lack of a WBK (the US Forces representatives are not pushing the issue of getting us WBKs in a timely manner).

What do I have to do in Germany to own an air pistol? Can I just order one on the internet?

Thanks.

Last time I was there was in 1992 and US Forces WERE allowed to have personal firearms...no German license needed. IIRC, the only German laws that applied to US forces had to deal with things like maximum amount of gun powder in the home; above a certain point, you needed a powder magazine (not that the German cops really checked or anything). In fact, there was an excellent range at the Heidelberg Rod and Gun Club and other ranges I knew of at Bitburg, Zweibrucken, and Rhein Mein, all of which hosted IPSC matches.

Heidelberg had two 25 yard ranges, a 50 yard range, a 100 yard range, and a few skeet fields.

Where are you stationed? Has there been a change in policy over the last 10 years?

[shakennotstirred]

Last time I was there was in 1992 and US Forces WERE allowed to have personal firearms...no German license needed.

Check out the new regs:
http://rmv.hqusareur.army.mil/190-6/190-6.htm

Heidelberg had two 25 yard ranges, a 50 yard range, a 100 yard range, and a few skeet fields.

I haven't had a chance to get up there yet. Supposedly it's still active and they run IPSC matches.

Where are you stationed? Has there been a change in policy over the last 10 years?

Stuttgart. The biggest problem is that the Germans don't recognize the US Force Rod & Gun Clubs as a qualified/certified/bona fide (whatever) "gun club" for the purposes of their overly-bureaucratic system. Of course, you really aren't told that before you apply, and thus your application goes up to USAREUR and sits in an outbox . . . and waits for the US and German bureaucrats to get their collective acts together.

[sparky]

Wow, that sucks! I wonder what prompted that change. I don't know if this will help you much, especially since you're more into ISSF shooting disciplines, but if you just need a club to join that's friendly to Americans, you could check out Heidelberg Practical Pistol Club (assuming it's still around).

HPPC was a club consisting of Germans and a few Americans that ran the IPSC matches at Heidelberg. I think it might qualify. All the Americans I know are gone, but a few of the Germans (Bernd Winter, Peter Bitz) should still be around. I know some of the guys used to practice there Wednesday nights and hold monthly matches. You could try calling up Heidelberg Rod and Gun and asking who's running the monthly matches.

Joining the jager (hunter) outfits was generally a pain in the ass. They were very cliquish, elitist folks who weren't too welcoming to outsiders. Sort of like rednecks in green hats and lederhosen. I'm sure there a bunch of nice jagers out there, but that was the impression I got.

[Richard Newman]

I suggest you check with the Deutcheschutzenbund in Weisbaden. They are the NGB for Olympic and ISST shooting - equivalent to USAS. Their headquarters is on Landstrasse. If anyone can give you the straight data on German gun law it should be them. They also have good range facilities, and when I was there several years ago, they had an excellent restaurant on the premises.
Richard Newman