Switzerland and the Gun

BBC ^ | 9/27/2001 | Staff

[politicalmerc]

Guns are deeply rooted within Swiss culture - but the gun crime rate is so low that statistics are not even kept.

The country has a population of six million, but there are estimated to be at least two million publicly-owned firearms, including about 600,000 automatic rifles and 500,000 pistols.

[politicalmerc]

I know this is an old article but I think we should stick it in the face of everyone who thinks gun ownership = crimes.

[mylife]

The Schmidt Rubin is a great rifle

[mylife]

[mylife]

[wendy1946]

Huntington's has cases for them. You can load with ordinary 308 hunting bullets but the COL numbers in books are worthless other than for the military bullets. You need to simply seat the bullets back to the first point at which the bolt closes over a cartridge easily.

[mlocher]

But despite the wide ownership and availability of guns, violent crime is extremely rare.

Replace the words "But despite" with "Because of"

[mylife]

The thing is a tack driver.

[mlocher]

I know this is an old article but I think we should stick it in the face of everyone who thinks gun ownership = crimes.

I take it a bit different. A monolithic society with a core set of values and common goals implies a society with less social problems. Diversity is great, but without a core set of values and common goals, there will be social ills.

[Southern Partisan]

...armed society...polite society

[jbp1]

having 30% of the estimated weapons being automatic seems high. not that it bothers me, it just surprises me.

by comparison, how many does our 310 million have here?

[mylife]

Here is an interesting arm from finland

The Suomi

Then there is a the 20mm finn Lahti

[mylife]

Better than the soumi....PPsh 41

[Texas Fossil]

And according to:

http://texaslesstraveled.com/gunrights.htm

“Your going to take away my what? Not in Texas!”

“Gun ownership in Texas is a universal phenomena. In fact, there are more gun owners in Texas than other state in the Union. It is estimated that Texans own around 51 million firearms. That’s more firearms than owned by the 300 million people that make up the 15 nations of the European Union. In fact, America is the number one gun-owning nation in the world. But Texans possess nearly 20% of all the guns in America. (The U.S. gun count is estimated around 240 million).”

“Now you do the math. With about 24 million Texans living in the Lone Star State, the average person, including every man, woman and child, owns a little over two guns each. (Hey, maybe that’s where the popular saying comes from, you know, “Don’t Mess With Texas”!)”

—

Seem about right to me. TF

[mamelukesabre]

Your point is valid. however a society with a certain amount of angst and suffering and struggles is a society that prospers and advances at a slightly faster pace. There is a fine line though...between the enhanced prosperity and utter collapse/destruction. Too much chaos and it all falls apart.

[Bidimus1]

I use the “analog” method.

Put .mil round in press and set the seating die to touch the bullet tip (lee dies make this easy) it will give you a good starting point.

[Bidimus1]

I do my bit !

Have both a G-1911 swiss and a K-31 swiss (among many others )

[mylife]

The Czechs are ball busters too

[backwoods-engineer]

Then there is a the 20mm finn Lahti...

The Swiss Solothurn is in the same caliber, but has superior optics and accuracy, I am told.

[Joe 6-pack]

"...having 30% of the estimated weapons being automatic seems high. not that it bothers me, it just surprises me."

The Swiss militia structure is pretty unique. It would be like every Reservist and National Guardsman in the U.S. keeping his/her M16 or Mk4 at home.

[mlocher]

however a society with a certain amount of angst and suffering and struggles is a society that prospers and advances at a slightly faster pace.

I agree. The phenomenon you describe applies to people, corporations and societies. Some sociologists call it "creative tension."

Your point is that too much homogeneity does not foster enough creative tension to move it forward quickly.