The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland?

You may not need a parachute right now either, but you would be very happy to have one if you ever needed one.

The opinion in Poland and more broadly across Europe is that firearms are not needed for 'self-defence'.

It's 3.27 am in your time zone. In Europe however, people don't sit up at night worrying about a 'home invasion'.

Oh lord joun, am I really expected to defend myself to you for being up at this hour or was that just one of your first grade shaming remarks ? lol

You are the woman in your relationship with your husband aren't you because it is very obvious.
I think you may be surprised that your bias narrative about Poland's opinion on gun ownership REALLY is as we watch the gun sales increase in Poland.

People in Poland don't need to "defend themselves" using firearms.

That's one of the several reasons that there are strict regulations concerning access to them.

4.30 in the morning over there. In Poland however, at 4.30 people are sleeping safely in their beds.

Where did that quote come from joun ?
Oh, never mind, here it is:


You are so slick joun. lmao


It amazes me how you speak for the whole country of Poland when you are not even Polish.


What's your point about what time it is ?
You sound just like your old buddy Hairy use to.
Is he still alive even ?

Let it amaze you

The Polish government asked officially via their consultative channel, CBOS. The results are in this thread. They have spoken, whether or not you like what they have said.

You will notice also that the people in this thread who are American have a different view to the rest of us.

It's now 6am in your time zone. And still no firearms incidents in Poland

@johnny reb
Hilarious. You know one of the reasons to legally seek gun ownership in Poland is for self protection where someone feels or is threatened. It is specifically spelled out as a reason to obtain a weapon. That would require someone to actually read the law to know and understand though.

Don't live in Poland? Not Polish? Just another irritating troll?

I was up at 4:30 JR, in Poland and in the gym shortly after. Your time is your own. Stay up all night. Opinions of left wing rainbow flag waivers mean nothing.

Feeling is not enough. You have to have a reason.

@Lenka
A reason such as a threat from a former spouse perhaps? Like I mentioned before? Or a past history of violence from someone? Stop being so fvcking sensitive to the use of the English language. If a person has a history of violence, and another person feels a threat, I guarantee you the local Police are going to approve the application as long as every other criteria is met.

@PolAmKrakow
How many political manifestos in Poland have a clause advocating wider gun ownership?

I dont think its a pressing issue for many political parties or electors. The reasons presented here by our American cousins all revolve around bad B movie scripts.

In Poland and Europe generally, there is no call to loosen safety laws

@Barney
Read the thread before opening mouth Barney.

Did I say it was a pressing need or desire? No. Is there a much larger group of people interested now because of the Ukraine war? Asolutely, and the gun range use supports that.

Did I say loosen safety laws? No. I said streamline and modernize the process because the current process is from the stone age.

In Poland, a country bordering Ukraine, Belarus and Russia many more people are interested in gun use, and potentially gun ownership than there were just 14 months ago. But then again, Ukraine kept saying Russia is not preparing an invasion, while Russia said the same. And look at what we have now. Times have changed.

to clarify though. I am advocating for streamling and modernizing the process, for long guns. Not hand guns. Long guns are what may be needed at some point. Hand guns do not win wars.

Very well said. Either they want other places to be as unsafe as they've made their own country or they are just paranoid.

Crime rates in Poland are among the lowest in Europe and the world.


Under Polish law there must be a definite proof of a threat and even then, firearms permits are rarely allowed for that reason.

The applicants must also have an absolutely clean criminal record. This, by the way includes things like minor tax crimes.

Somebody whose judgement is so poor that they have an extensive criminal record and have spent significant time in jail would be laughed out of the police station if they were daft enough to apply for a firearms license.

Only 0.8% of the population of Poland have firearms permits, meaning that 99.2% are happy without.

And I didnt say you did.

I have read the entire thread and your ( by definition unverified) upload idea is insane but I was too kind to point it out but feel perfectly free to flex your muscle.


I would go with that...Not one of my US family or friends is as paranoid as some here

@Barney
why is uploading a certificate insane? Medical documents can be numbered and encoded for verification purposes. No different than the electronic signatures we all have with our banks.

@jon357
Since you do not live here, you do not understand the current attitudes of police toward people who feel threatened. When you live here, not in Africa or where ever you may be, then you can comment on things with knowledge. While I will be at the range Saturday morning with crowds of others who are shooting and learning to shoot.

All the polls in Poland on this are not current and do not take into account the Russian threat. And if you dont think its a threat, then you have problems with your sight and need to get your eyes checked.

I do. I live in Warsaw, where the crime rates are low.


Perhaps rather more than you. And people in Poland do not feel the need to have firearms for self-defence. Europeans are not paranoid Americans.

Less than 0.8% of Poles have firearms licences. A vanishingly small number. People simply don't want them

Unless they're criminals who aren't of course eligible for firearms licences anyway.


As a spectator?

Since you aren't of course eligible for a firearms licence anyway.

Did you make that up because pre-war in Ukraine it was twice that.
Perhaps you could post a current sources for us to back up your false statement.

Its in the first few lines of this wikipedia page JR

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Poland

If you have better info, fine. But whatever the number is it is very tiny, and support for firearms is very small

Quite. And despite the rise in 2022 it's still only 0.8% of the that have firearms permits.

Actually 0.76% so a little lower,

Here are the latest official stats from the Polish police: statystyka.policja.pl/st/wybrane-statystyki/bron/186394,Bron-pozwolenia.html

reddit.com/r/poland/comments/zhz8xx/13_guns_per_100_people_living_in_poland/

And that doesn't count all the unregistered guns in Poland.
Still a very low rate where guns were all confiscated not that long ago.
Point is however, just look at the chart of how gun ownership is almost going straight up.
That tells me that there has been a change of heart with the Polish people.

Reddit? I prefer the actual police stats.

By the way, the link address you posted misses out a very important thing. A decimal point.

It's 1.3 guns per 100 people. Among the lowest in Europe. Not '13'. And that includes 'unregistered' (i.e. illegal) firearms.

Here's the map from your Reddit page.

• 
  
  

And tell us joun how they would know how many are unregistered if they are not registered ?
Bottom line is that the registry curve is going almost straight up which shows that the people of Poland have changed their minds about owning a firearm.

And this is a good thing with a war going on just across Poland's border.

How are you sure he isnt?He is a resident and owns a business.Even for hunting all he needs is to join a hunting club (most ranges in Poland are affiliated to one) pass the test and he is eligible and being a business owner he can also get a license to carry(I know I can,if I want,even though I have no cash business).


Yes,plenty of people in Poland are lately buying and going to ranges to practice.I know as when I want to go to a range I have to book a slot and sometimes the wait is for weeks if you dont know anyone.

ladbible.com/news/latest-polish-people-flood-gun-ranges-to-learn-in-case-of-russian-invasion-20220325

It is pointless arguing with Yanks about gun ownership because despite the fact of all those mass shootings they are completely blind to the problem.

Because of their love of guns.

Soon there'll be one in every town over there. They should change their flag to have a dot for every one.

Only elderly people remember the last school shooting in Poland and only middle-aged people remember the last one in Scptland.


There are several criteria that can make one eligible or disbar one.


Anyone with a hunting licence can 'carry'. Nobody does though.

On a side note, it's good that people need to have mandatory training and pass an exam before having one

OK dumb one carry meant a loaded one."Carry" can also mean in a back pack with ammo in a diff pocket dumb fool.


I know plenty who have a carrying permit and always carry a loaded one.


SO?one has to go through that in US too.in fact I found its easier to get a carrying permit in Poland.

It does. That is the law in PL. Hunters can do this.


Learn some respect.

Read the law about registering pistols to a sporting licence.


It would be unkind to do so, and inflammatory. Where firearms are concerned, cool heads are needed.

He's probably used to being discriminated against and at risk of violence from cops and respectable all-American householders due to his skin colour, however in Poland, crime rates are low and people are safe.

@jon357
lol as a Polish citizen I am certainly eligible. Got my documents over a year ago thanks. And FYI, foreigners can go shoot anywhere. Lots of people from the UK at the ranges to fire AK's for the thrill of it.

Citizenship is irrelevant to the issue. There are other criteria that automatically bar people.


"Lots". How many is "lots"?


What a weird way to get a 'thrill'

@jon357
You're not an expert on the matter jon. Citizenship is also a requirement to leagally purchase and own a weapon. My neighbor, a Ukraine citizen, married to a Pole was denied due to his nationality even though properly licensed in Ukraine as a former police officer.

As for "lots", well I own a restaurant in Krakow that caters to a very large portion of English speaking expats and English speaking tourists. We have conversations with those people. It is quite common for people from the UK to come and use the ranges, for the experience of it, and as a group bonding activity. When you do not understand how fun shooting can be as a recreational activity, largely because you have never done it or wanted to do it, then you cannot understand how others enjoy it.

Many of us from the US grow up shooting. Whether its hunting, skeet, trap, or other target shooting, it can be very fun and challenging. Measuring windage and other technical matters really engages the mind as well as the body. The idea that guns are just for killing people, or hunting is an uninformed way of seeing things.