Firearms regulation in Finland incorporates the political and regulatory aspects of firearms usage in the country. Both hunting and shooting sports are common hobbies. There are approximately 300,000 people with hunting permits,The Finnish Wildlife Agency "Approximately 300,000 persons obtain a hunting card in Finland annually." and 34,000 people belong to sport shooting clubs.Finnish Shooting Sport Federation "34 165 total members" Over 1,500 people are licensed weapons collectors.The Police of Finland "1 545 licensed collectors in 2014" Additionally, many reservists practice their skills using their own semi-automatic rifles and pistols after military service.Reservist Sports Association "(In answer to question 5:) Rifles used in SRA must therefore be self-loading models reasonably obtainable from the civilian market." Reservist Sports Association "The aim of applied reservist shooting is to develop and compare the practical shooting skills of reservists using modern service weapons or their semi-automatic versions."
Legal firearms in Finland must be registered and licensed on a per-gun basis. There are approximately 1.5 million registered small firearms in the country. Out of those, 226,000 are short firearms (pistols, revolvers) with the rest being long firearms (rifles, shotguns).YLE "Number of firearms declining" There are approximately 650,000 people with at least one permit, which means 12% of Finns own a firearm.Ministry of the Interior "Approximately 1.6 million guns in Finland" Overall, legal gun ownership rate is similar to countries such as Sweden, France, Canada and Germany. Estimates place the number of illegal, unregistered firearms between some tens of thousands and upwards of a million.Ministry of the Interior "The Ministry of the Interior estimates that there are at most some tens of thousands of unlicensed firearms in Finland." Small Arms Survey An estimate of between 2.15 to 3.60 million total firearms is given in table 2.3 A large portion of these are thought to be weapons hidden during the aftermath of World War II.
The current Firearms Act of 1998 is a near full rewrite of the earlier, 1933 law. The law was revised to comply with the European Firearms Directive after Finland joined the European Union.HE 183/1997 Government's proposal to the Parliament for new Firearms Act Following the school shooting incidents in 2007 and 2008 in which the perpetrators used .22 caliber semi-automatic pistols, legislation regarding short firearms was considerably tightened in 2011. Nevertheless, no types of firearms are outright banned, and in principle a person can apply for a licence for any type of gun.
Regulation
The ownership and use of firearms is regulated by the Firearms Act of 1998. A license is always needed for possession of a firearm and all firearms are registered. Firearms may only be carried while they are being used for a specific purpose (e.g. hunting, shooting at the range). When transporting a firearm to or from such activity, the firearm must be unloaded and stored in a case or pouch. The owner of a firearm is responsible for making sure that firearms and ammunition do not end up in unauthorized hands. The exact requirements regarding storage of firearms depends on their type and quantity.Finlex Firearms Act, 10 § 106
Air guns up to 6.35 mm (0.25 inch) in caliber are not regulated regardless of their muzzle energy. Larger bore air weapons need a permit, unless the person already holds a firearms licence. Bows and crossbows are not regulated items in Finland, while pepper spray is. Suppressors are considered firearm components, but can be used without requiring any separate licensing. Magazine capacity is restricted under a normal license, for a maximum of 21 rounds for short guns and 11 rounds for a long gun. There is no regulation regarding other firearm accessories.Finlex Firearms Act, 1 § 2
An unlicensed person may use firearms only under direct supervision.Finlex Firearms Act, 7 § 88 Simple unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by fine or up to two years in prison, although more severe punishments may apply e.g. in the case of fully automatic weapons or when used to commit other crime. However, an unlicensed firearm may always be turned in without repercussions, provided this happens at the initiative of the person in possession of the firearm.Finlex Criminal Code, 41 § 1-2
Certain types of ammunition, such as expanding pistol rounds or incendiary rounds, require special authorization (in addition to a firearms licence) to purchase. The amount of ammunition a person may possess is not limited by the Firearms Act. However, legislation related to the safe storage of explosive materials does apply. Ordinarily, this means a maximum of 20,000 rounds of ammunition (including loose primers) and 2 kg of gunpowder per household, with larger quantities requiring separate storage.Finlex Valtioneuvoston asetus räjähteiden valmistuksen ja varastoinnin valvonnasta ("Explosive Materials Decree") 12 § 56
Proposed changes to regulation
Currently, work is underway to streamline the license application process in straightforward cases. An applicant who already has existing permits and has a proven track-record with responsible ownership would be able to apply for further permits more easily.Ministry of the Interior AMPUMA-ASELUPAMENETTELYÄ KOSKEVAN LAINSÄÄDÄNNÖN UUDISTAMISTA KOSKEVA HANKE ("Project for renewing firearms legislation")
In 2017, the EU adopted changes to the Firearms Directive that became known as the "EU Gun Ban". In local implementation, the major change to firearms users will be that self-loading rifle and pistol magazines with a capacity of more than 10 and 20 respectively will become more strictly controlled. Under the new law, they will only be available to sports shooters and reservists, but not hunters. Being knowingly in (unlicensed) possession of such a magazine will cause any firearms licenses to be revoked. https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10684690
Licensing
When applying for a licence to purchase a firearm, the applicant must fill in a form with information such as the type and mode of operation of firearm, and the intended purpose of use (although one can use any firearm for any legal purpose regardless of the original application, e.g. a range gun for hunting or vice versa). According to the law, the firearm must be appropriate for the stated purpose, but evaluating this is largely left to the discretion of the police. For example, while an AR-15 is suitable for practical shooting, the police may consider one inappropriate for hunting.Parliament Statement from the Police regarding the EU Firearms Directive "-- permits for [military style semi-automatics] are generally not given for hunting use --"
Valid reasons for obtaining a firearms license are:
Reason Description 1 Hunting A valid hunting permit is expected. Minimum muzzle energy for different game, magazine capacity restrictions etc. defined in separate legislation. 2 Sports and hobby Type of firearm needs to be appropriate for the discipline. Proof that the hobby exists is expected. For pistols and revolvers further requirements apply. 3 Work The need for a firearm must be justified. Appropriate training is expected. 4 Film and theater 5 Museum or collection Person or organization the Ministry of the Interior has approved as a weapons collector. 6 Memento Item is of significant importance to the person or family. 7 Signaling Flare guns, e.g. for boating safety. 8 Proxy ownership 15–17 year olds may participate in sports shooting or hunting on their own but a licensed adult is responsible for the transportation and storage of the firearm.
The application process includes a check of criminal records, the police interviewing the applicant and in some cases a computer-based personality test or a medical health certificate. Any significant history with violence or other crime, substance abuse or mental health issues will cause the application to be rejected. Membership in a hunting or shooting club or other appropriate organization was considered a positive, though membership could not be legally required as the Constitution of Finland guarantees freedom of association.Parliament PERUSTUSLAKIVALIOKUNNAN LAUSUNTO 18/2010 vp Since 2019, membership for more than a year in a registered shooting association has been required for obtaining a licence for "particularly dangerous firearms", i.e. large capacity semiautomatic weapons (handgun: >20, centerfire rifle: >10). A certificate of active shooting, for the last 12 (rifles) or 24 (handgun) months, from an authorized weapons instructor (of a registered shooting club) is required for handguns and "particularly dangerous firearms". More evidence of the applicant's recreational activity (such as a certificate of Safe Shooter status) may be required at the Police's discretion. Firearms Act (1/1998; amendments up to 1249/2020 included)
If the application is approved, an acquisition permit is mailed to the applicant. A dealer (or private person) may only sell a firearm if the buyer has the appropriate paperwork to show. There is no waiting period as such, but in practice processing an application takes a minimum of several days, usually a few weeks. Licences can be valid either until further notice or for a fixed term, which is sometimes the case for a people applying for their first license, and always with the first pistol license. A licence-holder may also borrow other firearms from the same or lesser category (e.g. a rifle licence is valid for borrowing shotguns and small-caliber rifles, but not pistols) and purchase ammunition for any firearm he owns or is permitted to borrow.
Classification of firearms
For legal purposes, firearms are divided into 13 different types:Finlex Firearms Act, 1 § 6
Type Description 1 Shotgun Smooth-bored long firearm designed to be used two-handed and supported against the shoulder. 2 Rifle Rifled long firearm designed to be used two-handed and supported against the shoulder. 3 Small-caliber rifle Rifle chambered for up to a .22 rimfire cartridge. 4 Pistol Short firearm designed to be used with a one handed grip. 5 Small-caliber pistol Pistol chambered for up to a .22 rimfire cartridge. 6 Revolver Short firearm designed to be used with a one handed grip and which uses a revolving cartridge cylinder. 7 Small-caliber revolver Revolver chambered for up to a .22 rimfire cartridge. 8 Combination weapon Long firearm with two or more barrels, with at least one being rifled and one smooth-bore. 9 Gas weapon Firearm capable of firing only gas cartridges. 10 Signaling pistol Firearm capable of firing only signal cartridges. 11 Black-powder weapon Firearm designed and manufactured to only be used with black powder. 12 Any other firearm Catch-all category for firearms that do not fit into the above categories based on their dimensions or other characteristics. 13 Deactivated firearm A firearm which has been permanently deactivated according to set guidelines.
A firearm is considered a short firearm if its overall length is at most 600mm, or its barrel length at most 300mm. In any other case the firearm is considered a long firearm. Finlex Firearms Act, 1 § 6a (in Finnish; translated version not up-to-date at time of writing)
Firearms are further divided into four modes of operation:Finlex Firearms Act, 1 § 7