How come guns from Austria end up in the hands of Swedish criminals? Swedish police accuse Austria of having shortcomings in its weapons legislation. But it is more than likely that the parts that really make it possible to open fire do not even come from Austria. One thing is certain: criminals take advantage of a complex network and the particularities of national laws to obtain “Frankenstein” pistols [composés de pièces détachées de différentes armes]. The characteristics of Austrian pistols from the Glock brand also work in their favor: modular, reliable, they work even in the most difficult conditions.
So, what is behind this criticism of the shortcomings of Austrian weapons legislation? It is true that here [en Autriche] the legal framework for the possession of weapons is very liberal. You can buy a Second World War rifle, classified as a category C weapon, from a gunsmith, as long as you are an adult and are not under a ban. All you have to do is wait for a three-day “reflection phase” before picking up your rifle from the retailer.
Sales between individuals are possible, in the same way. This is how the 18-year-old who opened fire on September 5 in the streets of Munich [à proximité du consulat israélien, avant d’être tué par la police] came into possession of his Swiss Schmidt-Rubin carabiner. He had acquired the weapon on a very popular online platform in Austria, from a collector who also provided him with ammunition and a bayonet. Certainly, the buyer had undertaken to declare his weapon no later than six weeks after the acquisition transaction, but this was not the case. In addition, the young man was the subject of a ban which was not noted.
Parts controlled by law, others not
But back to the Glock. In the case of the Swedish “Glock hybrids”, one does not have to look long to find the alleged loophole in the weapons legislation. Essentially, a Glock consists of two parts: the grip, with the trigger and magazine well, and the bolts.
