The Swiss Gun Control Argument

This entry is part 11 of 13 in the series Guns

The Swiss argument about gun control gets bandied about with some regularity. There’s this claim that “The Swiss require everyone to have a gun,” or “The Swiss government issues everyone a gun.” Except, no they don’t. And as a matter of fact, when you look into gun violence statistics, Switzerland supports the position: “the more guns, the more gun violence.”

So what really is the story in Switzerland. Let’s be clear, they don’t require everyone to have a gun, nor do they issue everyone a gun for personal use. What Switzerland does do is require all “fit” Swiss men to participate in mandatory military service. (Women can volunteer to be in the state militia, but they don’t have to.) And if you are what we call a “consciences objector” you can volunteer in the country’s civilian service, which might include more pacifist-friendly tasks like providing social services or fixing up Swiss cultural sites.

Men who serve in the militia are trained and handed a weapon that they can keep until they’re done serving. But recent estimates suggest only 11% actually keep their rifles at home when they’re not working. Military ammunition is always kept separately at local armories.

Once you’ve served your time militiamen are offered the chance to buy their service weapons, but they must get a permit for those state-issued guns. In fact, except for hunting rifles and semiautomatic long-arms, any private gun owner in Switzerland must get a permit for their gun. And if they’ve got a criminal record, a history of violence, or are struggling with mental health or addiction, local authorities won’t issue one.

So, the Swiss don’t give everyone a gun. You can purchase your militia weapon AFTER your service, but even then, you must get a permit, and the Swiss are strict with those.

Gun advocates are wrong about the argument writ large, but the Swiss example gets even worse for them. Of the European Union nations, the Swiss have one of the highest rates of gun ownership, which comes with one of the highest per capita rate of gun violence in Europe. But, as they’ve written stricter gun laws to align more with the EU, gun deaths have plummeted. In the US, the per capita gun death rate is roughly four times that of Switzerland and rising.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the gun-rights advocates for using the Swiss argument, and making the case for us that, the more guns, the more gun violence.

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