Nazi Germany’s Gun Control Legislation for Occupied Great Britain (1941)

    The Possession of and Trade in Arms and Ammunition

    The possession of and traffic in arms (whether firearms or otherwise) and ammunition is strictly forbidden except as provided in the following articles.

    Article 1.

    All members of the police force and customs and forestry services, lawfully appointed by the Authorities of the occupied country, are authorized, when on duty, to carry arms and ammunition. Certain classes of persons, such as private guards and watchmen of isolated buildings, who by reason of the special duties they have to perform, should be armed, may be authorized by special decision to carry arms and ammunition.

    Article 2.

    Any person wishing to trade in sporting arms or to manufacture or sell ammunition shall make a declaration stating the class of arms and ammunition which he desires to deal in or manufacture, to the German Military Authority in the county.

    He shall make a classified return of the stocks of arms and ammunition he holds and shall keep a register of the goods he manufactures, buys and sells.

    These registers shall be always open to inspection to the Military Authorities of the county who may determine if the size of the stock is justified by the sales and purchases.

    Article 3.

    Sporting arms shall only be sold to persons in possession of a gun license, as laid down in the article below.

    Ammunition shall only be supplied to persons in possession of an ammunition card. Kind and quantity is subject to conditions specified on the said card with the view to the importance of the shooting and the nature of the game.

    Shooting of game.

    Classification of Sporting Arms.

    Arms authorized:

    1. Sporting guns with 1, 2 or 3 barrels.

    2. Sporting rifles with 1,2 or 3 barrels.

    3. Sporting guns for shot and bullet.

    4. Sporting repeating rifles.

    5. Rifles similar to Flobert rifle.

    Arms not authorized.

    1. Sporting rifles having an effective range of more than 300 m.

    2. Sporting rifles of the same bore as a military rifle.

    Remarks:

    Sporting repeating rifles shall be authorized only to the extent of 10 percent of the total of sporting arms authorized.

    German Occupied Great Britain: The Official Secret Document, 54-56.