Do you have an old family gun and want to get rid of it?
You will be able to return it to the authorities.
Nearly 2 million individuals in possession of weapons of this type, mainly hunting or from the First and Second World Wars, are invited from this Friday to donate their property during an "abandonment operation" set up by the government.
Those who wish can thus deposit their weapon or register it for legal possession.
Explanations.
What is the goal ?
While 30,000 weapons are abandoned "spontaneously" each year, the State "wishes to accelerate" the process during this operation already carried out in the Antilles but "unprecedented" in mainland France, explained Jean-Simon Merandat, head of the Central Service of Arms and Explosives (SCAE) of the Ministry of the Interior, which "co-constructed" the operation with the Ministry of Justice.
The goal is as much to avoid domestic accidents and neighborhood conflicts as to participate in the fight against intra-family violence.
On the other hand, 8,000 weapons being stolen each year, the operation also aims to prevent them from entering criminal networks.
How to lay down the weapon?
More than 300 sites will be open throughout France from November 25 to December 2 in mainland France and overseas to collect illegally held firearms, sabers or daggers.
These weapons, often from inheritances, will then be destroyed.
Concretely, individuals will be able to dispose of weapons and ammunition from the police or gendarmes.
You can now consult online the list of all weapons collection sites according to your department.
Holders who return their property will not incur any legal proceedings, the ministry said.
Home collection is possible for people with reduced mobility or those residing in the Paris region in order to avoid traveling with weapons in this densely populated area.
In detail, if you live in Paris or in the inner suburbs (Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis or Val-de-Marne), a toll-free number has been set up to allow collection from your home: 0 805 014 005.
The user will however be able to move to the police station only if the latter is equipped with secure parking, specifies Place Beauvau.
In another case, if people wish to keep their weapons, they will have to comply with the Weapons Information System (SIA).
What weapons can be given?
Individuals may abandon all types of weapons: edged weapons (knives, daggers, etc.), firearms, handguns, small ammunition, etc. On the other hand, war ammunition (shells, grenades), explosives, powder, fireworks or even Ammunition of a caliber equal to or greater than 20 mm cannot be handed over directly to the authorities.
Individuals who possess this type of weapon will have to call the prefecture to organize the conditions for a “secure removal”.
How many weapons involved?
According to the Interior, 2 million weapons belong to deceased persons and are not registered with the State services.
“Empirically”, the Ministry of the Interior estimates that 5 to 6 million weapons are held irregularly.
In France, 5 million individuals legally own firearms, mainly hunters, sports shooters, biathletes and a few collectors.
Municipal police officers are also authorized to possess a weapon, as are some 40,000 RATP and SNCF agents and security agents.
Finally, there are the members of shooting clubs (about 70,000) and some 2,500 gunsmiths in the country.
And after ?
After December 2, the date of the end of the operation, it will still be possible to give your weapon to the police stations.
However, the absence of administrative or judicial proceedings for illegal possession or transport will no longer be valid.
Registering your inherited or owned weapon will remain possible, even after the deadline, with the Weapons Information System.
