As of: February 4, 2024, 7:00 a.m
By: Kai Lorenz
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Indispensable - a safe for weapons: To store rifles and pistols, you need a gun safe with a certain level of resistance and a test sticker.
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Everyone who owns weapons is aware of the need to store rifles and ammunition properly and follow the appropriate controls.
However, when an unexpected inspection occurs, some owners may become slightly uneasy.
However, the situation is less worrying as long as the legal regulations are adhered to.
District - Numerous gun owners in the Weilheim-Schongau district have an unexpected encounter: employees of the Office for Security and Order show up unannounced at their door.
Dressed in official law enforcement jackets and with a badge in hand, they begin their visits with the words: “Hello, we are from the Office for Public Safety and Order and want to check the safe storage of your weapons and ammunition.” Many gun owners are taken aback at first and unsure whether they could have done something wrong.
But it quickly becomes clear that this is a routine, legally required inspection by the district office.
A microcosm of German gun culture
The Weilheim-Schongau district, with its around 2,200 registered gun owners, is a microcosm of German gun culture.
The owners, each of whom owns between one and fifteen weapons on average, are made up of different groups: around 950 hunters, 840 sport shooters or people who pursue both hobbies/passions, as well as heirs, old owners and weapon collectors.
Helmut Stork, who heads the department for public safety and order in the Weilheim-Schongau district office, explains that five to ten percent of the holders of a weapon ownership card (document for all weapons of an authorized person) are checked annually in order to ensure compliance with the strict storage regulations guarantee.
Checks are necessary
The checks are not just a routine, but a necessity.
According to Stork, an average of ten to twenty gun owners are checked every month.
The legal requirements are strict: a single violation of the storage regulations can lead to a determination of so-called unreliability under weapons law.
The consequences are serious - there is a risk of losing your gun ownership card and a possible fine of up to 10,000 euros.
In addition, depending on the situation, there may also be an intentional or negligent criminal offense.
“However, if you comply with your storage obligations, you have nothing to fear from an inspection,” emphasizes Stork.
The checks are carried out randomly, so that every gun owner is checked on average every six to eight years.
If officers do not find anyone, they will leave a message for another scheduled visit.
Stork emphasizes that the check on the storage of weapons is only carried out in the presence of the holder of the weapon ownership card.
If the officers only find the wife or children at home, the inspection visit is canceled.
But even if the person concerned is present, he or she can refuse the examination for valid reasons.
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The thing with the four-eyes principle
The inspectors always work in a team of two people, in accordance with the four-eyes principle.
This not only serves security, but also the objectivity of the controls.
The police are informed about these visits in advance so that they can intervene immediately in the event of any questions or problems.
Stork reports that in 95 percent of cases, gun owners inspected respond positively to the checks and recognize the importance of these checks to public safety.
The checks carried out are detailed and comprehensive.
They include checking the existing gun safes to see whether they meet current security requirements and whether the weapons stored in them match the information on the gun ownership cards.
In addition, checks are made to ensure that all weapons are completely unloaded.
“The type of ammunition is also checked, but the quantity is not relevant to us,” explains Stork.
Proper storage of ammunition is also important.
This must at least be stored in a locked sheet steel container.
Even silencers have to go in the gun cabinet.
Other items that may be in the gun safe, such as cash, valuables or documents, are not inspected by inspectors.
If a weapon registered on the weapon ownership card is not found in the weapon safe, the weapon owner must provide valid proof of the weapon's whereabouts, such as a loan certificate, repair or storage receipt.
If such proof is missing, this can lead to unreliability under firearms law and the revocation of the firearms permit.
Where to put the safe key?
Another topic Stork addresses is storing keys to gun safes.
Many modern gun safes are equipped with combination or electronic locks.
For cabinets that can only be opened with a key, Stork recommends that the key should ideally be stored in a cabinet with the same security rating as the gun cabinet.
It is also essential that no other person has access to this key.
Be careful if you find weapons
Finally, the head of the public order office emphasizes the importance of acting correctly if weapons or ammunition are found.
Instead of bringing weapons or ammunition to the police with good intentions, citizens should inform the police or the responsible weapons authority in the district office.
They will then take care of the collection.
Unauthorized carrying of weapons or ammunition can constitute a criminal offense.
These routine checks by the Office for Public Safety and Order in the Weilheim-Schongau district are a crucial contribution to maintaining public safety.
They ensure that the strict laws and regulations regarding gun ownership are adhered to and thus contribute to the safety of all citizens, emphasizes Stork.