So what/if/Switzerland has high gun ownership and low gun crime

Irrelevant Comment: “Switzerland has high gun ownership and low gun crime.”

Claim

Examples

"Make your point to the Swiss, who've a higher gun ownership percentage than most of the US. (Statisticians disagree on precise comparison, but the percentage for the Swiss is close to 50%). Yet they have virtually no gun crime."

Reality

Handguns are regulated far more closely in Switzerland than they are in the United States. In fact, if the US were to adopt Swiss laws regarding gun ownership, most gun-regulation advocates would cheer – and ammophiles would be screaming "totalitarianism" and "big government oppression" at the top of their lungs:

• All gun owners must receive compulsory training.
• A permit is required in order to carry a loaded handgun in public or outdoors.
  • Permit applicants must state plausibly the need to carry a firearm; they are mostly only issued to people working in security and related fields.
  • Permit applicants must pass a test demonstrating both technical proficiency and legal knowledge (much like driver licensing).
• Loaded handguns may not be transported in public.
• Unloaded guns may not be transported in public without a stated need.
  • The need must fall into one of a handful of well-defined categories.
• Fully automatic guns are banned.
• An acquisition license is required in order to buy a handgun from a dealer.

Incidentals

• Measured per-gun, ownership in Switzerland is about half the rate in the US (US: 89 guns per 100 population; Switzerland: 43 guns per 100 population)
• Measured per capita, ownership in Switzerland is higher than in the US.
• There are more domestic homicides and suicides with a firearm in Switzerland than pretty much anywhere else in Europe except Finland (which has a comparable gun ownership rate).
• Long guns (hunting rifles) and semi-automatics are completely unregulated.
• No license is required for firearm transactions between private individuals.

Links

Reference

• Wikipedia