Zoltan, who recently translated one of my articles in Hungarian, was kind enough to explain the gun laws in Hungary.

No restrictions: air rifles and air guns (airsofts too) are free to buy and shoot at home if it is under 7.5 J (5.53 ft/lbs) in energy of the bullets.

No restrictions to purchase but able to carry hidden only with a simple license: the gas/alarm guns. Some of them can fire rubber balls, but it must loaded seperately from the ammo.

No restrictions to purchase museal guns, which works with seperated bullet, blackpowder and primer. Blackpowder and primer is only keeping by fire fields, so you can keep at home only the weapon and the bullets, nothing else. There are a special type of the museal guns, wich works with a 9mm R blanc or a 6 mm FB platz and fires rubber or metal bullets. You can use them at home, for home defence (the bigger patron and the gum, check my picture gallery “Gumilövedékes teszt“) or practice. For practice, the best is a modified TOZ-8. You must not bear them in the street.

Shooting Rubber Balls. Many more interesting photos here.

Real Firearms: You need serious and expensive licences and a long procedure, if you want to buy a real firearm for sport. It could be semi-automatic. Our sportshooters are less year by year. Of course, you need the same procedure, if your airgun is stronger than 7.5 J.

If you need a real gun for self defense, it is almost impossible. For the cops, soldiers too. If you get the licence (smaller wonder), you are limited to two guns. You can be allowed to carry them hidden, of course.

Gas aerosols (pepper spray): Most of them have no restrictions to buy and carry.

Knives: Blade must be under 8 cm. You must not hold automatic knives, or “french” knives (automatic knife where the blade shoots out of the handle).

It is sad to hear that these restrictions are causing a decline in participation of shooting sports.

I am always interesting in hear about gun laws in other countries.

Many thanks to Zoltan.