Gun laws in Malta


Maltese law allows possession of various types of firearms on shall-issue basis. With approximately 28 civilian firearms per 100 people, Malta is the 18th most armed country in the world.

History

In 1931, the "Arms Ordnance" was enacted under British colonial rule which allowed firearm possession on may-issue basis.
In 2005 new firearm law was passed and went into effect in 2006. The law removed police's discretion in granting firearm licenses. In 2013, the law was amended once again changing some firearm categories, for example requiring a license to own blank-firing guns and eliminating license requirements for harpoons.

Current law

Maltese law divides firearm licenses into following categories:
To get firearm license one must join a shooting or collectors club for training, which will issue a recommendation letter for the police, after which applicant must pass knowledge of firearm safety and the Arms Act. After successfully completing every step one will get license. Carrying loaded firearms outside of hunting grounds or shooting range is illegal. Fully automatic firearms are allowed only if they were produced before 1946.

Firearm ownership

There are 102,610 registered firearms in Malta, including 56,000 shotguns, 10,553 pistols, 7,856 rifles, 5,369 revolvers, 501 machine guns, 477 submachine guns, 633 combat shotguns, 22 cannons, 11 firearms concealed in walking sticks, seven humane killers, three mortars and two rocket launchers.

Footnotes