Norwegian gun laws are really not very strict

Richard Jones of Grapeview on Oct.24 made a claim that “ no amount of so-called sensible gun legislation” will stop an individual from possessing a gun. He cited the Norway shooting where 77 lost their lives. He further claimed that “Norway has almost as strict gun laws as Great Britain.”

In Norway to purchase a handgun, shotgun or semi-automatic rifle one need only have a clean police record and a hunting license. The license requirement is a 30 hour gun safety course. The shooter had both and legally purchased his AR-15 in a gun store.

Hunting and shooting are a part of Norwegian heritage. Over 10 percent of Norwegians possess fire arms. Norwegian gun laws are not all that strict, other than gun safety and storage requirements they are more similar to US law than British.

This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Norwegian gun laws are really not very strict."