SCORPIO said
I think you may be the first member from Poland.  What are the firearms laws like in your country?  It's always interesting to see how regulations vary across international boundaries.    

Just to set perspective - 38M country, 1.3 guns /100 residents. UK residents have 5.5/100  US ~90/100

Perhaps it has something to do with out last 200years of history 😉 neighbors do not like us armed too much nuisance.

In general owning guns is forbidden unless you have permit and "valid purpose to own gun" (hunting, sport shooting, collecting, personal defense , working as security guard). The trick is, that it is police deciding if your reason is valid ...

you need medical check and full background check to get permit. and be a member of sport club or have hunting license.

for personal defense in 2015 there was zero permits issued for 38M country.  There is ~120k people with hunters permit, ~16k with sport permit, ~50k people with personal defense (including "alarm"/"gas" guns  yes, they are also registered as real guns) and maybe 5k collector permits. often it is 2 or 3 different permits for the same person.

and what is worse - there are limits in permit how many guns you can buy.

All guns , powder and primers must be stored in metal safe with certified lock

If you have more than 50 guns you need to store them in "armory" (room with solid walls, steel doors and with metal safes inside) - this is all to deter from possessing too many guns by adding high cost.

Airguns with energy above 17J are treated as "pneumatic gun" and require medical check and registration.

10 years ago there was change and black powder only guns are available without permit. But BP cartridge guns are still treated like modern guns. it is the only "poor colonial native" gun widely available (in old Belgian colonies natives could have guns designed at least 50 years ago.)

Full auto guns are not permitted for civilians with exception for blank-only firing for reconstruction/film/ ...

Silencers are banned (see below - shooting occupant/communist government officials) calibers above 12mm only for hunters. Crossbows are banned (see below - deadly silent weapons). Knuckledusters, blades hidden in other items are forbidden.

There is dark shadow from Mordor in Luxembourg over Europe where European  Commission wants to ban all semi-auto guns for civilians and ban even airsoft guns which look like big bad black AK/AR

As a big minus I will add large disparity in purchasing power (minimal monthly wage is ~$500, mythical average ~$1000) and lack of "second hand" gun market, because of decades with very strict laws (up to 1961 there was even death penalty for illegal gun - this is result of anti communist partisans - last was killed in 1963).

Most our nice Polish surplus guns were sold in 90-ties to the highest bidder paying in USD.

I still do not have in my collection Polish Mosin M44 or Polish PPS-43 or PPSz-41 ...when I was allowed to look for one they are all gone to the Germany or US.

From legal point of view you are doomed. If you use gun in self defense with success you are treated usually as criminal endangering priceless human (scum) life.

One is required to carry or transport gun concealed. No open carry for us.

One can shoot only on the range (an there is not many civilian ranges over 100-300m) Long range shooting is usually on the military training grounds (but it is only for competitions). No plinking in the backyard.

Thanks to too many wars fought on our territory (lucky you ... keep that trend) people are usually not reacting to the gun

with panic. There is assumption if you have a gun you are entitled to have it or ... not and then better not to ask questions (esp. when that person speaks with Russian accent == gang) Gangs are not eager to use guns because it is shift from petty crime to government enemy #1 - and knife, machete and baseball bat are equally effective in disarmed society. Average police officer in Poland is shooting 10 rounds per year. Passing score is lover than for beginning sport shooters to get sport shooter license. Perhaps we (the people) are not so violent as they are saying.

Imagine, Saturday , 6AM metro train in Warsaw and young man in uniform of one of paramilitary groups is holding backpack which rolled mat and characteristic AK muzzle and front sight sticking out) - no reaction (what would be reaction in NYC?). When I passed him to the door I noticed that it was gumi-ak for hand to hand training. On August 1 I could possibly walk through the Warsaw with MG42 and belted ammo in open-carry with no reaction ... (I did not tried this) because of anniversary of Warsaw Uprising ...

What is good in bad - there is almost no local civilian gun production (unless one count 3min job to castrate AK to semi-auto) as the result there is not law mandating max number of imported parts. Almost everything is import.

And Europe does have many just interesting or collector grade guns.

But local market is very small and it is hard to find ammo in rare calibers like .44-40 or 45-70. Reloading is the only way. (and starline brass is very hard to find).

So i can have all original semi-auto milled AK, Tantal (Polish "AK" in 5.45) and Beryl (Polish AK in .223).

For 3Gun competitions I am using Czech vz.58 and Russian Saiga shotgun (that "AK pattern") - they are both quite handy for left handed shooter.

Next purchase on my list is "poor man MP5" - AKS-74U or "original AR" Norinco CQ-A- probably AR will prevail because I do not have anything in NATO compatible calibers yet (one never knows when it will be needed). Unless again I postpone because I find nice Dan Wesson in .44 or Martini-Henry rifle in good working condition.

Big nuisance - one cannot ship gun or ammo over courier or local post - it has to be "in person" purchase with your ID and written permit from police to purchase every gun - an mandatory registration in less than 5 days after purchase. Do not try this in the US.

Guns are sold by licensed dealers only. My first visit in Cabela and Walmart in 2008 that was ... like Moses seeing promised land from the other side of the river.

And frankly speaking I am instructor only as a way to save in the future some full auto PPSz or Thompson as "weapon for training security forces" (that is only way for private business to own full auto gun). I do not have experience to work as instructor. I am just IT desk jockey and "troubleshooter".

as my friends (veterans of foreign missions) are saying - concentrate on skills not on guns - you can always find "gun donor" in need but it will be useless without skills. Of course it is better to have both and not need them.

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