MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union

MISSING PIECES
fully automatic fire. 58 Many also ban civilian possession of semi-automatic
variants of fully automatic firearms because of their lethality and limited
utility for civilian purposes. For example, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh,
Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Guyana, Lithuania, New Zealand, and
the UK prohibit selective-fire and some semi-automatic military assault
rifles, although definitions vary.
Handguns
Access to handguns is frequently banned or severely restricted, given their
concealable nature and prevalence in criminal violence. 59 Some countries,
such as Botswana and the UK, have completely banned civilian handgun
ownership. 60 Others, such as Australia and Canada, allow handguns only
for professional security guards and for target shooters who can prove that
they are regularly involved in pistol sports.
Safety devices
One US state (New Jersey) passed a law in December 2002 mandating that
only handguns that are personalised (‘smart handguns’) will be available
for purchase in the state. 61 Personalised guns can use a range of technology,
including unique biometric data, such as fingerprints and retina scans, to
permit firing only by their authorised user.
Record keeping and registration of firearms
Record keeping and registration of small arms help prevent diversion to
illegal markets. They also support the efforts of law enforcement to trace
guns, investigate crime, and support criminal prosecution. Most nations
have some method of registering guns in the hands of their citizens. Yet
inconsistencies exist; for example, Austria and New Zealand require the
registration of handguns, but not rifles and shotguns. 62
The level of information required and the tools used also vary considerably.
Mexico requires that owners are licensed and all guns registered. 63
Thailand provides a good standard by requiring that the gun itself should
be marked to indicate the province of registration and a number. 64 Some
jurisdictions have even begun to introduce ballistics testing as part of the
record-keeping process. For example, Maryland and New York State in the
US have laws requiring all new guns to have ballistics tests before they can
be sold. 65
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