Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Best gun shops in Europe

I'm finally getting settled in to Germany. I've been here a month and have yet to see any wildlife. I was suprised how many deer stands there are here. It makes Arkansas look like an animal rights state.

Are there any must visit gun shops or show rooms over here? I'll be in London in a few months and hope to go by Rigby and H&H.

I seem to be having withdrawal problems. This is the first time I've ever lived in a gun free house. I'm feeling kinda naked over here.

WhileI was in europe the best countries for gun shops where in Italy and Switerland. Never really found any in Germany. I hear spain has some good ones but I never made it there.

Kodiak,

The only Rigby you'll find nowadays is in Paso Robles, California.

Purdey
Holland & Holland
Boss & Co.
and
William Evans
are all within a couple of blocks of one another in London's West End. Makes for a rather nice afternoon stroll <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

We have some okay gunshops here in Switzerland but nothing I'd make a dedicated trip to come and see. If you're heading anywhere near Zurich send me a mail and I'd be happy to show you what we've got.

If you're into shotguns and want to make a special trip, I'd definitely recommend Italy's Val Trompia, outside Brescia. I was passing through the area with the family a couple of years ago and managed to convince my wife that I needed to spend a half day there. My door knocking produced a guided run through Piotti's workrooms. Absolutely wonderful stuff, but I'm sure a more formal request in advance would have been appreciated <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Cheers,
Stu

Years ago, I spent a day in Trafalgar Square area, getting fitted for a suit and idling time in Purdey and the other gunmakers, watching them build SxS doubles. Everyone was so nice.

There is a fabulous gun store in Paris. If you are going there, l will look it up.

Switzerland is fun because when I was there, the people were coming in to buy the militia arms they had on layaway, SIG battle rifles like the AMT and PE-57. The little towns had shooting ranges at the edge, where people gathered with picnic lunches and had informal contests, as they had been doing since the days of the crossbow.

You can look up a bunch of German and Austrian gun dealers on the internet, from the SIG, Sauer, and Blaser web sites.

I can't speak as to the continent, but while in London about ten years ago, I attempted to visit three makers, Rigby, Purdey, and Holland & Holland. Couldn't locate Rigby at the address I had, but I did locate Purdey and H & H. Purdey had nothing on display, but were kind enough to let me handle a beautiful 28 ga SxS, of course with white gloves on. At L22,000, when the exchange rate was $2.10/L, it was a little beyond my reach. Holland and Holland was a great store. Lots of guns in the racks on the main floor, with a huge book store and hunting accessories below. Of course this was quite some time ago, before the current ban on firearms for private citizens, so I don't know if it still remains today.

The 'real' Rigby's are located at 22 Wyvil Rd, London SW8 2TG, and are now known as 'J Roberts & Son,' the NAME 'Rigby's' having been sold to California a couple of years ago. The knowledge/expertise remain at this address!

Get to Purdey's and ask to see their "back room". They invited me in and it holds their own personal collection of guns. Fabulous.

Hartmann & Weiss in Hamburg, never been there but wouldn't miss it if I had the opportunity.

Mike, this ban would be news to my deer hunting buddies in the UK. Amazing how misconceptions get around.

Kodiak,

Are you from Arkansas? If so where, I am from Cabot, and hope to be back there soon.

Hudge

Stu C,
OK, I admit to not being well informed as to UK firearms laws, but I have read about farmers who shot home invaders with shotguns that they didn't turn in to the gov't being prosecuted and serving jail time. Just what can you own, and where can you use it and keep it? Knowing ahead of time that assumption is the mother of all fu**ups, I assumed that if one is not allowed to own and keep a shotgun in his home, that a rifle, or god forbid a handgun would definitely be forbidden. I really am curious, and standing by for my "whuppin'".

Hey Mike,
No "whuppin'" coming from this direction <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />.
I'm certainly no expert on UK gun laws, and I don't know the cases referred to. But Britain is still the home of organised shooting and there are many, many shotguns being kept in private homes. I was at the CLA Game Fair a couple of months ago and there were literally tens of thousands of people out enjoying this show.

Wish I could tell you more about the ins and outs of the laws and regulations, it's a bit beyond me. But whatever they are, there are many people in the UK still enjoying their shooting and their stalking with their own firearms.
Cheers,
Stu

I lived in Hampshire England for two years and you can own shotguns and rifles in England. However, you have to get a permit from the local police. In order to get a permit they will physically come to your house and make sure your guns are secure. This mean that you have a proper gun safe that is bolted to the floor and the guns are safe inside. I think there is also a restriction on the amount of ammo you can have. If you meet these criteria they will let you have a shotgun at the house. Instead of dealing with this, some people just keep their shotguns at a H&H shooting school, or the Royal Berkshire Shooting School, etc.

For rifles things get a bit more difficult. The Police still come out and verify that your guns are secure, just like above, but you must prove that you have access to an area where a rifle can be used. Meaning, you typically need to own an estate(ranch in the US) where game are shot in order to get permit. I think you can also get a permit if you can prove that you have access to a rifle range, but my understanding is it is more difficult to get a rifle permit than a shotgun permit.

Ted

I forgot to mention, you need to have a clean record as well.

Will be more than happy to answer any questions you gentlemen may have!

Shooting in the UK is very much alive. Private owner ship of shot guns and firearms is increasing year on year.The farmer who was sent to prison was originally charged with murder but this was latter changed to manslaughter the 16 year old boy that he shot was actually running away when he and some other scum bag were disturbed breaking into a farm house, the shot gun was also possesed illegaly,all of this became a hot topic because victims of crime who attempted to defend there property by aggresive means were them selves arrested for assault and other charges.This ulltimatly led the government to publish the new charter that outlines what you can do to an invader of your property or being, this is called "reasonabe force" this has always been the law but with the way are country is going with human rights legislation and laywers twisting things it always seemed the victim was arrested for asault to the crimminal and then to confound problems further the criminal wood press charges against his victim and get legal aid paid by the government!!.Any way "reasonable force" this has been a big deal over here and basically means if sombody (crimminal) comes at you with a knife you can take a knife to them, if they die as a result , you will not be charged, the problems come to guns, to be legally impossesion of a shot gun you have to have a shot gun cert, these are very easy to get, you just fill out the 2 page application form get a couple of sponsers and say you want to use it for clay or game shooting and provided you have not served more than a 3 year prison sentance you should get it.A Firearm cert is totally the opposite, you have to prove to the police you have "good reason" first you have to be interested in f/arms, this is very dif because so few people shoot in certain parts of the country,you can join a gun club but usually you have to be nominated by an exsisting member once you get over that then you will only be allowed to use it at that club, and that club may only be open a couple of times a month.The other way is sporting us, firstly you have to have land to shot over which you have to have the land owners consent then you have to apply to the police with a 3 page app form filled out with referances etc, the police will be intouch with the land owner to confirm this in writing then the police will make an appointment with you to interview you at home and to see that you have the correct steel cabinat fixed to the main structure (brick) of the building once this has been ok`d you will have to decide what kind of shooting you do, if you are rabbit shooting they will allow you to have 1 .22lrf and a moderator, again its the "good reason" why do you need two .22lrf ? then if you want a CFR its the animals that you want to hunt, their are strict laws as to minimum caliber of use regards to deer (.243 in England) if you want to hunt deer and foxes they will allow you to have e .243 if you only want to hunt deer you can have upto a .308 but if you see a fox while you are out deer stalking and you shoot it, you have commited a firearms offence and you will find yourself in a whole world of trouble it goes on and on!!!. As regards handguns, because you had to be registered with the police, when they imposed the outright ban they new exactly which houses to go to( every single legally owned pistol was recovered) the problem we have now is that the criminals know that nobody else has a pistol so all the gang members and drug dealers have them, and hand gun crime is incresing in huge jumps each year, i could go on and on about this.

Nagel & Menz, of Baden-Baden Germany. Good selection of both Shotgun and Rifles. Have done business with them, results very positive. Hans-Urlich Bohm is the man.

Kodiak, You need to check out Frankonia-Jagd,


https://www.frankonia.de/scripts/home/home.php


There are three not too awfull far from you. There is one inside the Old City walls of Nurnberg, down the street from the Art musuem. There is one just outside the old city in Munchen, and one just off Konigs-Strasse in Stuttgart.
The Stuttgart store was my favorite and probably had the best gun room and some of the help spoke english well. The Munich store was a little small but worth the trip, and I found some excellent buys in Nurnberg during thier January sale.
There used to be another store call Kettners not too far from Frankonia Jagd in Munchen but I think they have since sold out to someone else. This store in Munchen (Munich) was definately worth going too if it's open under another name.
But check out a couple of the Frankonia's and ask about Shiess-Stand's, you might find a good one not too far away. The Germans can be great fun to shoot with once they begin to know and trust you..................DJ

UKDave,
Thanks for the info. It makes me appreciate how lucky I am to still have some of my freedoms intact in the States, even though they are under attack every session of Congress.
Mike

If you need a gunsmith in Germany check this guy out, he's a friend of mine.

http://www.roedaleprecision.com/