walther pellet gun
Courtesy Airgundepot.com
walther pellet gun
Courtesy Airgundepot.com

“It’s a precautionary measure,” [gun buyer Peter] Rostas, 33, said as he queued outside a small Budapest shop selling non-military grade weapons that require no licence. “I’d rather be laughing later than find myself in a conflict with nothing but a broomstick.” Rostas fears violence could arise from shortages of essential goods, something the Hungarian government has insisted will not happen. But the stocky auto trader is sceptical.

“If people brawl over toilet paper now, what will they do later? Once shops run out of stock, people will take what they need. Police can hardly deal with every petty theft,” he said.

– Devika Khattar in Hungary’s demand for guns increases as people grow scared of social upheaval

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63 COMMENTS

  1. ““It’s a precautionary measure,” [gun buyer Peter] Rostas, 33, said as he queued outside a small Budapest shop selling non-military grade weapons that require no licence.”

    Huh.

    The Leftists claim they want us to be like Europe, and Europe allows the citizens to buy guns without a ‘license’.

    It’s almost like Europe considers gun ownership to be a ‘right’…

    • Geoff,

      The Leftists claim they want us to be like Europe, and Europe allows the citizens to buy guns without a ‘license’.

      I am 95% confident that all European countries (with the possible exception of Switzerland) require a license to purchase/own firearms. And in many (if not most) cases, it is very difficult to acquire those licenses. And even if you acquire a license, there are almost always restrictive requirements.

      The only nation that even comes close to the situation in the United States is the Czech Republic. Beyond that, in the immortal words of the Seinfeld soup Nazi, “No soup for you!”

      • But there are different levels of licenses required. Most of these states in europe don’t throw to many blocks up for what they consider ‘sporting’ arms. Shotguns and non semi automatic rifles are not that hard to get.

        Probably on a par with NYC. It can be done.

        • jwm,

          With respect to what we would call “Fudd guns” (e.g. bolt-action rifles and break-action shotguns), even those are hard to license in most/all European countries. Owning those almost always entails one or more of the following requirements:
          — unloaded and locked in a safe when not in use
          — membership in a hunting or target shooting club
          — active annual participation in above clubs
          — psychological screenings and/or personal references
          — not allowed for self-defense even in your own home

          As bad as California, New Jersey, and New York are, even those states are better than European nations with the possible exception of the Czech Republic

        • Although Kalifornia and PRNYC have outdone anything done in Australia. Waiting periods for ammunition?

      • This is true. For example Germany requires the full gamut. Have to have a proven need (target shooting club membership or hunting, I think collecting is allowed, but still need that membership. You don’t for hunting I believe). You can store at home in most European countries. England I think requires storage at the club with the exception of shotguns.

        You do need a license in almost all of those countries. It can vary from just a few classes and a few hundred euros and possibly a few weeks in most countries to some like Germany where it can take 6 months and about 1-2k euros to get your license. Some also require a police interview and character statements from people who know you (in some cases including your employer).

        Oh and usually you need a safe. Not simply a locker or handgun vault. Handguns are also often much more difficult to get.

        Now that said, some countries, even Germany once you DO have your license, they are pretty chill about you buying guns. How many you buy. How often you buy them and to a lesser degree what you can buy. There are different categories per EU requirements, but a number of countries they generally have 3 licenses. A hunting license which allows access to fudd guns. A target shooting license which allows access to most stuff (but usually not semi-automatic rifles) and a collectors license which allows access to most old guns. They sometimes have a 4th tier for semi-automatic rifles that is highly restrictive to get.

        My own state requires licensing to buy handguns. Training class, live scan fingerprints and about a 2 week wait to get said license. Then once you DO have the license, a 7 day wait after purchasing the firearm for yet ANOTHER state background check and then you can pick it up. Most states if you’ve got a CC license it is nearly cash and carry. My state effectively does not issue concealed carry licenses.

        I know several people who ran in to that trying to run out and buy a handgun the last couple of weeks. Fortunately I had mine, so when I wanted to trade up one of my old C&R handguns for a LE G21 I just had to deal with the butt pain of a 7 day wait even though I have licenses out the wazoo (BTW, thanks Clinton for making it impossible for me to have a kitchen table FFL-01). Mostly my wife doesn’t like guns, but COVID is making her lighten up about it so it was a convenient excuse to buy a gun I’ve been wanting for awhile (I have a G17 already).

        FFLs around me are basically out of shotguns. Moderate inventory of rifles (though most stuff that goes bang with every trigger pull is sold out). Handgun inventory mostly fine. Because probably 80% of those rushing out to buy guns are first time gun buyers who cannot buy a handgun (Every place I am aware of that does handgun training class has stopped offering them and most fingerprint live scan places have also shuttered for now).

        • Went to my LGS yesterday and was pretty impressed with what they had in stock. Quite a bit, actually, pistols, revolvers, shotguns and ARs. Not their usual level of new and used (and parts), but not bare, either. In fact, my friend picked up a G43. The local Academy has a lot, as well, but a ton of traffic and three-deep at the counter last weekend, so that may have changed.

        • This is a mixed truth with a lot of American boomer falsehoods that can easily be remedied with research.
          Shotgun certificates in the UK are easy to get and dirt cheap. This is out right bullshit in the case of Austria. Fudd guns require no license in Austria.

          “Category C includes repeating, revolving and break-action rifles, break-action shotguns and projectile firing electroshock weapons
          Category C Edit
          Any non-prohibited Austrian citizen over 18 can buy firearms from categories C without permit after three-day background check. They need to be registered six weeks after acquisition. Law requires owner to provide good reason during registration. Good reasons according to law are: self-defense at home, hunting, sport shooting and collection[3]. There is no limit on number of category C weapons that one can possess.”
          Other than a registry and them asking why you bought it, you are less impeded than many residents in the US are.

          Monaco requires no licensing for hunting type weapons

          Serbia has the 2nd highest firearm ownership per capita on the planet. There is obviously no road blocks to ownership there. Although a “permit” is required, it’s more so like a background check stateside for a ccw permit. It’s arguably less stringent than Czech requirements. The downside is that carry is highly restricted, unlike the Czechs.

          Belarus is another really relatively profirearm nation.

          As someone else said above, guns are not that hard to come by legally. The process is typically closer to being between a NYC / foid type deal or a free state’s ccw test and process, with the exception that a lot of countries require a hunting license, hunting club, or shooting club membership (which you need anyway for a range) in order to be approved. Some Europeans have it better than ban state Americans.

      • Switzerland requires a background check from the post office once every 90 days. It gives a holder the ability to buy either 3 of calibers of ammo, 3 guns, or a combination. Ammo storage in the home is all but forbidden, so no home defense. Handguns are next to impossible to get. Speeding tickets ban you from buying a gun.

  3. I believe the license free guns he was talking about are non-lethal, kind of like paintball guns.

    • There are a few European countries that are pretty chill about muzzleloaders. I the Czech Republic, anyone over 18 can own and even carry front stuffers that are one or two shot without a license.

  5. They actually have a market for guns that only shoot rubber bullets? That’s a seriously desperate scenario. As I search for gun laws in Hungary, I find they cannot own guns that are equal or superior to the military. Not even the police can. They can own semiauto guns and take them to a range or forest but the gun must be taken apart and secured in the vehicle during transport.

    Seems they have forgotten the lessons of World War 2.

  7. I read the article. I’m not sure what a “rubber bullet gun” is? Or a gas piston gun?
    I guess this is what you have available to you when your nation does not have a second amendment.
    I do know however that the standard BB gun available in America is a Lethal Weapon. People hunt and kill small game with them. Including pellet guns. I don’t know about Hungary, but I know in America you can purchase a pellet machine gun.
    No tax stamp required. A 25 round magazine of pellets at full auto going into a burglar. I would imagine would deter any person from continuing their attack or Invasion on your home.

    • I literally just shot a rabbit with one less than half an hour ago. Bugger had been chewing on my ornamental bushes into oblivion over the past week, and I finally spotted him as I woke up this morning.

      • you posted,
        “After I finally spotted it upon waking up and sending it to the hereafter with my .22LR…”
        so, which is it?
        i own dianas in .177 and .22. i’d say up to coyote they’d be effective. i have taken skunk and marsupial down with them.
        a rabbit should go tumbling ass over tea kettle.

        • better reload. no such thing as one bunny.
          if you spray the bushes with capsicum they should be safe.

        • You’re correct. There were two I could see near each other, and hopefully the other one got the message when he saw his pal Fred go down in flames. Perfect head shot – mercifully quick and sent ‘ol Fred a-tumbling.

          I’ve been spraying the bushes at night with a light mist of that stuff that deters cats from scratching your furniture. Seems to work, but the damage was already done and the buggers are/were still hanging out in the yard.

        • Whenever I dispatch any vermin (ground squirrel, rabbit, raccoon), I walk over a nearby hill a couple hundred yards from my house and deposit the carcass on a well-worn coyote trail. It’s usually gone by sunset. This is why I always prefer a quick shot instead of poison traps.

        • Would that be jackrabbit? Never et one o’ them rangy critters. Eastern cottontail is what my recipe calls for.

        • fyi to everyone
          I looked it up. And I’m very surprised just how much hunting is done with BB and pellet guns. It seems pest removal and invasive species hunting are big activities for this type of Arm. They definitely fall under the 2A as far as I’m concerned. Especially since Lewis and Clark used an air rifle 200 years ago!!!
          (smile)

        • still curious as to whether haz brought the demon down with .22lr or .22 spring piston.

    • Rubber bullet guns are what the sound like; they shoot dense rubber bullets that are on par with most paintball guns. A gas pistol is pretty much a starter pistol that fires a pepper spray like substance.

      • Rubber bullet guns may be the same guns used by law enforcement for training. A couple of weeks back during a Citizens Police Academy class. We did an Active shooter Force on Force drill and Room Clearing Drill. Using Glock style 9mm pistols. That loaded and operated just like regular pistols. Except they only shot a rubber ball. They cost almost as much as a regular Glock and the rounds are about 80 cents each. An AR-15 can be converted to shoot the same rubber balls by changing out the BCG.

  8. “If people brawl over toilet paper now, what will they do later?” This is exactly why I’m keeping a rifle loaded at home and have added an extra mag to my edc.
    I wish that anyone in the world that feels the need to tool up for self defense has the opportunity to do so.

    Not sure if I posted here but my wife witnessed an incident during the first days of panic buying. A fat middle age woman with a cart full yelling at an old man because he had the last two cans of soup(all he found to purchase). Staff at the store threatened to kick her out and that’s when she realized the vultures were starting to circle her full shopping cart.

    • Yes, that’s my concern as well. The panic pump has been primed, and if/when a second wave of outbreak happens – coupled with all the newly unemployed who have an added layer of desperation – things may get even worse. Tomorrow will mark three full weeks since I’ve seen any toilet paper in any of the stores I’ve rotated through to check. Everyone’s still hogging whatever they can find.

      Mark my words, everyone, this “helicopter money” coming out way – needed as it may be for the moment – will force a burst of inflation beginning later this year. Not sure about the siren calls of hyperinflation (though the minimum threshold for that definition is only a doubling of prices annually for three years in a row), but inflation for sure.

      I think we as a nation will get over the hump thru Summer, but the fiscal effects will come around to bite us soon afterward, and we’ll all be having a much different conversation a year from now.

        • Downunder sporting events started to get canceled over a month ago. My son was to compete in Little Athletics NSW championship. It was canceled the Friday before. Rugby League has been played to empty stadiums and the season is suspended. Sporting Shooters Association of Australia closed their ranges last Sunday. National Rifle Association Australia (target shooting body) closed all their ranges on Wednesday until further notice. All school sports are canceled. Even swimming pools have closed. Several states have closed their borders.

          So the chances of college football getting suspended or canceled are very high.

      • Haz,

        The $2T in the corona panic package frightens me:

        First, because it probably is double that. We all know how fabulously well our government does in hiding pork.

        Second, where is the money coming from? Looks like it will not be debt, but newly e-printed currency, the kind Ocasio-Cortez has been promoting in Modern Monetary Theory.

        Third, this new money is an artificial prop for equities. Equity value is already dis-engaged from profits and prospects; a flood of fiat dollars will inevitably inflate equity values beyond rationalization; in other words, it prolongs and inflates the bubble under which the stock markets have been living.

        Fourth, the rapid inflation you cited. Rapid, high inflation causes poverty for those whose incomes cannot keep up.

        The people running the country and the economy seem to think trillions of free dollars will cure our economy of the Covid panic’s damage. The cure scares the heck out of me.

  9. Anyone catch 60 Minutes on Sunday?? They did a hit piece on Hungary. It seems they want more actual Hungarians instead of Moose-lim hoards.Paying heterosexual couples to have children. Imagine that! And they were practically called Nazis by the 60 Mini-nut’s. Like the Czechs or Poland. When all you have is a farm implement rubber boo-lits look pretty good😏

    • Hungary is in the forefront of the nationalist movement in Europe, much the same as when they pioneered a capitalist economy while behind the Iron Curtain. I was there. It was a marvelous sight to see.

        • Haz,

          I spent a few weeks in Hungary in 1983. They had recently gotten approval from Russia’s Communist Party to experiment with capitalism, as long as the country remained socially communist and politically loyal to Russia.

          Vaci Ut (one of the main boulevards in Budapest) had been transformed into a beautiful pedestrian walkway with shops and cafe’s on either side. This is where the capitalists and tourists hung out. Many of the side streets were still dreary, awaiting attention. Some of the shops on Vaci Ut were no bigger than large closets, but the owners were proud and doing all they could to attract customers. There were people on the street offering to change money. I remember declining one such offer saying “I am only a guest here and do not want to do anything illegal”. The money change laughed and said “Everything is illegal here, but no one is stopping us now-a-days”. I still declined.

          One striking example of capitalism: we stopped in a large open-air cafe’. There were probably 80-100 tables. Most of the servers were moving slowly and completely inattentive to their customers. Someone at at adjoining table explained (in a thick accent): “They get paid the same amount whether they take care of you or not. The are not rated on how well they do their job”. There were, however, a very few servers who were scurrying like crazy, moving so fast it was hard to get their attention. These were the people who realized that tourists and business people would tip well for good service. They were willing to work hard for that extra cash. It amazed me that the other, sluggish servers were not as equally motivated. I managed to get one of the speedy waiter’s attention by holding up my wallet, taking out some cash, and putting it on the table. After that, we received good service.

          I like to walk, and took long walks (while carrying a map), outside of the tourist areas. There seemed to be two classes of shops: those that were modernizing, attempting to be more ‘western’ and those that simply were doing as they had always done under Soviet rule. The western-leaning shops were easy to spot: bright lights, enthusiastic hand-written signs (I do not read Hungarian, but presumably, they were advertising daily specials and new products) and vibrant window displays. The western-leaning shops seemed always to be busy. Not so much for the planned-economy shops.

          It was interesting to see older people walking home from the market with a cabbage and a loaf of bread under their arms; no shopping bags. On that same sidewalk, fashionable dressed, younger people who seemed more in a hurry, more purposeful.

          In the train stations, everywhere, there were soldiers in red jackets carrying automatic weapons. Always stern-looking, they were clearly vigilant. But they never seemed to stop anyone. It seemed a reminder that this is still the Soviet Union.

          In general, the people who were exploring a new economy seemed hopeful, happy, and energetic. Those who were unwilling to change seemed to move slowly, seemed isolated, and depressed. The contrast was stark and was everywhere apparent. I came home from that trip appreciating capitalism and our Constitution more than ever; I knew we had something that we must fight to protect.

        • Lifesavor, I really enjoyed your write-up of your trip to Hungary. What we really need in this country is an educational system that teaches our young the truth about socialism and how it eventually leads to communism. Workers who have no incentives to work hard, will only just put on a show of working. The system encourages corruption.

        • Yes, that’s a fascinating snapshot of hope vs. despair and opportunity vs. oppression. Would that we all could discern the difference. Thanks for sharing it.

  10. If She were president we would be offering sanctuary to all the worlds sick with free medical care. Especially our friends down south. Canadians use our health care system extensively now to bypass their crappy free system with it’s regs and restrictions.

    And She would have gone for a EO banning guns in many ways from sale to carry. Because we can’t have people armed when there is a crisis. She would have moved for sure if anything was left of the 2A and her court picks would back her. Martial law is just fine with them, it fits their narrative.

    It’s scary to imagine what we would be in right now if She won. Think about what happens if Joe wins in November because China will be off the hook entirely and we’ll see what really happens when the Dems get a crisis to act with. Right now we are looking at a movement to bring it back to the USA that has legs and fangs. Even the MBAs get the message. Despite the crater which is the economy this month I see the US emerging stronger than ever provided we don’t turn the country over to the progressives.

    • ~she.~
      (shudder).
      how can one tiny word be so horrifying?
      i hope i live long enough to throw a few “deceased” parties. the list is extensive, i offer no apologies.
      there will be explosions and moon howling.

    • As in “She Who Shall Not Be Named”?

      I think “She” is gone from the political scene now. She’s not even considered a “kingmaker”, like Sarah Palin was for a short while. Not much influence anymore.

      • If Joe Biden is the best the Democrats can come up with, she will be there lurking in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to pounce. They might have her be Joe’s running mate hoping that if they win the election they can use the 25th Amendment to remove tired old Joe and make her president.

        • Joe Biden is only a sacrificial lamb for the use of the party, the dems don’t expect to beat Trump, but must offer a candidate. The real battle will be for congress, don’t forget congress makes all legislation and really holds the purse strings. If they succeed in taking congress this year they will hamstring Trump and make a democrat win in 2024 easier. Vote, and vote wisely !

    • If Joe were to win (I don’t think he will), he would be bullied around by every lefty with an agenda in DC, much the way Weasel I mean Schumer was bullied by Nancy earlier this week. Every pet SJW project and every commie that had Joe’s ear would be pushing him toward moving that pet project forward, and it would run hell-bent-for-leather until everything broke down. Either that, or Republicans would fight and resist everything, much the way they’ve tried to stop Trump (it’s a miracle he has accomplished as much as he has) Say what you will about Joe Biden, he was once a pretty sharp-witted, savvy politician who knew how to play the game and at least knew what he was about and made somewhat calculated moves. That’s not now. There’s something off about him now, they’re just propping him up and pushing him toward November. “Just hang on til November, Joe! You can do it! Here, drink this!” He is in *no* shape to lead, so the question would become “who *would* lead?” That’s scarier than Joe, and at least Hillary was the devil we (thought we) knew.

      • ” Joe Biden, he was once a pretty sharp-witted, savvy politician ”

        No. No. Just… No. Take it from a Delawarean. Joe Biden has always been a dim-witted goofball. The key to his success has always been his total cluelessness. He was a good, faithful bagman for all sorts of special interests — Wall Street, mostly — and so totally lacking any kind of moral compass that nothing was ever out of the question.

        I will give him this, though — he was a good politician. Once he was bought, he stayed bought.

    • Bad for guns but if “she” were president I bet should would have been smart enough to not spend 2 months dicking around waiting for “the flu” to hit while lying to the country about how prepared we are.

      Well, she probably would have lied about that too to be honest.

      • One( ex) high level democrat implied that the democratic PARTY knew of the covid-19 virus in the first week of November, Said so on MSNBC two weeks ago. I was impressed that the party was well ahead of the ChiCom doctors. This official was a big shot in obummer administration, something to do with health and welfare. Rachel maddow show.

  11. In the US, at least in Dallas and Cincinnati, the police have blatantly told the citizens “You’re on your own.”

    • Of course, that only means they won’t protect you. But if you take steps to actively protect yourself you’re definitely NOT on your own, at least not until they throw you into a concrete box. Bastard hypocrites

  12. Doesn’t matter how many weapons you have. Doesn’t matter how much ammo you have. If things got that bad, your stuff will be taken from you eventually. Remember, the bad guys will have weapons too.

    • So what’s your point? Put your hands up and surrender your family’s food and supplies just like that? You don’t think a group of thieves will be dissuaded after seeing the first one or two of them shot? You wouldn’t do everything possible to protect your family to the last?

        • Already have one, thank you ‘bruh’. Been there 20+ years, but the entire company was shut down for a month thanks to Governor Newsom’s “Safer At Home” edict that has shut down over half of all businesses. The street on which my employer is located has less than 25% of all buildings open for business…the rest of us are locked down until the third week of April.

          So in addition to catching up on yard projects and taking my daily jogs/runs, I’m available to check in on TTAG more frequently for the duration. You’re welcome.

          Hope you and your family are all safe – and currently employed.

  14. After centuries of dynastic rule, then decades of fascist and communist rule, and now autocratic internationalist rule, does anyone really expect European nations to allow their citizens the means of self-defense?

    James Madison was proud of “the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation”, calling it “a barrier against the enterprises of ambition.”

    Europe has never had any barrier against the enterprise of ambition. We’ve always been better than them. We always will be.

  16. Most European gun laws are virtually the same, at least the EU member countries, which is to say they are much more like Canadian laws. A minimum of two training classes needed to own any long gun or ammunition. 3 courses, background checks, mandatory membership at a range, daily national Police checks; any interaction by a lic. Holder with law enforcement for any reason is flagged and looked at, including traffic stops and calls for service. Absolutely NO concealed or open carry of handguns. Pistols & restricted long arms (AR’s for example) cannot be used ANYWHERE but a properly certified gun range. Firearms cannot be used for self defence in any real sense. Shooting someone regardless of how justified or appropriate WILL result in your arrest and charges of homicide. Safe storage mandatory for guns and ammo at home; a gun at your bedside is illegal, full stop. Transport of handguns, mandatory trigger lock, in an opaque locked had side storage box, shortest most direct route to the range…many more nuances, but that’s the gist. In Europe that would for the most part be considered the minimum. Britain is MUCH more rigid; it’s virtually impossible for even a Police Officer to own a handgun.
    This….”standard” is Much more the norm worldwide than the American standard. Even in the most restrictive States in the Union, the total “package” surrounding gun ownership issues. I cannot think of ONE country in the entire world, developed, undeveloped…first world or third world, that has anything even approximating the freedoms enjoyed in the U.S. There is not one, single gun owner in any other country in the world who could honestly say they do not have some degree of envy of our American friends freedoms as they relate to firearms ownership and use. In times like the world is facing now, when a single bad judgement of one of our leaders could easily and realistically mean the difference between remaining a first world, industrialized nation with a high standard of living, or backsliding a hundred and fifty years in our society. It scares the crap out of me, and one of the primary reason I own guns in Canada, as onerous as it is to obtain them. I WILL protect my loved ones first and foremost; the legal implications are a secondary consideration. I cannot adequately DO that Without owning firearms. I will continue to comply with the laws of Canada; break into my home, try to invade my home, harm my family? ALL bets are off

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