"Nope, Sverige has gun laws roughly comparable to, say, New Jersey."
"Pretty much like Norway. The same applies here."
As far as registration and permissions there are similarities. But when it comes to gun culture, I think there are some differences. Although I have actually been to New Jersey, I don't know anything about the local gun culture except what I have picked up around here or other gun related web sites. I think shooting sports and hunting is more accepted here. And I think it is easier for a Norwegian to buy for example an "assault" rifle with a 14 inch barrel and standard capacity magazines. And you don't have to ask anyone for permission if you decide to cut a couple of inches off the barrel and/or put a suppressor on it. And we don't have any silly laws on where you can go with your guns. If you are legally transporting your guns (unloaded in a case or bag) and you for some reason have to stop at a public building like a school or courthouse or whatever, you are actually required to bring the guns inside - it is illegal to leave them unattended in your car.
Norway is no gun- paradise. Faaar from it.
Anyone looking for Paradise on Earth will be disappointed. There are a lot of things that could be better in Norway, gun related and otherwise. But it isn't all that bad either, and we have to be careful about complaining and bitching too much. Things are not perfect, but that's the case everywhere else as well. Generally Norway is a better place to live than just about anywhere else in the world. Personally, I could probably move pretty much anywhere in world, at least temporarily, if I had an interesting job offer or other reason to go. But I do not feel the need to go anywhere, and that includes the US, in order to gain personal freedom. I'm not saying that Norway is better than the US, but we're not any worse either. We are somewhat less than perfect in slightly different ways. I tend to try to make a point of the positive things in my posts, because if I did the opposite, all those 'murricans would just find justification in their belief that all Europeans are a bunch of oppressed communists, and that certainly aint true. Which brings me to:
Thundercleese: Sweden (or Scandinavia in general) isn't nearly as socialist as most Americans think. Yes, Scandinavians pay a bit more tax than Americans, but not that much more. And if you think taxes are immoral, it doesn't really matter whether you pay 25 or 35 or 45 per cent, does it? That would be like saying it is better do die from cholera than to die from the plague. We are capitalists - Scandinavians have the highest standard of living in the world - even
after we have paid our taxes. You can say whatever you like about socialist countries, but they do not have a high standard of living.
CWL: Switzerland does not have mandatory gun ownership, they have mandatory military service, like a number of other European countries. The reservists keep their gear, including personal weapons, at home. So does the militia/home guard/national guard of a few other countries. Those guns are govt. property. As far as civilian gun ownership in Switzerland is concerned, I think their laws are among the best in Europe, but there is still licencing and registration, and the Swiss being Swiss, they are probably running a tight ship in that department as they do with everything else. Very orderly and organized people, the Swiss. In places like Switzerland and Scandinavia, we are not as concerned about that as you Americans might think. We tend to trust our governments. Not because we are stupid or brainwashed, but because we have had very good experience with the consept of government by the people, for the people for the past couple of centuries, and we keep our politicians on a pretty tight leash. We are not worried about black helicopters, and in my humble opinion we have no reason to be, not as far as our own governments of today are concerned anyway. The future, and foreign enemies, al-Qaida, communist dictatorships and the like, may be a different question.
longeyes: I haven't seen that film, so I can't answer your question. But film makers being what they are, you can probably assume that they know about as much about guns as their colleagues in Hollywood.
Ah, another VLBP (Very Long and Boring Post). But it's a free world, sort of. If you've read this far, you have only yourself to blame.