Steven Mace
05-13-2002, 09:12 PM
Gun Manufacturers in Germany Facing Tough Times
By Carsten Germis
BERLIN. These are unsettling times for German hunting and sports gun manufacturers and dealers. Wolfgang Fuchs of the National Association of Gunsmiths and Arms Dealers in Marburg fears that the tougher gun laws planned in the wake of the Erfurt school killings could mean the end for some of the 1,200 registered dealers.
"Many already complain about falling revenues. Tougher laws can only make customers that much more uncertain -- and dissuade them from buying," Mr. Fuchs says. The domestic market for weapons has been stagnant since the mid-1990s, he adds. The industry experienced an upturn after German unification, with production increasing by 70 percent between 1990 and 1994. Since then, however, it has returned to 1990 levels.
Overall economic stagnation, of course, is one of the reasons weapons manufacturers sell an ever smaller portion of their production in Germany, Mr. Fuchs says. After all, a new hunting gun costs at least euro 2,500 ($2,285) to euro 3,000 and a particularly fine model with engraving can cost up to euro 25,000. In times of economic difficulty, the money is often not there.
Mr. Fuchs also attributes weak domestic demand to uncertainty among the 1.5 million sport shooters and some 400,000 hunters. Since the Erfurt massacre, he sees himself confronted with a discussion he thinks is running in the wrong direction. "It is possession of illegal, not legal weapons that is the problem," he says.
Mr. Fuchs views the illegal arms market as the beneficiary of political attempts to stem legal trade through regulation and discrimination against "the law-abiding and trustworthy lawful owners of firearms. Evildoers don't buy weapons legally," he says.
Gun dealers point to the strict conditions already imposed on hunters and sport shooters. For example, before buying a small caliber weapon, sports marksmen must undergo regular training on a club-owned weapon and participate in club-sponsored competitions for at least six months. Only then may they apply to take a proficiency exam administered by government and club officials.
Having passed the test and with the club's certificate in hand, the sport shooter then is allowed to apply for an official permit to own a gun that will only be issued to him if he has no criminal record. And, if the sportsman or -woman buys a weapon, he or she must register the purchase for the arms permit within 14 days.
The 1,200 dealers are not the only people who depend on sales to hunters and sportsmen. Industry suppliers and tradesmen account for about 100,000 jobs, says Klaus Gotzen, managing director of the Association of Hunting and Sports Weapons and Ammunition Manufacturers. Besides guns and ammunition, sport shooting also involves special apparel -- from head to toe.
The 5,000 people employed making guns in Germany have less to fear from tougher laws. Sales to domestic dealers already account for only a small part of their production. "We export a good 80 to 85 percent of the sports and hunting guns we make today," Mr. Gotzen says.
Because of the high reputation of German quality, the United States is a major importer, he says. He puts the value of production in 2001 at about euro 155 million.
Nowadays, most gun production is located in southern Germany. Before 1945, the Thuringian cities Suhl and Zella-Mehlis were the center of German hunting and sports gun production. After the end of World War II, some of the best known firms moved to the west.
Gun manufacturing is concentrated around Ulm, along the Rhön river and in Oberndorf on the Neckar. For example, H. Krieghoff, a leading maker of sports and hunting guns, has its headquarters in Ulm along with such giants of the industry as J.G. Anschütz and Carl Walther.
May 13
http://www.faz.com/IN/INtemplates/eFAZ/docmain.asp?rub={B1311FCC-FBFB-11D2-B228-00105A9CAF88}&doc={470058C7-F60A-497A-BA8C-029578ED46FD}
Steve Mace
By Carsten Germis
BERLIN. These are unsettling times for German hunting and sports gun manufacturers and dealers. Wolfgang Fuchs of the National Association of Gunsmiths and Arms Dealers in Marburg fears that the tougher gun laws planned in the wake of the Erfurt school killings could mean the end for some of the 1,200 registered dealers.
"Many already complain about falling revenues. Tougher laws can only make customers that much more uncertain -- and dissuade them from buying," Mr. Fuchs says. The domestic market for weapons has been stagnant since the mid-1990s, he adds. The industry experienced an upturn after German unification, with production increasing by 70 percent between 1990 and 1994. Since then, however, it has returned to 1990 levels.
Overall economic stagnation, of course, is one of the reasons weapons manufacturers sell an ever smaller portion of their production in Germany, Mr. Fuchs says. After all, a new hunting gun costs at least euro 2,500 ($2,285) to euro 3,000 and a particularly fine model with engraving can cost up to euro 25,000. In times of economic difficulty, the money is often not there.
Mr. Fuchs also attributes weak domestic demand to uncertainty among the 1.5 million sport shooters and some 400,000 hunters. Since the Erfurt massacre, he sees himself confronted with a discussion he thinks is running in the wrong direction. "It is possession of illegal, not legal weapons that is the problem," he says.
Mr. Fuchs views the illegal arms market as the beneficiary of political attempts to stem legal trade through regulation and discrimination against "the law-abiding and trustworthy lawful owners of firearms. Evildoers don't buy weapons legally," he says.
Gun dealers point to the strict conditions already imposed on hunters and sport shooters. For example, before buying a small caliber weapon, sports marksmen must undergo regular training on a club-owned weapon and participate in club-sponsored competitions for at least six months. Only then may they apply to take a proficiency exam administered by government and club officials.
Having passed the test and with the club's certificate in hand, the sport shooter then is allowed to apply for an official permit to own a gun that will only be issued to him if he has no criminal record. And, if the sportsman or -woman buys a weapon, he or she must register the purchase for the arms permit within 14 days.
The 1,200 dealers are not the only people who depend on sales to hunters and sportsmen. Industry suppliers and tradesmen account for about 100,000 jobs, says Klaus Gotzen, managing director of the Association of Hunting and Sports Weapons and Ammunition Manufacturers. Besides guns and ammunition, sport shooting also involves special apparel -- from head to toe.
The 5,000 people employed making guns in Germany have less to fear from tougher laws. Sales to domestic dealers already account for only a small part of their production. "We export a good 80 to 85 percent of the sports and hunting guns we make today," Mr. Gotzen says.
Because of the high reputation of German quality, the United States is a major importer, he says. He puts the value of production in 2001 at about euro 155 million.
Nowadays, most gun production is located in southern Germany. Before 1945, the Thuringian cities Suhl and Zella-Mehlis were the center of German hunting and sports gun production. After the end of World War II, some of the best known firms moved to the west.
Gun manufacturing is concentrated around Ulm, along the Rhön river and in Oberndorf on the Neckar. For example, H. Krieghoff, a leading maker of sports and hunting guns, has its headquarters in Ulm along with such giants of the industry as J.G. Anschütz and Carl Walther.
May 13
http://www.faz.com/IN/INtemplates/eFAZ/docmain.asp?rub={B1311FCC-FBFB-11D2-B228-00105A9CAF88}&doc={470058C7-F60A-497A-BA8C-029578ED46FD}
Steve Mace