Portugal, a country of 10.5 million people, has 1.5 registered firearms with 5,000 new licenses issue last year.
According to data from the Department of Arms and Explosives which comes under the Public Security Police, the vast majority of these licensed weapons are of the types used for shooting animals.
The PSP’s Hugo Palma said that most of the 4,792 permits issued to private individuals, related to hunting weapons.
In 2015, only 515 of the 4,792 new licenses were issued for the first time, with the remaining going to people who already owned weapons but an astonishing number of firearms were bought and sold in Portugal last year, 45,530 according to PSP records.
Comments
The figures fail to make sense to me too. I was hoping for some expert opinion. I don't see how the PSP knows there were 45,000 sales yet only 515 new permits....
1.5 million firearms in Portugal are held with just 5,000'ish annually renewed licenced gun holders? Each one owning an average of 300 guns each and between them trading 45,000 firearms each year ?
So this confirms what so many expats have suspected - that there is a hidden army - as with the Swiss Defence Force, with tens of thousands of citizens issued with lifetime permits to hold firearms. No need for annual renewal of the gun licence. Entire Regiments ready to spring into action when the call goes out "Pink Map has landed". Ooops - clumsy me - what have I just started ?