On a recent hunting trip to Germany, I came across what can only be called the Deutschland equivalent of Cabela’s. Frankonia was stocked with everything one would expect from a European sporting goods store. Classic shooting stools, brass hunter’s horns and loden wool hats and garments were plentiful. Also plentiful were guns, including guns I really did not expect to see in Germany such as a Norinco SKS that, at €249 ($272) was even a decent price.
They were a lot prouder of AR-15 rifles where a DPMS GII Hunter that has a US suggested retail price of $1,699 was listed at €2,499 ($2,729), but hey, they had AR-15s! In addition to traditional drillings, shotguns and bolt-action sporting rifles there were handguns including Glocks, Walthers, HKs and even a CZ RAMI like the one I reviewed here previously. There were several milsurp rifles that Marky would appreciate and even a rack of muzzleloaders.
There are several flaming (and on-going) hoops you have to jump through to own a gun in Germany, but it is possible. Not all gun owners are created equally, though, as there are several levels ranging from sport shooter to gun collector that determine how many and what kind of guns you can own. Bottom line—Germany and Frankonia were nice to visit, but there were two Ruger AR556 rifles waiting for me when I got home and all I had to do to get them was write a check.
Scott Mayer
www.tacticaltshirts.com
www.john1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
In 2008, Mayer returned to the editorial side of publishing, this time in the digital field, as Editorial Director for Guns & Ammo, Shooting Times, Handguns and Rifleshooter online magazines. After a brief stint in 2011 as the Digital Media Director for an ABC TV affiliate, Mayer returned to the outdoors industry and Safari Club International where he is currently Assistant Publisher and Multi-Media Communications Editor.
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