Gun laws in Gylias

Gun laws in Gylias are among the strictest in Tyran. The law forbids possession of firearms or weapons, with very few exceptions. Shooting sports are extremely rare, while hunting is severely restricted by animal welfare laws.

Gun laws reflect the strong taboo against use of weapons in Gylias, which plays a role in Gylias' low crime rate. The taboo is reinforced by the unreal depiction of firearms in popular culture, which has prevented the emergence of a gun culture.

Overview

There is no right to own weapons in Gylias. Firearms are seen as a threat to the public peace, while the Civil Code and Penal Code do not recognise private property, rejecting the idea of firearms as something used to defend property against others.

Licensing procedure

A person needs a firearm license to possess or use a firearm. License holders must demonstrate a "genuine reason" for holding a license (self-defense or hunting do not qualify), and must pass extensive background checks.

To own a license, a person must not have a criminal record or links to extremist groups, pass mental health and drugs tests, register firearms by serial number, and pass gun safety classes and tests.

The Gylian Police maintain a register of weapons, and have sweeping powers to search and seize weapons. A firearm owner must notify police at all times where firearm and ammunition are stored — separately and under lock and key — and submit to firearm inspections once a year.

A firearm license lasts two years, after which it is necessary to take the gun safety course and pass tests again to be renewed.

Numerous weapons are outright illegal to possess, including pistols, assault rifles, semi-automatic rifles, grenades, rocket launchers, and handguns. The main weapons permitted are airsoft guns and air rifles.

Arms distribution

The number of gun shops in Gylias is restricted by law. Only one is allowed per region. Purchasing a firearm requires a license, police permission, details of secure storage arrangements, and two character references.

Cartridges for firearms can only be bought by returning spent cartridges bought on the previous visit.

Shooting ranges are mainly reserved for Gylian Self-Defense Forces and weapons training for law enforcement. After practice, all bullet casings must be accounted for before anybody is allowed to leave the facility.

Many regional governments operate buyback and amnesty programs, encouraging the surrendering of weapons. Surrendered weapons are destroyed.

Law enforcement

While the Gylian Police and Popular Guards receive weapons training, they are only issued weapons in the event of an emergency.

Standard police policy emphasises de-escalation and use of non-violent solutions. It is common for police to train in martial arts.

In popular culture

The most frequently cited reason for holding a license outside of GSDF membership is filmmaking. Firearms are allowed to fire blanks for filmmaking or re-enacting. Actors handling them must obtain a license and a trained weapons specialist must be present at all times.

Weapons are depicted in popular culture, almomst always in outlandish and quixotic ways, while respecting safety rules and practice. This follows the common view that it is preferable to depict fictional infractions than commit real ones. The fantastical depiction of weapons reinforces the taboo by making them look strange and divorced from reality.

Notable depictions of weapons in popular culture include the films of Meiko Kaji and Chikageki, and various video games.

One device is to humorously turn firearms into metaphors for sexuality. The technique was arguably inspired by the personality of Ann Harman, Gylias' first defense minister, and partly fellow cabinet minister Sweetie Letise. Examples include The Beaties' "Happiness Is a Warm Gun", the Kleptechne franchise, and the animated series Agent Jane and Le recueil des faits improbables de Ryōko Yakushiji.