The number of young people participating in so-called “Jungschützen” [junior rifle] courses to learn how to shoot has risen from 7,000 in 2015 to 10,079 in 2017, according to figures from Swiss Shooting, an association representing Swiss sports shooters, cited in an article in Sunday’s Aargauer ZeitungExternal link.
The courses are designed for teenagers aged 15-20 to prepare them for their call-up to the militia army.
The federal authorities contribute towards the training. Last year, it handed over 10,585 army assault rifles and 930,000 rounds of free ammunition to gun clubs, the paper reported. Defence ministry support to junior rifle courses amounted to CHF862,000. A further CHF65,000 goes towards the training of junior rifle leaders.
The rise in young shooters is thought to be linked to a change in the law in 2016, when the minimum age for participants in this army preparation course was reduced from 17 to 15.
Some clubs in Switzerland offer shooting courses to children as young as 8-10. Newcomers start with air pistols and rifles shooting over 10 metres. During 300-metre shooting practice, they can try out an army assault rifle at a range.
Switzerland’s gun laws and high rates of gun ownership reflect the country’s deep-seated belief in the right to bear arms and the needs of its militia army. Shooting clubs are also popular. The Swiss Shooting association, one of the country’s biggest sports associations, has 133,000 members.
Today, Switzerland has among the highest gun ownership rates per capita among Western countries. It is thought that around two million are in circulation.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss gun fans blast EU-Schengen restrictions
This content was published on
A “light” version of the new European Union gun directive aimed at tightening firearms regulations has got Swiss gun fans hot under the collar.
This content was published on
Switzerland’s gun laws and high rates of gun ownership reflect the country’s deep-seated belief in the right to bear arms.
This content was published on
Every September, Zurich teenagers prove their marksmanship skills in a target shooting competition dating back to the 16th century.
This content was published on
Every year some 150,000 people take part in the three-day national target-shooting competition – advertised as “the biggest shooting festival in the world” – at 650 shooting clubs and open-air events like the ones in Seengen or Staffelbach, the two small towns featured in this essay. The tradition, which dates back to the 19th century…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.