Swiss court denies James Bond fan a silencer

Solothurn court denies James Bond fan a silencer Keystone-SDA

A James Bond fan and gun collector from the canton of Solothurn has been refused a silencer. His love of the films was not deemed sufficient grounds for an exemption.

The man wanted to fit his Walther PPK pistol – familiar from the James Bond films – with a suitable silencer, as the Solothurn Administrative Court noted in a recently published judgement. In support of his application, the gun owner stated that he was a great fan of the famous spy films.

He already owned a gun of the same design as that used by the famous British spy. He now wished to purchase the appropriate accessory, as James Bond also fires with a silencer on the big screen, after all.

No recognised collection

The cantonal firearms office and the relevant department rejected the application. The film fan challenged this decision in court, citing his alleged hobby as a collector. He argued that, amongst other things, he collected film props and required the accessory to complement his hobby. He also argued subsequently that he needed the silencer for specific shooting training sessions.

However, the Solothurn judges did not accept this line of argument. Simply because someone accumulates numerous weapons does not make them a recognised collector within the meaning of the law. This requires a clear historical, technical or cultural purpose. A purely subjective enthusiasm for a cinema character is definitely not sufficient for this.

Safety comes before a love of films

Under Swiss firearms legislation, silencers are generally considered prohibited accessories. They reduce the noise of a gunshot and could thus make the work of law enforcement agencies in investigating crimes significantly more difficult. Exceptions are therefore handled extremely restrictively.

The court concluded that the public interest in safety outweighs the man’s private desire to own a weapon exactly as it appears in the film. The James Bond fan must now not only forgo his accessory but also pay court costs of CHF800 ($968). It is possible to appeal the ruling to the Federal Supreme Court.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.