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February 22, 2018

(PBS NEWSHOUR) — Photo caption: Adin Chistian, left, a student at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is seen embracing his mother Denyse in front of the crosses and Stars of David placed along a fence of the school to commemorate the victims of last week’s shooting.

By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews – Correspondent

Some of the biggest  mass shootings in the U.S. in recent years all have one thing in common: semi-automatic weapons. They were used in the shootings in Aurora, Colorado, Newtown, San Bernardino, Orlando, Las Vegas and now, at a Parkland, Florida high school, among others. We thought we’d look at how you can obtain such weapons in the other six industrialized nations, known as the G-7, often used as comparison points for the United States.

  1. Canada: You must be 18 to get a license for restricted firearms, including AR-15s. You must take an eight-hour safety course and prove that you are using the weapon for target practice at an approved range, for your job, or for the protection of life.
  2. France: You must be 18, according to GunPolicy.org, a project from the Sydney School of Public Health. Unlike in America, there is no legal right to bear arms in France, according to the Washington Post. The Post says the French must get a hunting or sporting license and pass an extensive background check that includes a psychological evaluation.
  3. Germany: There is no legal right to bear arms in Germany.  You must be 21 for a weapons possession license. You can only purchase a semi-automatic weapon if you prove you are using it for competitive shooting or hunting. Anyone under 25 also must get a psychological evaluation.
  4. Italy: AR-15s and assault-style weapons are considered sporting guns. You must be 18 and prove you are able to handle them before purchase.
  5. Japan: AR-15s, assault-style weapons and handguns are prohibited for all ages. Shotguns are permitted, but require a four-month process that includes psychological and criminal evaluations and classes.
  6. United Kingdom: Traditional AR-15s are prohibited for all ages, with only a few security exceptions.