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Helsinki Region Has Lower Per-capita Gun Ownership Than Rest of Finland

Pistols and revolvers constitute larger proportion of Helsinki area firearms

Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)

7 June 2012

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The Helsinki metropolitan area has significantly fewer firearms per capita than the rest of Finland. Whereas the whole country has 29 weapons per 100 people, the rate in the Helsinki region is 13 to 100.

The Helsinki region also stands out in the types of weapons that are most common. Pistols and revolvers are more common in the greater Helsinki area than elsewhere in the country. Handguns account for 27 per cent of firearms in Helsinki and its surroundings, compared with an average 16 per cent for the rest of Finland.

The proportion of long-barrelled weapons – rifles and shotguns – increases the further one gets from the central cities and moves into outlying areas… .

Firearms statistics put out by the National Police Board of Finland put the number of firearms in Finland at 1,555,100.

The study shows that in Helsinki there are 70,100 licensed weapons. These are owned by 23,300 holders of gun licences. This means that each licensed gun owner has an average of about three weapons.

The study disproves claims that have been previously made that there would be hundreds of thousands of guns in Helsinki.

ID: N270

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