Harry has found out that it is difficult to get a gun in Germany. Anyone who wants to buy a firearm that requires a permit, such as a revolver, must first apply for a gun ownership license. To do this, you have to be of legal age, i.e., over 18 years old, pass a knowledge test and prove your personal suitability. In addition, you must identify yourself as a hunter, marksman (membership in a shooting club, for example) or gun collector. A weapon possession permit is issued by licensing authorities, like public order offices or the police. Weapon-owners are entered into a national registry. Shooting is only permitted in certified shooting ranges and for hunting in a designated area.

Currently, more than 5 million firearms in private legal ownership are registered in the national registry. Even though German weapons ownership regulations are considered among the strictest in the world, there have been attacks with registered firearms in Germany in which several people have been murdered – like the school shooting rampage in Winnenden in 2009 or the far-right attack in Hanau in 2020.