Interest in Firearms Training Increasing in Finland

Finland is not great when it comes to regulating guns.  Like most of Europe, there are a great many restrictions, such as permit, registration, training, and storage requirements, as well as limitations on the types of guns one may own.  But the country’s Ministry of the Interior does note, “Finland is a country of hunters and gun enthusiasts.”  You won’t see many other European nations proudly proclaiming its citizens are into firearms, even if there are too many restrictions.

On the slightly more positive side, Finland’s permitting process does not appear to be overly difficult to navigate.  One can be obtained by demonstrating it is needed for hunting or use in sport shooting or recreation.  There is also a “parallel permit” one can get with a guardian’s permission at the age of 15, and regular permits can be acquired at 18.

And while the country is subject to the even more stringent restrictions on firearms imposed as a member of the European Union (EU), when the European Parliament first proposed increasing restrictions for member countries on semi-automatic firearms and magazines, Finland did, at least, initially raise objections.

Perhaps the Nordic nation would be willing to consider scaling back some of its current firearm laws, as Finns have become increasingly interested in firearms training.  We recently reported on Argentina loosening restrictions on firearm ownership for younger Argentinians, and on Poland mandating firearm training for its youth.  Maybe Finland is poised to follow.

The Finnish government announced last year that it intends to open more than 300 new gun ranges, adding to the 670 that already existed.  Some have attributed the growing interest in firearm training, as well as the growing number of ranges, to the concern over the possibility of escalating tensions with Finland’s neighbor to the east, Russia.

Finland’s history with Russia is complicated.  Before declaring independence in 1917, Finland existed as the Grand Duchy of Finland under control of the Russian Empire.  The eastern neighbors, after becoming the Soviet Union, later invaded Finland in 1939 in a 105-day conflict dubbed the Winter War.  This started after WW II had already begun.  Although severely outnumbered in manpower and military equipment, Finland exacted heavy casualties from the aggressors.  Casualties for Finland at the end of the conflict were around 70,000, while the USSR suffered an estimated 321,000-381,000.

Although the USSR gained some land when hostilities ceased, the toll inflicted on its military by Finland was an embarrassment to the powerful nation. 

The Finns were reasonably successful taking on the USSR for a number of reasons.  Their prowess as cross-country skiers allowed them a certain mobility advantage, as well as quick-strike capabilities in a harsh, snowy landscape.  They were also able to use improvised weapons when standard arms may not have been suitable.  While Finland did not invent one of the most commonly used improvised weapons—a bottle filled with a flammable liquid and some sort of fuse—it gave it its most recognizable name; the Molotov cocktail.

It was given this name as a dig at the USSR’s foreign minister, Vyacheslav Molotov, and it was used to devastating effect to destroy or disable a great many Soviet tanks.  In order to be used, however, it required Finnish soldiers to allow the tanks to get close enough to those serving the cocktails to be able to hurl them at the more vulnerable rear of the tanks.

Which brings us to a Finnish word that may describe those Finns tossing Molotovs at tanks in such close proximity; a word it is said has no direct translation:  Sisu.

The word could be used to describe someone with great intestinal fortitude, indomitable resolve in the face of adversity, or, quite simply, guts.  But that may be a bit too simplistic of a definition, so for an hour-and-a-half cinematic depiction of the word, watch the movie Sisu.  The Finnish film, set in the country’s Lapland region during the latter part of WW II, may be over the top even by Hollywood standards, but it could give you a better idea about what sisu means.

Whatever the reason for the growing interest in firearms in Finland—whether it be concerns over a potentially aggressive neighbor or a renewed interest in embracing the sisu spirit of their forebears—it is good to see the government taking the positive step of expanding access to ranges to accommodate those interested.  Diminishing the restrictions on firearms in general would be a great next step!