BRUNOY, France (AP) — The gun the elderly French woman inherited from her grandfather had once belonged to a German soldier, killed in a war fought on French soil in the last century.
Now the woman has handed over the inheritance to the police for fear her grandchildren will trip over it.
French authorities want others to follow the anonymous woman’s lead in handing over millions of old firearms, remnants of two world wars and long-discarded hunting trips.
The country has launched a week-long nationwide campaign ending today to collect old, unregistered weapons that are hidden in attics and warehouses across the country that have seen much of the fiercest fighting of the 20th century. century.
“We estimate that there are around 5 or 6 million weapons which are held irregularly by our fellow citizens,” said Jean-Simon Merandat, head of the central service for weapons and explosives at the Ministry of the Interior. “Eighty to ninety percent of these guns are in their possession due to inheritance.”
Although many historical elements appear innocuous, authorities promoting the campaign warn that appearances are deceiving. Old guns can still be deadly and can be used to perpetuate domestic violence or even fall into the hands of criminal networks.
The good news is that the French authorities consider their campaign so far to have been “a real success”, claiming to have collected 1.6 million pieces of ammunition and 65,000 firearms. There will be no legal consequences if the weapons are voluntarily surrendered, authorities said.
The vast majority of unregistered weapons that will be collected will be destroyed. But a few precious ones whose metal barrels tell remarkable stories will be saved and preserved by the state. “We expect those of historical or cultural value to be spared from destruction and brought to one or more museums,” Merandat added.
Anyone wishing to keep their gun and join the ranks of the 5 million legal gun owners in France can do so if they seek to obtain a legal permit. With a population of 67 million, France has proportionally far fewer firearms than countries like the United States.
A public outcry over an increase in the number of murders of women by their partners also prompted authorities to continue collecting firearms.
A gunsmith handles a German World War Two MP 40 in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. France has launched a nationwide campaign to collect millions of old firearms, remnants of the two world wars or long-abandoned hunting excursions. French interior ministry officials suspect French families keep many unregistered guns in attics and warehouses as heirlooms in the country that was once the scene of many of the fiercest battles of the past century. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
A gunsmith handles an old weapon in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, November 30, 2022. France has launched a national campaign to collect millions of old firearms, remnants of the two world wars or hunting trips long abandoned. French interior ministry officials suspect French families keep many unregistered guns in attics and warehouses as heirlooms in the country that was once the scene of many of the fiercest battles of the past century. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
A gunsmith records information about old guns and their ammunition in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. France has launched a nationwide campaign to collect millions of old firearms, remnants of the two world wars or long-abandoned hunting excursions. French interior ministry officials suspect French families keep many unregistered guns in attics and warehouses as heirlooms in the country that was once the scene of many of the fiercest battles of the past century. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Boxes of weapons are seen at a police station in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, November 30, 2022. France has launched a national campaign to collect millions of old firearms, remnants of the two wars worlds or long-abandoned hunting excursions. French interior ministry officials suspect French families keep many unregistered guns in attics and warehouses as heirlooms in the country that was once the scene of many of the fiercest battles of the past century. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
People wait to bring their guns back to the gendarmerie in Ustaritz, southwestern France, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. France has launched a nationwide campaign to collect millions of old firearms; remnants of the two world wars or hunting habits long abandoned. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)
A gunsmith records information about old guns and their ammunition in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. France has launched a nationwide campaign to collect millions of old firearms, remnants of the two world wars or long-abandoned hunting excursions. French Interior Ministry officials suspect French families keep many unregistered guns hidden away in attics and warehouses as heirlooms in the country that was once the scene of many of the fiercest battles of the past century. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
A gunsmith records information about old guns and their ammunition in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. France has launched a nationwide campaign to collect millions of old firearms, remnants of the two world wars or long-abandoned hunting excursions. French Interior Ministry officials suspect French families keep many unregistered guns hidden away in attics and warehouses as heirlooms in the country that was once the scene of many of the fiercest battles of the past century. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
A policeman handles two weapons including a World War Two German Luger pistol in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. France has launched a national campaign to collect millions of old firearms, remnants of the two world wars or long -abandoned hunting trips. French Interior Ministry officials suspect French families keep many unregistered guns hidden away in attics and warehouses as heirlooms in the country that was once the scene of many of the fiercest battles of the past century. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
A gunsmith records information about antique guns and their ammunition, as the French government collects heritage rifles and other unregistered firearms from its citizens as part of a nationwide gun control campaign d a week, in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Jean-François Badias)