New Brazilian gun law

It's a very worrisome thing.   We'll still have to see how - and if - the military lets him implement it.   They seem more assertive every day, and can't like the idea.

Other than my wife I've spoken with 3 Brazilians about it so far and all, except my wife, are excited and happy about it. One of those I've spoken with has eve spent the last two years or so in the US visiting her children there. In Texas and Hawaii. She's coming home soon (and bringing us maple syrup and ranch dressing mix!) to be with her husband as they continue trying to get his visa (not the father of her children). She says they will most likely be getting at least one weapon for the home. I'm thinking I'm going to look into creating a firearms training school here in Bertioga.

That sounds like a great business idea, and much needed, if the idea gets implemented.
We just got back from an errand in Zona Norte in Manaus, and saw a big billboard that someone with a lot of cash had put up, thanking Bolsonaro for it.   So yeah, in some circles it's very popular, so they might as well be trained.

According to what I've read and heard they have to prove they can handle a weapon before being allowed to purchase one. Who better than an American expat military vet to teach them?

I´ve felt very safe and quiet in my corner until this new Bolsonaro presidential decree
signed last 15 January 2019 came into effect. Suddenly I was scrambling how to justify
owning a gun in Brazil for my sake.

Lula da Silva disarmed the population in 2004 - a year after elected president. Now Bolsonaro reinstated firearm ownership with a little change before Lula´s time. You still have to justify why you should own a gun. In this case a declaration of one´s desire to own a gun for self defense should be enough since you don´t know when you need this device to protect yourself and loved ones.

There will be a psychological evaluation to see if you´re fit to own a firearm. There will be a test theoretical and practical conducted by the Policia Federal. 50 shots will be fired at 2 different distances and scored.

For those who don´t have any experience for gun-handling should opt for a firearm training to be able to pass the test. This is where Mike in SP´s gunsite training come into play!

Mike it´s very lucrative. It´s no different like in the States. I always train everytime I go home. I go to ranges and practice. The muscle memory is still there honed by years of weapon presentation, retention, tactical reloading and rapid placement fire that service members undergo.

That´s the reason that the majority of people in Brazil are not safe to handle a gun. You have to have the proper temperament and practice to be proficient and be responsible for the lead that you propel downstream. You own that projectile wherever it goes so shot placement is of paramount importance. But how can these people be proficient if they´re only allowed a ridiculous 50 bullets a year (1 box) ? I would spend that less than a minute on my fire drills. Bullets are also expensive including the firearm. Thanks to Taurus Forjas´and CBC´s (ammo)monopoly. They run the firearm industry with CBC being the biggest stockholder in Taurus. Lobbysts for them is very strong so I doubt that that will change soon despite Bolsonaro´s statement that he would welcome foreign manufacturers. The army also backs Taurus the reasoning being that strong sovereignty of a nation depends on a good local firearms company.

If you´re planning to buy Taurus (monopoly), you should wait a little bit for foreign companies to come in. There was a news I read that CZ pistols will be manufactured in Brazil at the early part of this year including one from the UAE. The reason being are
the defects of Taurus that has been observed:

1. Accidental discharge when dropped even if the safety is engaged. A pizza delivery boy
was killed during a police stop when an officer in Sergipe fell on the roadside and his weapon accidentally discharged. The Policia Civil in that state had various accidental
discharges that they had to ban Taurus for use. The Ministerio Publico Federal of that state moved to abolish monopoly and obstacles in importation of firearms and ammunitions last Nov.2017. It´s still pending in court. In another instance, 2 US families just settled out of court a $7.9 million award from Taurus on the same accidental discharge.

2. Model 840 and 24/7 Taurus has irregular quality in fabrication. All in all there about 10 models that civil suits are pending and demands to recall the models for repair, substitution or reimbursement of costs are on going. Of the 26 states, 19 responded of the quality problems of Taurus. That´s the product of monopoly: decadence in quality
and astronomical prices due to lack of competition.

Approximate costs of training, firearm acquisition and paperworks (as reference):

   *basic training: R$850 (with 50 rounds included)
   *advanced training: R$1.200 (150 rounds included)
   *paperworks: R$750
   *Taurus TH380 caliber pistol : R$4.880
     Grand total: R$6,480 without the advanced training!

Judging to those prices, not everyone in Brazil will be able to acquire one!

Now, another thing to be considered. Major violence happens outside the house and that "posse" of firearms is only at home or place of work. So Bolsonaro has to authorize "porte" or concealed carry. If that happens I will be first in line because I´m a night person and I walk and go to the gym in dark streets. And in bars, there are loud and violent young Brazilians ready to victimize retired people like me. Better to mend my ways and avoid those places altogether.  I´m not an 18 year old anymore ready and eager to engage in a fist fight to defend myself, so just in case, having that nice apparatus along side me is a relief!

I don´t like wimpy calibers like the 380 or the 38 special for concealed carry. But I don´t have a choice. A shotgun or a Winchester rifle is good for home defense. There´s even
an AR-15 type rifle loaded for the 380 caliber. Of course due to the longer barrel, you´ll
have a faster ft/sec velocity...

I think I´m already in trouble for this post, so I´ll stop now.

Sorry for indulging myself. I think that expats should be aware also of the new gun laws
and repercussions!

robal

Mike,

I foresee a significant increase in firearms violence as evidenced in Uruguay who sells all calibers like the US. I´m tempted to mention that there should be alterations on their laws for harsher punishments for murder to the point of  even executions or death penalty, but even that did not deter criminals in the US...

The law also requires that you should have a lockable gun safe to keep children away...

Thank you robal for the very informative post.

I'd like to see what the psych eval will entail.

I wasn't given time in 2017 when I visited my parents to head out to the range and practice and before that I didn't have the money to practice much. I had to rely on the generosity of friends for my ammo to practice with. Sadly, I sold my Glock 17 right before returning here after that visit. Now I wish I hadn't. I could go back for SEMA this year and field strip and pack it, along with a box of ammo.  And my Hopp's.

I won't own a Taurus. Nope. Sorry. Ain't happening.

I've never really been a bar type person. I've always said give me a pool hall, the tables are maintained there much better than in a bar. I don't go to a bar to drink, I go to shoot pool. Besides, guns and alcohol don't mix.

Only 50 rounds per year? That sounds like we'll be required to refresh annually. I like that idea and wish the US would adopt it.

I agree. Morally you may as well stencil your name on all your ammo before loading and firing. Sadly, many people don't think that way.

I will most assuredly be getting a safe to keep the grandkids away. Fingerprint and PIN locked.

I thought of the firearms training facility immediately when my wife told me about the decree. I think I need to go to the PF precinct on the Rodovia to look into that. I'm also going to look into seeing about the availability or future available of bringing in a Smith .40 or getting another Glock 17.

I'm still curious about crossbows, though. They are my hunting weapon of choice, although I understand hunting is illegal here, not that I've seen any whitetail or moose here. LOL

The rise in gun violence is what my wife is afraid of. We have a friend who is visiting her daughters in Texas and loves the idea. She's a retired member of the Cámara here in Bertioga and a retired minister, strangely enough. Even though the US recently had a spate of 5 mass shootings in 5 days, one near her, she still likes the idea of citizen gun ownership.

I'd like to see if I can find data from before Lula outlawed firearms and data from let's say 2010, and then follow the "police blotter" on a national and state basis to see what happens with crime statistics. I don't see the "You look scary so I'm going to shoot you" mentality we see in some parts of the US.

As for being older and not so able to fist-fight, two idiots tried to mug me shortly after I arrived in São Paulo. Two separate occasions, single attacker. They weren't successful because they got within my wingspan. Second time I thought my PM buddy was going to shoot the guy in the head when I called him. "He tried to rob you?!?!? Why...I..!!!" Calma Marco. Calma. Ele tá dormindo agora e vai acordar com dor de cabeça imensa. Garanto isso. Kkkkk

I'm a strong advocate for stronger controls in the US but I am definitely not "a gun grabber" as some like to call me.

Criminals in the US haven't been deterred because the only short term outcome of being convicted is three hots and a cot and a single cell so no worries about cell warriors. I've always said that those laws ought to be changed so that the chance an innocent person is executed is as close to nil as humanly possible and only one, maybe two appeals should be allowed. With no last minute call for clemency to the governor allowed. Execution should be carried out within 5 years of sentence, preferably 5-10 days. Each state should have a "Death Penalty Conviction Review Panel" made of jurists and civilians for that appeal. Then, Cya next life scumbag.

This ought to be an interesting situation/development to keep an eye on.

Crossbow hunting? Me and a buddy of mine tried that and for 2 days all the deer run away from us. They could have smelled his strong body odor for miles as a warning and we ended up eating beef jerky for 2 days. I resorted to use my 357 and him his 10mm and we ended up 1 deer each... Was a nice feeling.

If you´re a member of a club and you´re an atirador/coleccionador you can bring 9mm Glock 17 or Glock 22 (.40cal) . You can order from Brazil or buy direct here. You can also buy your primers and powders to handload ammo. All the training schools here use handloads because it´s cheaper.

Hunting is allowed in Brazil. Some species are prohibited like the cateto (a wild boar). Javali is ok to hunt. Lots of hunting going on especially in big fazendas.

I'm for it, Personal and Home Protection, I owned Glock and Taurus both nice handguns, yet my Mossberg very serious. Once the People are Disarmed you have Nazi Germany and current Venezuela. I know it is crazy to have a law of this kind in Brazil, yet I also feel the Right to Bear Arms to Protect Home,Family and Business an Country is the Right thing to Do. Life  is Choice Driven, So it is by Choice one Desire Protection then One has the Right to Choose....