Art. 4 Definitions

¹ Weapons are defined as:

a.: devices that allow projectiles to be fired by means of a propellant charge and that can be carried and operated by a single person, or objects that can be converted into such devices (firearms);
b.: devices that are intended to permanently endanger a person’s health through the spraying or vaporisation of substances;
c.: knives whose blade can be opened by means of an automatic mechanism that requires the use of one hand only, butterfly knives, throwing knives, and daggers with a symmetrical blade;
d.: devices that are intended to injure a person, in particular knuckledusters, simple or spring batons, throwing stars and slingshots;
e.: electrical shock devices that can impair a person’s power of resistance or permanently damage a person’s health;
f.: compressed air and CO₂ weapons that develop a muzzle energy of at least 7.5 joules or that can be mistaken for real firearms due to their appearance;
g.: imitation, blank cartridge and airsoft weapons that can be mistaken for real firearms due to their appearance.

² Weapon accessories are defined as:

a.: silencers and their specially designed components;
b.: laser and night vision devices, and their specially designed components;
c.: grenade launchers that are designed as an additional device for a firearm.

^2bis High capacity loading devices are loading devices for semi-automatic centrefire weapons that have a capacity of:

a.: more than 20 rounds in the case of handguns;
b.: more than 10 rounds in the case of small firearms.⁸

^2ter A Schengen state is a state bound by any of the Schengen Association Agreements. The Schengen Association Agreements are listed in the Annex.⁹

³ The Federal Council decides which objects are essential or specially designed components of weapons and weapon accessories, and are therefore regulated by this Act.

⁴ The Federal Council defines which compressed air, CO₂, imitation, blank cartridge and airsoft weapons, knives, daggers, electrical shock devices, devices in accordance with paragraph 1 letter b, and slingshots are considered to be weapons.

⁵ Ammunition is defined as firing material containing a propellant charge whose energy is transmitted onto a projectile by ignition in a firearm.

⁶ Dangerous objects are defined as objects such as tools, household appliances and sports equipment that can be used to injure a person. Penknives, such as the Swiss Army pocket knife and similar products, are not considered to be dangerous objects.

⁷ Amended by No I of the FA of 22 June 2007, in force since 12 Dec. 2008 (AS 2008 5499 5405 Art. 2 let. d; BBl 2006 2713).

⁸ Inserted by the Annex to the FD of 28 Sept. 2018 on the approval and the implementation of the exchange of notes between Switzerland and the EU on the adoption of Directive (EU) 2017/853 on the Amendment of the EU Weapons Directive, in force since 15 Aug. 2019 (AS 2019 2415; BBl 2018 1881).

⁹ Originally para. 2^bis. Inserted by No I of the FA of 11 Dec. 2009 (Adaptation of the Implementation of the Schengen Acquis), in force since 28 July 2010 (AS 2010 2823; BBl 2009 3649).

Art. 4 Noziuns

¹ Sco armas valan:

a.: utensils, cun ils quals ins po sajettar projectils cun agid da chargias propulsivas ed ils quals ina suletta persuna po purtar e manipular, u objects che pon vegnir transfurmads en tals utensils (armas da fieu);
b.: utensils ch’èn concepids per donnegiar duraivlamain la sanadad d’umans, tras quai ch’i vegnan squittadas u vapurisadas substanzas;
c.: cuntels, dals quals la loma po vegnir liberada mo cun in maun tras in mecanissem d’avertura automatic, cuntels-tgiralla, cuntels da trair e stilets cun loma simmetrica;
d.: utensils ch’èn concepids per blessar umans, en spezial rintgs da pugnada americans, pertgas e bastuns da culpir, stailas da trair e fundas;
e.: apparats d’electroschoc che pon diminuir la forza da resistenza d’umans u donnegiar duraivlamain la sanadad;
f.: armas ad aria cumprimida ed armas da CO₂ che sviluppan in’energia da sbuccada d’almain 7,5 joules u che pon vegnir confundidas cun vairas armas da fieu pervia da lur cumparsa;
g.: armas d’imitaziun, armas d’alarm ed armas da soft air che pon vegnir confundidas cun vairas armas da fieu pervia da lur cumparsa.

² Sco accessoris d’armas valan:

a.: surdinas e lur parts construidas spezialmain;
b.: apparats da mira da laser e da notg sco er lur parts construidas spezialmain;
c.: bittagranatas ch’èn vegnids construids sco parts supplementaras d’ina arma da fieu.

^2bis Sco indrizs per chargiar da gronda capacitad valan indrizs per chargiar armas da fieu mez automaticas a percussiun centrala che han ina capacitad:

a.: en cas d’armas da fieu curtas: da passa 20 patronas;
b.: en cas d’armas da fieu da maun: da passa 10 patronas.⁸

^2ter Sco stadi da Schengen vala in stadi ch’è lià cun ina da las cunvegnas d’associaziun a la reglamentaziun da Schengen. Las cunvegnas d’associaziun a la reglamentaziun da Schengen èn inditgadas en l’agiunta.⁹

³ Il Cussegl federal fixescha ils objects che vegnan considerads da questa lescha sco parts essenzialas d’armas, sco parts d’armas construidas spezialmain u sco accessoris d’armas.

⁴ El circumscriva las armas ad aria cumprimida, las armas da CO₂, las armas d’imitaziun, las armas d’alarm e las armas da soft air, ils cuntels, ils stilets, ils apparats d’electroschoc, ils apparats tenor l’alinea 1 litera b e las fundas che valan sco armas.

⁵ Sco muniziun vala material da tir cun ina chargia propulsiva, da la quala l’energia vegn transmessa sin in projectil cun envidar in’arma da fieu.

⁶ Sco objects privlus valan objects sco utensils, apparats dal tegnairchasa e da sport che pon vegnir duvrads per smanatschar u per blessar umans. Cuntels da satg, sco per exempel il cuntè da satg da l’armada svizra e products sumegliants, na valan betg sco objects privlus.

⁷ Versiun tenor la cifra I da la LF dals 22 da zer. 2007, en vigur dapi ils 12 da dec. 2008 (AS 2008 5499 5405 art. 2 lit. d; BBl 2006 2713).

⁸ Integrà tras l’agiunta dal COF dals 28 da sett. 2018 davart l’approvaziun e la realisaziun dal barat da notas tranter la Svizra e la UE concernent la surpigliada da la directiva (UE) 2017/853 per midar la directiva da la UE davart las armas, en vigur dapi ils 15 d’avust 2019 (AS 2019 2415; BBl 2018 1881).

⁹ Oriundamain al. 2^bis. Integrà tras la cifra I da la LF dals 11 da dec. 2009 (adattaziun da la realisaziun da l’acquist da Schengen), en vigur dapi ils 28 da fan. 2010 (AS 2010 2823; BBl 2009 3649).

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