9mm casings in my doorway.
January 1, 2011 10:48 AM   Subscribe

Shooting guns out in the street for fun on new year's eve in Berlin? Is this legal? Normal? Am I mistaken?

New year's eve in Berlin is always accompanied by lots and lots of fireworks and firecrackers. Last night I heard a lot of fireworks that I thought sounded like guns (I have never fired a gun before, so I can't be sure). I woke up this morning and the street by my house was littered with literally hundreds of spent P.A. Knall 9mm Geco casings. No blood no crime scene, so I assume they were fired into the air for fun.

Is this legal? Normal? Should I lodge a complaint with the police? Could they even do anything about it? I'm pretty sure that these are not blanks - as I mentioned, they are inscribed in the back with P.A. Knall 9mm Geco.
posted by molecicco to Law & Government (6 answers total)
 
Best answer: I think that is a starter pistol. It only shoots blanks. It was most likely used for making noise on New Years Eve.
posted by Gringos Without Borders at 10:54 AM on January 1, 2011


Google "P.A. Knall 9mm Geco Platzpatronen". Platzpatrone means blank cartridge.
posted by dhoe at 11:02 AM on January 1, 2011


I have no idea if it's legal or normal in Berlin, but it was very normal growing up in a nice suburb of the US (though it always made me nervous).
posted by ldthomps at 11:03 AM on January 1, 2011


Response by poster: Aha, yeah I just googled again and Geco is indeed a blank manufacturer. On the first google attempt I didn't see any results about blanks. Thanks! Still find it weird though.
posted by molecicco at 11:05 AM on January 1, 2011


I was in Berlin on the eve of 2000. I was like a battlefield... The smoke from all the fireworks and crackers made it hard to see 50 meters down the street.
posted by bluefrog at 11:45 AM on January 1, 2011


Is this legal?

If these were blanks, it would have been legal if they were not shot on the street, but on a private site. Unfortunately I could not find the administrative regulation but it is discussed in this legal forum (German only).

Normal?

In Berlin perhaps more than in other parts of Germany, but it certainly not common since few people in Germany have such weapons at all.

Should I lodge a complaint with the police? Could they even do anything about it?

I believe this is not necessary.
posted by jfricke at 4:19 PM on January 1, 2011


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