Gun ownership in the firing line: guns have been a part of Swiss culture for centuries. And despite a recent spate of high-profile firearms deaths, Switzerland remains one of the most heavily armed societies on earth. With gun ownership on the voting agenda in early 2011, Swiss News explores both sides of this emotive debate.

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Gun ownership in the firing line: guns have been a part of Swiss culture for centuries. And despite a recent spate of high-profile firearms deaths, Switzerland remains one of the most heavily armed societies on earth. With gun ownership on the voting agenda in early 2011, Swiss News explores both sides of this emotive debate.

Estimates on the number of firearms in Switzerland vary widely: ranging from 1.2 million, to an astonishing 12 million. The 2007 small-arms survey concluded that there were between 2.5 million and 4.5 million nationwide.

Despite this wide availability of guns, crime is extremely low compared to other countries. According to a United Nations survey on Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems, Switzerland has one of the lowest murder rates in the world. Nevertheless,...

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