Why Is the Czech Republic Europe’s Shooting Capital? Gun Culture Explained
Many of our guests from the UK or Germany are surprised that they can walk into a range in Prague and fire an AK-47 the same afternoon. In most of Western Europe civilian guns are rare and tightly restricted. In the Czech Republic, legal gun ownership is common, the gun industry is a source of national pride, and since 2021 the right to defend yourself with a weapon has been written into the constitution.
Here is where that tradition comes from and what it means for visitors who want to try shooting in Prague.
Czech gun making
The Czech lands were an industrial centre of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and after 1918 the new Czechoslovakia built a large arms industry on that base.
- Česká zbrojovka (CZ): The company in Uherský Brod was founded in 1936 and is today one of the best-known gun makers in the world. Its CZ 75 pistol, introduced in 1975, became one of the most copied 9mm service pistols, largely thanks to its grip and reliability.
- The Bren and its successors: The British Bren light machine gun of World War II was developed from the Czech ZB vz. 26, designed at Zbrojovka Brno. Today CZ makes the CZ Bren 2 rifle and the CZ Scorpion EVO 3 submachine gun, which are used by police and armed forces in a number of countries.
- The word “pistol”: It is commonly traced back to the Czech word píšťala, a type of early hand-held firearm used by the Hussites in the 15th century.
The right to defend yourself with a weapon
In 2021 the Czech Republic added a sentence to its Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms saying that the right to defend one’s own life or the life of another person, including with a weapon, is guaranteed. It made international news because no other EU country has anything similar in its constitution.
- Concealed carry: Czech citizens who pass a medical check, a background check and a written and practical exam can get a licence to carry a concealed handgun for self-defence. The authorities have to issue it once the conditions are met, which is rare in Europe.
- How the rules work: Czech law focuses on who may own a gun (checks, health, training) more than on banning particular types of guns.
Sport shooting and hunting
Shooting is also a sport with a long history here. Czech shooters have won Olympic gold several times in recent years: Kateřina Emmons in 10m air rifle and David Kostelecký in trap at Beijing 2008, and Jiří Lipták in trap at Tokyo 2020. There are hundreds of indoor and outdoor ranges across the country, and in many families shooting and hunting pass from parents to children.
Why Prague is the place for shooting tourism
Czech law lets people without a gun licence shoot real firearms at a range under supervision, and Prague is easy to reach from anywhere in Europe. That combination is why so many visitors book a shooting session as part of a city break. At Outback Prague you can try this tradition yourself:
- No licence needed: You shoot legally with an instructor beside you the whole time. (More in our article Is It Legal to Shoot Guns in Prague as a Tourist?)
- Real guns: Czech designs such as the CZ 75 and the CZ Scorpion, alongside the AK-47 and the AR-15.
- Some history along the way: Instructors explain safe handling, how to aim and where each gun comes from.
Book a session at our range and try Czech guns yourself. If you have not shot before, start with our beginner’s guide to your first range visit.