Originally Posted by Gunni

Both in France and Spain, actually in most European countries you can legally buy firearms if you go through the right channels. If you are afraid of someone braking into your house and shooting you and your family (most Europeans aren't since it happens very rarely) you could buy a gun. We don't get them free for opening bank accounts or anything like that.
The easiest weapon to get in Europe is a shotgun as it is the weapon mostly used for hunting birds and rabbits, incidentally it is also probably the most effective weapon to defend your home. Someone with a hand gun is much more likely to miss his target than someone with a shotun.