Firearms ownership licence after twelve months
Certificate of demonstrated need (Bedürfnisnachweis) after twelve months of active training with at least 18 sessions — recognised by your firearms authority throughout Germany.
The largest sport shooting community between Berlin and Leipzig. No mandatory hours, no uniform requirement — with a facility that lives up to high standards.
Sport shooting demands calm, repetition and judgement. Those who seek that will not find an operation with attendance lists here, but 1,800 people who take the same discipline seriously.
Freizeitschützen Zerbst e.V. is the largest sport shooting club between Berlin and Leipzig. Members come from Berlin, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Magdeburg, Dessau-Roßlau, Leipzig, Halle and Wittenberg. We are organised in the Bund Deutscher Sportschützen, the Deutscher Schützenbund and the Landesschützenverband Sachsen-Anhalt.
A club that fits around your life – not the other way round.
Train when it suits you, and meet people who take the sport as seriously as you do.
Become a member →Annually or monthly — the benefits are identical. Both models are well below what comparable clubs in Berlin or Leipzig charge.
Why sport shooters from four federal states make the journey.
Certificate of demonstrated need (Bedürfnisnachweis) after twelve months of active training with at least 18 sessions — recognised by your firearms authority throughout Germany.
Centrefire, rimfire .22 and air guns at 25 metres — all disciplines at one facility, electronic scoring included.
No training obligation, no uniform requirement. You decide when to train — Monday to Friday, Tuesdays and Fridays also in the evening.
Use of all lanes during opening hours is included in the fee. No lane fees, no time quotas.
DSB-licensed training from the first shot to competition — including preparation for the firearms certificate examination under § 7 WaffG.
Until you hold your own firearms ownership licence, you train with club firearms — free of charge and across the full range of calibres.
Club championships, league matches, district and state championships through the Bund Deutscher Sportschützen.
Insurance cover throughout your training at the facility — with no additional fee.
Many sport shooters know the sceptical looks as soon as the subject comes up.
Not here. In Zerbst people talk as equals about calibres, precision and loads — without pressure to justify themselves, with at least twelve club events a year.
Competition and conviviality alternate through the year — participation voluntary, like everything with us.
Start of the competition season with league matches at district and state level.
Internal competitions in all disciplines, followed by the summer party in the ApexLounge.
Trips to partner ranges for 300-metre precision and outdoor clay shooting.
Formal awards ceremony, annual general meeting and convivial end to the year.
Our 25-metre range covers everything from air guns to .357 Magnum. For disciplines that need more space we cooperate with renowned partner ranges — as a member you gain access to a network of ranges rather than a single one.
Driving times to Zerbst via the A2 / A9 / A14 · free parking at the centre
The in-house bar with room for up to 150 people — for awards ceremonies, annual general meetings or the evening after Saturday training.
Available for exclusive hire for private club celebrations.
The ApexLounge →
VIP area on the sun terrace, exclusive service, priority in lane allocation and club evenings — as a complement to your membership.
See all benefits →Experiences of sport shooters who travel here regularly.
„Die 90 Minuten Fahrt lohnen sich absolut — moderne Anlage, faire Preise, keine Pflichtstunden. Nach zwölf Monaten hatte ich meinen Bedürfnisnachweis."
„Ich habe mehrere Vereine in Sachsen-Anhalt ausprobiert. Hier stimmt alles: professionelle Trainer, fünf Bahnen, günstige Beiträge, gute Gemeinschaft."
„Von Leipzig aus fahre ich jedes Wochenende her. Entspannter und moderner als die Vereine hier — Großkaliber ohne Vereinszwänge."
It is not just the facility. It is the people you meet here.
Turn up, not report in. No mandatory hours, no compulsory dates. Those who come, come because they want to.
Learn from people who can do it. Experienced shooters and licensed coaches support beginners – patiently and as equals.
More than training. Meeting in the ApexLounge, shared events, conversations that go beyond the sport.
Once you have your certificate of need, we accompany you through the purchase: advice from range officers, handover only against your acquisition licence and a range for sport shooters – in our shop and in person in Zerbst.
Go to shop waffenpro.de →Over 1,800 members, and yet people know each other – because they see each other: on the lane, at competitions, in the lounge.
People talk to each other. The newcomer with their first sport pistol and the IPSC shooter with twenty years of experience stand on the same lane – and exchange ideas. That is everyday life here.
High standards, relaxed tone. Serious about the sport, easy-going with each other. No compulsory hours, no uniform, no hierarchy at the bar.
More than twelve occasions a year. Club championships, themed evenings, outings, summer evenings on the outdoor terrace, the evening after Saturday training: occasions that turn members into a community.
Become a member →First arrange a no-obligation trial session and get to know the facility, coaches and community. If it suits you, fill in the membership application. After review and payment of the €200 joining fee plus your first fee, you are officially a member.
Yes. Over 200 of our members come regularly from Berlin, Potsdam and Brandenburg — around 120 km or 90 minutes via the A2. As a member you meet the demonstrated need requirement for the firearms ownership licence at your competent authority, regardless of federal state.
You need a certificate of demonstrated need. You receive it after twelve months of active membership with at least 18 documented training sessions. Added to this are a passed firearms certificate examination under § 7 WaffG, an extended criminal record certificate and proof of personal suitability. We guide you through every step.
No. No training obligation, no mandatory hours, no uniform requirement. For the certificate of demonstrated need, 18 training sessions in twelve months are enough — roughly once or twice a month.
The facility is approved up to 7,000 joules: air guns, rimfire .22 (.22 LR), centrefire handguns (9 mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .45 ACP) and centrefire rifles. Club firearms are available free of charge; once you hold your WBK, your own sport firearms too.
Aged 18 or over (exceptions from 14 with the consent of legal guardians), physical and mental suitability, and acceptance of the club rules. Prior experience is not required — we provide complete training.
The firearms ownership licence (Waffenbesitzkarte, WBK) entitles you to acquire and possess firearms and ammunition, not to carry them. Sport shooters usually receive the green WBK after twelve months of membership with a certificate of demonstrated need. The firearms carry permit (Waffenschein) allows carrying outside your own premises and is granted only in rare exceptional cases — as a sport shooter you do not need it.
Everything you should know before joining — from costs and disciplines to the firearms ownership licence.
How to recognise a good shooting club
A modern, approved facility, fair and transparent fees, qualified coaches, flexible training times and a club that actively supports members on the way to the firearms ownership licence. Add to this membership of recognised associations — a prerequisite for the certificate of demonstrated need and for competitions.
Read the guide →Five steps to becoming a sport shooter
First: book a trial session or taster shooting. Second: submit your membership application. Third: train regularly. Fourth: take the firearms certificate under § 7 WaffG. Fifth: after twelve months of active membership, receive the certificate of demonstrated need and apply for the firearms ownership licence.
What does membership cost?
The annual fee starts at €200 and is reduced for young people, pupils and students; family memberships are discounted. Included are unlimited lane use, insurance cover during training, club firearms and participation in club championships. Ammunition is available at club prices.
Membership application →Disciplines and associations
Air guns, rimfire .22 and centrefire under the DSB and BDS sport rules — from precision through rapid fire to dynamic disciplines. Trap, 300-metre long range and IPSC are possible via partner ranges. The club is a member of the BDS, the DSB and the Landesschützenverband Sachsen-Anhalt.
Guide: disciplines →Demonstrated need and firearms ownership licence
You demonstrate your need as a sport shooter through regular training over at least twelve months and membership of a recognised association. We issue the certificate, which is recognised by firearms authorities throughout Germany — whether in Magdeburg, Leipzig, Berlin or Potsdam.
Guide: firearms licence →Members from across central Germany
Our more than 1,800 members come from Zerbst and the region as well as from Magdeburg, Dessau, Leipzig, Berlin, Potsdam and Brandenburg. Members book free lanes online — with no fixed club evenings.
Youth and family
Young people start with air guns and rimfire .22 under the supervision of licensed coaches. There are reduced fees for families — the shooting sport is one of the few sports that generations can practise together.
Shooting for young people →Community beyond the shooting range
Club championships, the shooting festival, convivial evenings and the ApexLounge right at the centre. Those who want more will find an exclusive circle with its own programme in the ApexClub.
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