is suitable for practical shooting, the police may consider one inappropriate for hunting. Valid reasons for obtaining a firearms license are: The application process includes a check of criminal records, the police interviewing the applicant and in some cases a computer-based personality test or a medical health certificate. Any significant history with violence or other crime, substance abuse or mental health issues will cause the application to be rejected. Membership in a hunting or shooting club or other appropriate organization is considered a positive, though membership can not be legally required as the Constitution of Finland guarantees freedom of association. If the application is approved, an acquisition permit is mailed to the applicant. A dealer (or private person) may only sell a firearm if the buyer has the appropriate paperwork to show. There is no waiting period as such, but in practice processing an application takes a minimum of several days, usually a few weeks. Licences can be valid either until further notice or for a fixed term, which is sometimes the case for a people applying for their first license, and always with the first pistol license. A licence-holder may also borrow other firearms from the same or lesser category (e.g. a rifle licence is valid for borrowing shotguns and small-caliber rifles, but not pistols) and purchase ammunition for any firearm he owns or is permitted to borrow. Classification of firearms For legal purposes, firearms are divided into 13 different types: A firearm is considered a short firearm if its overall length is at most 600mm, or its barrel length at most 300mm. In any other case the firearm is considered a long firearm. Firearms are further divided into four modes of operation: Sub-compact pistols A pistol is considered sub-compact or a "pocket gun" if it fits in a rectangular box of 180 x 130 mm. Special legislation applies to these easily concealed firearms and they are not licensed for sporting purposes. Some common pistols such as Glock 19 fall under this description, and are therefore generally unavailable to e.g. IPSC shooters in Finland. Specially dangerous firearms Some types of firearms are considered "specially dangerous". Licences for such firearms can only be granted on a very limited basis and are essentially for recognized collectors and filming purposes only. A firearm is considered specially dangerous if: its mode of operation is automatic fire it is a cannon, rocket launcher or