Welcome!! What are the rules in Argentina? Hard, or easy to get permission to buy a gun?
Well Peter, you hit on the nail. We are currently struggling and battling against a HUGE disarmist policy. This is gonna be a long story, and I don't wanna bore you. However it's important to me to make this statement.
We do have a long tradition with guns in Argentina, just like USA. Our countries both quickly understood that freedom came upon the muzzle of the gun. USA fought against the English. We did against the Spanish. Very similar stories. Our Constitution since 1813 preserves the right to keep and bear arms (21st. article very similar to your 2nd. amendment). Except for military "de facto" rulers, democratic governments respected this right. But the tide turned. These so called "progressive socialist" governments we have in Latin America (Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela) are really coming for more.
In Argentina we have one strong federal law that applies to gun control in all the country. It still is a good law. To own and use guns you need a permit. And to carry them you need a special permit, really really strict. Only concealed carry is admited in Argentina BTW.
Now the Kirchner administration (first N. Kirchner now his widow Cristina) turned into a disarming policy. They first started to stop issuing carrying permits. Only ruling politicians and friends of the party can carry now. Sounds similar to any center-european country policy ...maybe in the 30's-40's?
Then they stopped approving permits and licences to shooting ranges. Many Federal Ranges, with over 110 years of teaching "how to defend our country" (its the motto of those Federal Shooting Ranges) were closed. Many of them are now at peril. The private shooting ranges are scarce though.
Now the federal administration is trying to limit both amount and reason to keep and bear arms. A new law that is trying to be approved in the Congress, has already been approved in the Senate last year. It is called the "Escudero Project" and it is virtually a disarmist scheme to ban and forbid any kind of guns in the hands of civilians.
It seems to be clear to all gun supporters in Argentina, that the right to bear arms is indeed the most important right of any country. And the reason of that it was magnificently put into word by the great Charlton Heston I believe in 1997:
"
I simply cannot stand by and watch a right guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States come under attack from those who either can't understand it, don't like the sound of it or find themselves too philosophically squeamish to see why it remains the first among equals: Because it is the right we turn to when all else fails."
You guys in USA must be proud of the NRA. Hell, I even became member this year. Our local NRA (called ALUTARA) does not have the power and the resources like yours. They fight against disamirst and dirty politicians, but they are small. And also the Argentine people usually does not get involved, does not commit. So be proud of your NRA. Protect it against all odds. Be part and stay committed to your rights.
Sorry so nag you all with this long speech. But to all disarmists, I tell them: "
From my cold dead hands".
.. Ahhh the steak houses in Argentina and Uraguay.. 
