Registered firearms in Austria climb sharply despite recent gun law tightening

According to the interior ministry, Austria’s central weapons register recorded a substantial increase in registered firearms from September 2025 to September 2026. The surge follows the implementation of stricter gun laws that began in October 2025 and reached their final stage in April of the following year. Although the total firearms count grew markedly, the number of individuals holding licences rose far more slowly, with roughly five thousand additional owners joining an existing base of about 380,000.

The legislative changes raised the minimum age for category B weapons from 21 to 25 years and for category C weapons from 18 to 21 years, aiming to make acquisition more difficult. The trend is notable because it runs counter to the intended effect of the tightened regulations.