Weapons law Austria | Government tightens weapons law after Graz rampage: Key points, possible advantages & disadvantages

Weapons law Austria 2025 | The tightening of the Weapons Act in Austria - A perhaps hasty reaction to a tragedy that probably affects the wrong citizens?

In June 2025, a fire shook devastating rampage at a school in Graz Austria: A 21-year-old perpetrator killed nine pupils and a teacher, before he took his own life. The shooter possessed his weapons legally, which is a Heated debate about Austrian gun laws triggered. The government reacted quickly and announced a tightening of the rules, which is to be implemented by September 2025.

This includes higher age limits, stricter psychological tests and better data exchange with the authorities. But is this measure really effective, or is it a symbolic action that covers up failures by the authorities?

Current data from Google Trends show a massive increase in interest in "gun law Austria" since the shooting spree.

Search queries rose by over 500 % in the first few days after the incident, with peaks in regions such as Styria and Vienna. Related search terms such as "buy weapons Austria" and "Amoklauf Graz" dominate, indicating a social debate.

In this report, we analyse the Key points of the reform, advantages and disadvantages, statistics on gun deaths as well as comparisons with other countries such as Switzerland. The aim is to provide well-founded insights and shed light on why stricter laws are a fallacy and do not always mean more security.

Key points of the planned tightening of gun laws

The Austrian federal government, consisting of the ÖVP and SPÖ, has adopted a comprehensive package of measures in direct response to the rampage in Graz. (https://orf.at/stories/3404415/ and https://services.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/newsletter/bka-medien-newsletter/innenpolitik/bka-medieninformation-18-06-2025.html)

Here are the most important changes:

• Increase in the minimum age: For particularly dangerous weapons such as pistols and revolvers, the Minimum age from 21 to 25. This is intended to prevent impulsive purchases by young adults.
• More stringent psychological assessments: The tests will be reformed to prevent "combination packages" in which expert opinions are handled too laxly. In addition, the exchange of data between the armed forces, psychiatric centres and weapons authorities will be improved - in the case of the Graz perpetrator, mental abnormalities were known but were not passed on - https://orf.at/stories/3397103/
• Extended cooling phase: The waiting period for gun purchases is extended from three days to four weeks to make spontaneous decisions more difficult - https://www.kosmo.at/neues-waffengesetz-kommt-das-sind-die-regeln/
• Exceptions for certain groups: Hunters and sport shooters remain largely unaffected as they are considered responsible. Automatic weapons remain banned and there are no plans for a total ban on private weapons - https://weidwerk.at/waffengesetz-2025-jagd-bleibt-von-verschaerfungen-ausgenommen/
• Additional measures: A 20 million euro fund for victim support, doubling the number of school psychologists and improved school safety concepts round off the package - https://www.spoe.at/waffenrecht-verschaerft/

These reforms aim to strike a balance between freedom and security, but critics see them as rushed. Google Trends data underlines the topicality: searches for "gun law tightening" exploded by 700 % in the week after the rampage, often combined with "Switzerland gun law" for comparisons.

Advantages of the tightening: more control for greater safety?

Those in favour of the reform argue that stricter rules can save lives. Here are the main advantages:

• Prevention of impulse offences: The extended cooling off period and higher age limit could reduce impulsive buying, especially among young people with mental health issues. Studies show that waiting periods in other countries reduce suicides and violent offences - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/world/europe/austria-gun-laws-school-shooting.html
• Better data exchange: The improved flow of information between authorities would allow high-risk individuals to be identified earlier. In the Graz case, this could have stopped the perpetrator, who acquired weapons despite an army investigation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PplDyBrInl4
• Social signalling effect: The measures signal a willingness to act and could strengthen public trust. Google Trends shows that searches for "victim protection Austria" increased in parallel, which indicates a need for protection.
• Harmonisation with EU standards: Austria's liberal law is being adapted somewhat to EU requirements, which could make illegal arms flows more difficult - https://iwoe.at/waffenrecht/das-neue-waffengesetz/

Overall, these steps could reduce the number of legal weapons in risky hands and lead to fewer incidents in the long term.

Why the tightening could still have positive effects

Despite criticism: In countries such as Slovakia, a similar reform following a killing spree in 2010 led to a Reduction of gun violence. Experts emphasise that preventive measures such as psychological tests protect society without unduly restricting freedoms.

Disadvantages of the tightening: symbolic policy without real effect?

Critics, including the FPÖ and gun lobby groups such as the IWÖ, see the reform as a mistake. Here are the disadvantages:

• Burden for legal owners: Many legal gun owners, especially hunters and shooters, feel criminalised. The tightening does not affect the illegal owners who cause the majority of offences - https://kurier.at/politik/inland/waffenrecht-oesterreich-amoklauf-bundesregierung-verschaerfung/403049145
• Rising arms sales before the reform: Since the announcement, there has been a massive increase in purchases - a "rush" on weapons that counteracts the reform.
• No evidence of efficacy: Stricter laws do not automatically reduce crime. In France and England, with strict rules, illegal weapons dominate the violence.
• Bureaucratic hurdles: Longer waiting times and tests could make legal purchases more difficult without stopping illegal purchases.

Why the tightening could be a mistake and won't help

The reform acts like a Quick-fire action: it covers up failures by the authorities, instead of tackling it. The Graz perpetrator had known mental health problems, but the data exchange was missing - a system gap that had existed before.

Instead of new laws, we need better implementation of existing rules. In addition: The Most gun offences are committed with illegal weapons, according to Europol reported.

Tightening the rules is useless if the black market is flourishing.

Deaths from firearms in Austria: registered vs. illegal

Austria has a low gun homicide rate: 0.19 per 100,000 inhabitants (17 deaths in 2023) - https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gun-deaths-by-country

Only a fraction involve legal weapons - the majority come from illegal sources, often from organised crime https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_law_in_Austria

In 2024/2025, suicides (approx. 200 per year) dominated the statistics, with Few homicides from legal firearms - https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2024/11/more-legal-firearms-do-not-lead-to-more-murders-in-europe

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Comparison with other countries

In the USA (4 per 100k) legal weapons dominate, in Japan (0.02) strict rules. Austria is close to Switzerland (0.2 per 100k), despite a high ownership rate.

Switzerland as a counter-example: liberal laws, low crime rate

The Switzerland has one of the highest gun ownership rates in Europe (thanks to the militia system), but the homicide rate is low (0.2 per 100k) - https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/how-switzerland-combines-a-passion-for-guns-with-safety/49115108

A comparison with Austria (0.19) shows that: Liberal laws with strict controls (psychological tests, compulsory storage) work. Less than 5 % of deaths caused by legal weapons - https://www.gunfacts.info/gun-policy-info/guns-in-other-countries/

Critics in Austria point out: Why tighten up when the Switzerland with similar remains safe?

Differences and lessons learnt

Switzerland: No automatic weapons for civilians, but high responsibility. Austria could benefit from better training instead of tightening up.

Why a senseless rush job? Cover-up of failure by the authorities

The reform is a response to public pressure - Google Trends shows spikes in "Amoklauf Österreich" by 1000 % - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/world/europe/austria-gun-laws-school-shooting.html

But it ignores the fact that the rampage was made possible by known loopholes (lack of data exchange) - https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/06/17/austrian-gunman-was-obsessed-with-school-shootings-police-say

Typical Austria: instead of fixing system errors, new rules are created that affect legal owners. This covers up failures and does not provide any real security.

CONCLUSION: Does Austria really need stricter laws?

The tightening of gun laws in Austria is a step in the right direction for some, but symbolism for others. With low rates and the Swiss comparison, focus on illegals and authorities could be better. Stay informed - share your opinion in the comments!