Semi-Automatic Rifles Circulating In Switzerland Despite Ban

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Semi-automatic rifles with large magazines have been banned in Switzerland since a change in the law in 2019. However, with a special permit, sports shooters and collectors can still obtain them. Cantonal authorities are issuing many such permits, research by the NZZ am Sonntag shows. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Semi-automatic rifles circulating in Switzerland despite ban This content was published on September 6, 2026 - 14:15 2 minutes SRF

In canton Zurich alone, nearly 20,000 weapons have been sold under special permits in the last seven years, a survey among the country's cantons by the German-language newspaper reveals.

The canton of Thurgau issued just over 5,300 such permits, the canton of Basel-Landschaft issued nearly 1,900, and Geneva issued just under 1,300. In Valais, nearly 400 exemptions have been granted this year alone, with only two applications rejected. In Neuchâtel, according to research by the NZZ, one in every four firearm purchase permits is an exemption.

No need to re-register old firearms

There is no exact total of the number of special permits issued in all of Switzerland, since there is no national firearms registry and some cantons do not keep statistics. But the NZZ reports that, based on estimates, tens of thousands of these firearms have been sold since the 2019 ban.

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