Increase in gun ownership cards: Graz-Amo run ensures fear in Vienna

Increase in gun ownership cards: Graz-Amo run ensures fear in Vienna

After the tragic killing spree in Graz, in which a young man with legally acquired weapons cost eleven people, the demand for firearms in Vienna has increased massively. According to kosmo.at , over 40,000 people are now registered in the city as gun owners who hoard around 150,000 firearms.

arms dealers complain about a sudden increase in registrations for weapon guide certificates. One reason for this could be the general uncertainty among the population, who often use self -defense after the dramatic events in Graz. For example, category C self -defense shotguns can be purchased from the age of 18 without special approval.

changes in legislation

• Access to the results of psychological aptitude tests for the weapons authorities
• preliminary weapons bans in the event of ongoing investigations into domestic violence
• raising the minimum age for particularly dangerous firearms from 21 to 25 years
• The time limit for the gun owners for first owners to eight years

According to a report by Kurier.at , buyers of a Glock 19, at least 21 years old, show a weapon ownership card and one Psychological test. Rainer Kastner, a weapon psychologist, notices that many prospective gun owners often state that they want to be sports shooters, while self -protection is often mentioned as a true motivation.

The requirements for receiving a gun ownership card are clear: it requires proof of dealing with weapons and a psychological report on weapons. However, Julia Wachter from the Böp department's department suggests that the current tests are outdated and do not offer any clear guidelines regarding the reliability of experts.

A look at the numbers

With statement of June 1, 2025, there were 374,141 gun owners registered across Austria, an increase of over 4,000 in just five months. In Vienna there are 40,464 people who have more than 150,144 firearms. It is critical that the alleged perpetrator in Graz only had a gun ownership card, which, however, did not entitle him to lead category B - a weapon pass would have been required.

According to information from orf.at Austria is considered one of the most peaceful countries in the world. However, the subjective feeling of security has dropped sharply since the 2015 refugee crisis and various global terrorist attacks. This combination led to an unsafe atmosphere, which probably moves many to acquire firearms. Changes in legislation often come after tragic events, whereby the need for more precise and serious assessments should be taken into account.