The Government and The Sweden Democrats are now in agreement on a new firearms regulation that is expected to be presented this afternoon.
TT has learned that it means that the police from August 1 will no longer grant new permits for hunting with the rifle AR-15.
The rifle is a so-called semi-automatic rifle of military type, and came into focus after the mass shooting at a school in Örebro in February.
The shooter did not use this particular weapon, but the Government decided anyway to proceed with limiting access to it.
To be replaced
Hunters who want to keep their AR-15 will have two years to meet the requirements for sports shooting instead. Otherwise, the weapon must be sold or redeemed. The state will then pay 100 percent of the weapon's market value at the time of purchase.
If the weapon is not redeemed voluntarily, it will be compulsorily redeemed.
AR-15 has been allowed for hunters to use for hunting since August 2023, when the Environmental Protection Agency changed the rules. Since then, several thousand hunters have managed to acquire it.
In May last year, however, an investigation proposed that it should be banned for hunting. The investigator emphasized, among other things, that the weapon is compatible with large military magazines and can be exploited for violent crime or terrorism.
Other semi-automatic hunting rifles, such as the Browning BAR used by the shooter in Örebro, will continue to be allowed.
Allowed to have more weapons
The Government is also expected to present this afternoon easing of firearms legislation for shooters.
According to the magazine Swedish Hunting, it is about the so-called gun cabinet (how many weapons you are allowed to have) being expanded from today's four hunting weapons, plus two that require motivation, to eight hunting weapons plus two.
The motivation is that in a time of increasing wildlife populations and new forms of hunting, such as wild boar hunting during the dark hours of the day, demands are placed on more specialized weapons.
