Switzerland faces uncertainty over semi-automatic weapon counts

Following a shooting in Aarau where a 43-year-old man used an AK-74 to kill one person and injure six others at a rave, questions have emerged regarding the exact number of semi-automatic weapons currently held in Switzerland.

Although semi-automatic weapons like the AK-74 have been banned since 2019, individuals who owned them prior to the law change were permitted to keep them. While owners were required to re-register these weapons by August 2022, many cantons are unable to provide accurate figures on how many remain in circulation.

Investigations into the 26 cantonal weapons offices revealed that most cannot provide specific data. For instance, the canton of Zurich stated that such information could not be extracted from its weapons register. In Bern, registration data is inconsistent because a single possession confirmation could cover multiple weapons. The Swiss Parliament has previously rejected the implementation of a unified national weapons register.