The Argentine government, led by far-right Javier Milei, has today authorized the purchase and possession of semi-automatic rifles by civilians, lifting a ban that has been in place since the 1990s.
According to various international agencies, the new regulations have been published in the Official Bulletin of Argentina, establishing «a new authorization regime» for civilian firearm users and shooting organizations, allowing them to «acquire or possess semi-automatic weapons such as rifles, carbines, or assault submachine guns derived from military models.»
The established requirements include the precise identification of the weapon. Additionally, the applicant must have a registered G2 Storage Sector (an approved storage system by the National Arms Registry) and submit a sworn statement detailing the reasons for their request, along with supporting documentation and photographs of the material.
It is worth noting that one year ago, in December 2024, Milei’s government lowered the minimum age to obtain the «legitimate user credential for firearms» to 18 years, the first step towards acquiring possession. According to data provided by the authorities, by 2024, there were 185,535 individuals holding this credential, the majority being men.
The governmental decision has sparked immediate reactions, most of which are highly critical.
In statements to the newspaper Página 12, Martín Angerosa, co-founder of the Argentine Disarmament Network (RAD), recalled that such weapons can fire bursts of bullets, warning that the first effect of such measures «is that the guns which criminal organizations previously had to seek out from military barracks will now be sought from the homes of civilians.»
«We have Brazil’s experience with Bolsonaro, who liberalized the gun market, resulting in a surge of femicides with such rifles. There were shootings in schools and public squares. These are weapons of war, with significant power. Their lethality is a defining characteristic. A person with one of these and two or three magazines can kill 100 people. It’s an enormous risk to society,» emphasized Martín Angerosa.
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El Ciudadano