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THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS LARGELY GLEANED FROM INTERNET FORUMS AND CAN NOT YET BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE OR REFERENCE. HOPEFULLY OTHERS CAN CONTRIBUTE AND SOLIDIFY THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE FOLLOWING INFO.


While having a moderate amount of civilian owned guns, Sweden has a low gun crime rate[1]. Sweden Also has a similar gun crime rate to neighboring Finland, a country with the third highest incidence of gun ownership per capita in the world.

General Overview of Regulation edit

Almost all guns are licensed/registered in Sweden. Firearms may be purchased by adults over the age of 18. Generally speaking, firearms laws are broken down into two categories: those for hunting, and those for shooting sports. There are different permitting processes for both types. Also, firearms owners are required to adhere to safe storage requirements for their firearms.


Regulation by Firearm Type (Including Common Firearm Accessories) edit

  • - Airguns, Crossbows, Black Powder, Muzzle loaders, etc.:
- There are restrictions on the use of airguns for hunting.
- Crossbows are generally held to the same rules as airguns
- No special restrictions known for black powder, etc.
- Rimfire pistols and rifles are the easiest firearms to obtain. See below in the hunting and sporting purposes sections.
  • All rifles have a minimum barrel length requirement of 450mm (about 18").
  • Single shot:
- No special restrictions known
  • Manual loading (Bolt Action, Lever Action, Pump Action, Etc.)
- No special restrictions known
  • Semi-Automatic Auto-loading:
- There are restrictions (see below) regarding semi automatic rifles for hunting purposes.
- unknown what restrictions exist on semi-auto rifles for sporting purposes
  • Fully Automatic Auto-loading:
  • It is possible to get a permit for fully automatic weapons in Sweden. In practical terms though, it is more or less impossible to obtain such a permit for sporting purposes these days. The easiest way to get such a permit is to join the Swedish Home Guard in which case you will be issued either an AK 4 (licensed HK G3 copy), an AK 5 (licensed FN FNC copy), or possibly an Ksp-45 (M/45). One has to be a Swedish citizen and have already completed their military service.
- Not sure but possibly restrictions exist regarding barrel length (450mm?)
- Semi-automatic shotguns are restricted for hunting purposes (see below)
- No other restrictions known.
Pistols are specially regulated in Sweden.
- They are not allowed for hunting use.
- They may be purchased by members of shooting clubs for sporting purposes tough (see the section on sporting purposes below).
- As of year 2000, there were no known restrictions on types or calibers of handguns. The same permitting process applied to any handguns on the market.
- No special restrictions known
  • - Military Caliber Restrictions:
- No special restrictions known
  • - Magazine Capacity Restrictions:
- No special restrictions known
  • - Barrel Length Restrictions:
Rifle barrels are restricted to no less than 450mm (about 18")
- unknown what the restriction for shotgun barrels is
- Sound suppressors (more commonly referred to as moderators by the Swedes) are legal and common.
- Suppressors for specified calibers are legal for hunting purposes. A license is required, but is normally always granted.
- I do not know the specific rules that apply to them though.
- No special restrictions known
  • - Any Other (ie. Folding Stocks, Pistol Grips, Forward Pistol Grips, Laser Sighting Devices, etc.):
- No special restrictions known

Ownership edit

  • Civilian Ownership:

Civilian firearms ownership in Sweden is generally divided into two different permitting procedures, one for hunting, the other for sporting purposes. Both permitting processes share the same basic prerequisites. In order to purchase a firearm in Sweden, one must:

1. Be 18 years or older.
2. Have a clean criminal record for at least the previous five years.
- Licensees can have their licenses revoked even for misdemeanors or, according to one source, a drunk in public arrest.
- Loss of license will result in confiscation of firearms without compensation.
- While this is a "may issue" license rather than a "shall-issue," it is generally accepted that fulfillment of the requirements will result in the issuance of a license except in the case of people who have higher order crimes like murder in their criminal records. Even if they have been clean for more than five years, the issuance of a firearms license to such persons is extremely unlikely.
3. A permit is required which depends on type of firearm and intended use
4. The firearm must also be stored in an approved safe or gun cabinet.
- Documentation proving ownership of such a safe or cabinet is required.
- The police are also able to knock on your door and check for proper firearms storage. In the event that their inspection shows a failure to properly store your firearms, they will be confiscated and you may be charged with ___??___.
  • For Hunting:
  • For hunting purposes, a license is required.
- This license requires a test (the "hunter examina"), but the test need only be taken once and is valid for the rest of your life.
- Usually some sort of written declaration attesting that you are a law-abiding, stable person is also required.
  • Once the above is accomplished, one may apply for up to 4 licenses for long guns (rifles or shotguns) and usually this will be approved. The licenses may be open with just the type and class of weapon desired, or they may be specific to the individual weapon you intend to purchase.
- Should you desire more than 4 long guns, you need to give a reason. Should you want more than six, you need a really good reason. It used to be there was a six gun absolute limit, but now one can obtain more than six long guns.
  • Only certain types of rifles and shotguns (and combination weapons) are allowed for hunting purposes*
- There is a classification system with four classes of weapons, 1-4. They range from class 4, which is the smallest calibers (mostly .22lr), to class 1, which is the largest calibers. Class 1 is for "högvilt" which are large game such as moose and bear. 6.5x55mm is the weakest caliber in this class.
- There are restrictions regarding semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. There is a list of approved semi-autos.
-*- There is, however, a license for single shot .22 rimfire pistols for "grytjakt." This is the shooting of foxes and other ground dwelling animals, the hunting of which involves digging and/or dogs.
-*- There is also a license to use air rifles for hunting purposes available to persons designated as community assigned hunters.
  • All rifles and shotguns must be licensed. The weapon's serial number is written on the license.
  • For Shooting Sports:


  • Firearms for shooting sports are much more closely regulated in Sweden than those for hunting purposes. Handguns are considered more dangerous than long guns; full-auto is considered more dangerous still. The permitting process is correspondingly more difficult for the latter two.
- For Rifles:?????
- For Shotguns:???
- For Handguns, one must:
1. Be a member of a shooting club in good standing. This usually costs about 2000Kr (??)
- In order to start, you generally have to pass both a written and practical (shooting) test.
- You would use a borrowed gun for this.
2. After having been an active member for six months, your club can issue a statement that you are an active member and need your own gun for competition.
- Active membership means having shot at least three gold series tests (46 out of 50 possible on IPSC 25 meter target), as well as a single fast test with six shots in the black in under 10 seconds. You also must have competed in at least 4 competitions. This may vary from club to club though????
3. At this point you are eligible to purchase a rimfire semi-automatic pistol or revolver.
4. After 1 year, you may purchase any handgun legal in Sweden, but only if you have competed in at least four competitions within that gun's weapons class.
5. There is no official limit on how many handguns you may own. They all require licensing though. In order to get a new license, the new weapon must generally be of a different type (but not necessarily caliber) in order to prove that it will be for different types of competition use.
- Licenses issued after July of 2000 are limited to 5 years, after which reapplication is necessary.
- For Full-Auto:???
  • For Personal Protection:
  • - A license to own a gun for personal protection does exist, but they are extremely difficult to obtain and only valid for certain time-frames.
  • Other Personal Uses:
  • If you know of any other types of license, please enter them here.
  • Military & Police ownership of personal firearms:
  • National Guard, Reserve, Home Guard, etc.:
  • Private Security Companies/Contractors:
  • Ownership by Foreign Nationals Living and/or Working in the Country:

Firearm Storage Laws edit

In Sweden, firearms are required to be stored in approved safes or gun cabinets.
There exists a standard operating procedure in the Swedish police for how licenses should be issued. This is not a formal law, but the SOP assigns points to firearms and says that you cannot have more than 20 points worth of weapons in one location (this can be interpreted as one safe or cabinet). Long guns are 1 point, handguns are 2 points, and full auto are 5 (possibly 10?) points.


Transportation edit

Personal Carry edit

  • - Concealed Carry:
  • - Open Carry:
  • - Specially Restricted Areas and/or Gun Free Zones:

Firearms and Self Defense edit

Unregistered Firearms edit

Does Sweden, like neighboring Finland, have large numbers of unregistered firearms dating from World War II and before? Are there similar amnesties for turning them in, etc.?

General gun politics edit

See also edit

References edit

External links edit

Sweden Gun

  1. ^ A2
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