Helsinki, July 1 -- Sweden will ban AR-15 rifles and similar semi-automatic firearms for hunting following a deadly school shooting in February.
Starting Aug. 1, police will stop issuing new hunting licences for these weapons. Existing permits will be revoked in a second phase, with owners given two years to relicense them for sport or sell them. Unsold guns will be subject to a full-value buyback.
The AR-15 was only approved for hunting in 2023; the new rules reverse that decision.
At the same time, Sweden will ease some gun regulations for legal owners: allowing hunters to own up to eight firearms (ten if justified) and simplifying rules on storage, transport, and sport shooting licences.
The government said the reforms are design...