Argentina's President: Semi-Automatics OK for civilians after a 30-year ban

Argentina’s President: Semi-Automatics OK for civilians after a 30-year ban

June 19, 2025

President Javier Milei has authorised the purchase of semi-automatic and assault-style weapons by civilians via decree, reversing a three decade ban in place since 1995.

The measure – signed by Milei, Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos and Security Minister Patricia Bullrich – was published Wednesday in an official Argentine decree.

This flows along nicely with campaign rhetoric and a reduction in the minimum age to possess firearms from 21 to 18 years of age that he pushed through about 6 months ago. ISRA members should note that Argentina still has a lot of gun law in place and that while there appears to be an obligation to bear arms when called on, becoming a firearms owner has its own set of restrictions.

Here’s English language coverage from the Buenos Aires Times:

https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/milei-authorises-sale-of-semi-automatic-and-assault-weapons-to-civilians.phtml

Changing the minimum age 6 months ago:

https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-12-16/milei-lowers-age-for-gun-posession-in-argentina-by-decree.html

image (c)ElDestape

“Ninety-eight percent of the people in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It’s the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.”

Lily Tomlin

“The people who work against your gun rights are basically saying to you, “The right of the criminal to rip you off, rape and kill you shall not be infringed.” And they wonder why we’re a bit testy”

Editor of KABA LIBERTY ADVOCATE, Friday, July 30, 2001

“I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.”

SUSAN B. ANTHONY

“You may find me one day dead in a ditch somewhere. But by God, you’ll find me in a pile of brass.”

Tpr. M. Padgett

“Using inner city kids as your proof that guns and kids don’t mix, is like using an alcoholic to prove all people will abuse alcohol.”

Lori Broadhead

“How dare politicians continue to pass insane laws forcing good, law-abiding people to be defenseless and helpless.”

Ted Nugent

The said Constitution [shall] never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe or to prevent the people of the United States from keeping their own arms.”

Samuel Adams, Massachusetts' U.S. Constitution Ratification Convention, 1788

“One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation.”

Thomas B. Reed (1886)

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”

Thomas Jefferson, Proposed Virginia Constitution (1776)

“Foolish liberals who are trying to read the Second Amendment out of the Constitution are courting disaster by encouraging others to use the same means to eliminate portions of the constitution THEY don’t like.”

Alan Dershowitz

“Every 13 seconds in America someone uses a gun to stop a crime.”

Sen. Larry Craig

“The AK-47 is not a device of aggression … I devised this machine-gun for the security of my country,”

Argentina’s President: Semi-Automatics OK for civilians after a 30-year ban

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