According to the Swedish online hunting magazine called Jakt & Jägare, Norway is to ban some semi-automatic hunting rifles.

Before you read on, please note that the subject here is the new firearms legislation, not the politics behind it other than as an orientation.

Norway is not even a member of the European Union, but they seem to be following – and even prepared to go much further – than the EU Gun Ban that is going to be implemented in the rest of the EU in 2018.

The only good news is that the “wardrobe”, which allows the size of the maximum amount of rifles, is going to be extended from a maximum of 6 to 8 long firearms (rifle/shotgun). This may sound silly, but is already a fact in many EU countries.

You can find facts about the European Firearms Directive / EU Gun Ban here. (Wikipedia)

Below is an auto translated version of the original article in Jakt & Jägare and TFB has asked and got permission to quote.

Norwegian hunters WILL lose their semi-automatic hunting rifles.



Hard criticism from Norway’s Hunter and Fisheries Federation:



Foreign Publicated: 2018-03-13.

The Norwegian parliament goes further than the EU’s new arms directive and has taken the first step towards banning most semi-automatic rifles in the country. Norway’s Hunter and Fisheries Federation (NJFF) strongly criticize the new firearms legislation, which means that those who already posses the “wrong” type firearms can not keep them. “NJFF believes it is unacceptable with a retroactive ban on hunting weapons that have been in legal use for many decades. The fact that the owners are not given opportunity to get any sort of compensation does not make the case better. We will work hard to get compensation,” said the federal hunting consultant Vidar Nilsen in a statement from NJFF. Three years to scrap or sell the gun According to representatives of the Norwegian government, the new weapons legislation may land in the event that affected gun owners get three years to scrap the gun or try to sell the weapon to foreign buyers. The situation in Norway at the moment is that there are only a number of semi-automatic rifles that are allowed for hunting. If they are considered “military” they are not allowed. Intends to ban the Ruger Mini Rifle Exactly which semi-automatic rifles that will become illegal due to the change of law is unclear. But already now it is known that the Ruger Mini will be banned. It was the model Breivik used when he killed 69 people on Utöya in 2011. If any more firearms will be banned is to be determined. May own another two hunting weapons The new legislation will mean that the hunters in Norway get an extended weapon wardrobe and can own eight hunting weapons instead of a maximum of six at the moment.

Below: A photo from the past. Author’s Remington 700 and Ruger Mini 14, both on hunting permits.

If I was living in Norway I would have 3 years to permanently destroy the Mini 14 or export it.

Frankly, I think selling and exporting it is unrealistic and very unfair to those who did nothing but own a legal firearm on a hunting permit. It isn’t going to make Norway a safer place, but I fear that more countries will follow this.

Selling and exporting a firearm which is about to be banned is going to hurt both resale value (it will be close to zero for a Mini 14) and is far from easy, as exporting will also mean added VAT, loads of paperwork, shipping etc. In fact, just scrapping the Mini 14 might seem like the least expensive option if compared to exporting it.

I know that many refrain from selling and exporting old historical firearms of low value due to the costly administration and shipping. The Mini 14 is not going to be an exception.

As the full list of rifles to be banned is not yet determined, it would be interesting to know who will chose which rifle that goes on the list and on what grounds?

The current list of approved semi-automatic hunting rifles in NORWAY is as follows:

(note they have to fulfill the minimum requirement for barrel and overall length etc.)

1. Winchester M/100,

2. Browning BAR (but not the Browning BAR M/1918),

3. Remington Modell four,

4. Remington modell 7400,

5. Remington 742 Woodmaster,

6. Ruger mini 14,

7. Ruger mini 30,

8. Heckler & Koch modell 2000,

9. Marlin modell 45,

10. Marlin modell 9 camp carabine,

11. Valmet Petra,

12. Valmet Hunter,

13. Voere modell 2185,

14. Vepr Super,

15. Vepr Pioneer,

16. Vepr Hunter,

17. Benelli Argo,

18. Sauer mod 303,

19. Carl Gustav 2000 light/Carl Gustav 2000 Classic Vapen,

20. Merkel SR 1,

21. Remington 750, og

22. Heckler & Koch modell 770.

23. Garand mod M 1,

24. Garand mod M 1 C,

25. Garand mod M 1 D,

26. Mauser mod G-41,

27. Walther mod G-41.

Source: § 5 in this link: https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2011-09-09-930?q=godkjente%20halvautomatiske

You can check TFB’s previous article on the UK Government considering to ban .50 cal and Lever Release action rifles. New restrictive firearms legislation seems to be a never ending story unfortunately.

Please click and check the sources below for more information and pictures:

Source: https://www.jaktojagare.se/kategorier/utrikes/norska-jagare-forlorar-halvautomater-20180313/

and NJFF, in Norwegian.