Fear of refugees committing crimes have led Austrians to go on a spending spree for firearms, according to an Austrian news report.

Headlined "Austrians are arming themselves with guns", the OE24 report says the wave of refugees arriving in Austria has led to record sales for gun retailers.

German police officers watch migrants crossing the border between Austria and Germany on Wednesday. Credit:AP

Sales of weapons have surged abruptly with 70,000 more firearms sold so far this year than the same period last year, the report said.

"Nearly all shotguns are sold out because you don't need to have a firearms permit to buy them," Thomas Ortner, spokesman for gun retailers in the state of Upper Austria, said.