Buenos Aires, Argentina – November 6, 2025 – In a significant shift in national firearms policy, Argentine President Javier Milei has signed a resolution authorizing civilians to purchase and possess semi-automatic rifles for the first time in over three decades. The measure, enacted on November 5, 2025, effectively ends a sweeping prohibition established in 1990 and introduces a regulated framework emphasizing traceability, secure storage, and justified sporting or recreational use. This reform marks a cornerstone of Milei's pro-libertarian agenda, which prioritizes individual rights and reduced state intervention in personal security matters.
The resolution, published in the Official Gazette (Boletín Oficial) on Wednesday, replaces Decree 114/1990 with a new control system managed by the National Directorate of Weapons and Explosives (Dirección Nacional de Armas y Explosivos, or DANAE). Under the previous regime, civilians were barred from acquiring semi-automatic rifles—defined as firearms capable of firing multiple rounds with a single trigger pull without manual reloading—unless granted rare exceptions by the Ministry of National Defense. Such approvals were typically reserved for law enforcement, military personnel, or elite sporting competitors, leaving the vast majority of citizens without access.
The new policy establishes a multi-tiered application process designed to balance access with public safety. Applicants must first specify the exact model of the semi-automatic rifle they intend to acquire, including serial number and technical specifications, to enable full traceability from manufacture to end-user. A cornerstone requirement is the possession of a G2-type storage facility, a fortified, lockable safe or vault certified by the National Arms Registry (Registro Nacional de Armas). This ensures that firearms are stored securely to prevent unauthorized access, theft, or misuse.
Additionally, prospective owners must submit a sworn affidavit outlining the "sporting justification" for the request, supported by corroborating evidence such as membership in a recognized shooting club, competition records, or training certifications. Photographs of the proposed storage setup and the firearm itself are mandatory, allowing DANAE officials to verify compliance during inspections. Background checks, including criminal history reviews and psychological evaluations, remain in place as part of the broader "legitimate user" credentialing process. Once approved, permits are valid for five years, renewable upon re-verification.
This overhaul directly supplants the Menem-era decree, which was enacted amid rising concerns over urban violence and organized crime in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Carlos Menem, who served as president from 1989 to 1999, implemented the ban as part of a broader package of public security reforms following Argentina's return to democracy after the 1976-1983 military dictatorship. At the time, semi-automatic rifles were viewed as tools of potential insurgency or cartel warfare, echoing global trends in arms control post-Cold War. The 1990 measure was credited with reducing illegal trafficking but criticized by gun rights advocates for infringing on Second Amendment-like principles embedded in Argentina's constitution, which guarantees the right to self-defense.
The pathway to this week's resolution began in June 2025, when Milei's administration formally repealed the 1990 decree via an executive order, citing its obsolescence in a modern context of evolving threats like cybercrime and border smuggling. However, that step alone left a regulatory vacuum, prompting outcry from both pro-gun lobbies and safety organizations. Wednesday's resolution fills that gap by operationalizing a "regulated liberalization" model, drawing inspiration from systems in countries like Switzerland and the Czech Republic, where civilian firearm ownership is permitted under strict oversight.
President Milei, an economist-turned-politician who assumed office in December 2023 after a surprise electoral victory, has long championed gun law deregulation as a bulwark against state overreach. During his 2023 campaign, Milei frequently invoked the U.S. Second Amendment, arguing that "an armed society is a polite society" and positioning firearms as essential for personal liberty. In viral rallies and media appearances, he pledged to dismantle what he called "socialist shackles" on self-defense rights, including bans on concealed carry and high-capacity magazines. This resolution fulfills a key promise, coming just months after his government's December 2024 adjustment to lower the minimum age for a "legitimate gun user card" from 21 to 18. That card serves as a prerequisite for any firearm license, streamlining access for young adults while maintaining vetting protocols.
The timing of the reform coincides with Milei's broader economic stabilization efforts, as Argentina grapples with 200% annual inflation and a recession projected to contract GDP by 3.5% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund estimates. Supporters argue that empowering civilians with defensive tools could alleviate pressure on underfunded police forces, which number about 200,000 nationwide but face chronic equipment shortages. "This isn't about vigilantism; it's about sovereignty over one's life," Milei stated in a televised address on Thursday, flanked by security ministers. He emphasized that the policy targets "responsible sporting enthusiasts," projecting fewer than 50,000 initial permits in the first year.
Yet, the move has ignited fierce debate, with human rights groups and opposition lawmakers decrying it as reckless amid surging violent crime. Argentina's homicide rate, while low by Latin American standards at 5.3 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024 (per United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime data), has ticked upward in urban centers like Buenos Aires and Rosario, where drug-related shootings claimed over 300 lives last year. Amnesty International Argentina issued a statement warning that "deregulating semi-automatics risks amplifying cycles of retaliation in vulnerable communities," citing studies from the U.S. showing correlations between relaxed laws and mass shooting incidents. Left-leaning Peronist legislators, led by Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's bloc, have vowed to challenge the resolution in Congress, potentially via a veto-proof bill requiring 129 votes in the lower house.
Gun control advocates point to regional precedents: neighboring Brazil's 2003-2019 disarmament campaign under Lula da Silva reduced firearm homicides by 20%, while Chile's post-Pinochet restrictions have kept civilian arsenals minimal. In contrast, pro-reform voices, including the Argentine Chamber of Arms Manufacturers, hail the change as an economic boon, forecasting a 15% uptick in legal imports from European suppliers like Beretta and Glock. The domestic firearms industry, nascent but growing, employs 5,000 workers and could expand with standardized G2 certification programs.
Implementation will roll out in phases, starting January 2026, with DANAE launching an online portal for applications and mandatory training seminars. Fees are set at 50,000 pesos (about $50 USD at current rates), subsidized for low-income applicants affiliated with Olympic shooting federations. Early data from pilot programs in Córdoba province, where 2,000 civilians tested the system since July, report a 98% compliance rate, with no storage violations recorded.
As Argentina navigates this pivot, international observers watch closely. The U.S. National Rifle Association congratulated Milei on X (formerly Twitter), while the European Union's arms export watchdog flagged potential ripple effects on South American trafficking routes. For everyday Argentines, the policy underscores a philosophical battle: between collective security and individual autonomy. With Milei's approval ratings hovering at 55% amid austerity protests, this gamble could either solidify his base or fuel backlash in midterm elections set for October 2026.
In related developments, Milei's security cabinet announced parallel investments in border surveillance tech, including AI-driven drones along the Paraguay frontier, to offset any perceived liberalization risks. Public opinion polls by Opina Argentina show a slim majority (52%) favoring the reform, with urban youth driving support—echoing the 18-year-old threshold change.
This story will evolve as legal challenges mount and the first permits are issued. For now, Argentina steps boldly into a new era of armed citizenship, testing the limits of Milei's radical vision.
