More and more people in Saxony are arming themselves

More and more people in Saxony are arming themselves. This was revealed by a small question from state parliament member Juliane Nagel (Left Party). According to the Ministry of the Interior's answer, 32,800 private gun owners were registered in the Free State at the end of 2025, 300 more than in the previous year. At the same time, the number of legally owned firearms rose by almost 2,500 to just under 158,000. These include irritant, signal and alarm weapons.

"Alarm weapons also remain in demand. This is shown by the increasing number of so-called small firearms licenses, which entitle the holder to carry them concealed in public," emphasized Nagel. At the end of the year, 25,155 small firearms licenses had been issued - 459 more than a year earlier. The number of weapons acquired on this basis is not recorded.

Left-wing politician suspects feelings of insecurity as a motive

"I have been looking at this development with concern for some time, because it can hardly be explained by a growing interest in shooting sports, for example. Instead, individual armament reflects widespread feelings of insecurity, which may be understandable," emphasized the MP. However, this does not necessarily correspond to the actual crime situation.

In addition, the feeling of security conveyed by weapons is deceptive, said Nagel. "As more and more weapons come into circulation, new dangers arise from misuse and improper use. Anyone applying for a small firearms license doesn't even have to prove that they have any knowledge of how to use the weapon or of the legal regulations."

Another problem: firearms are going missing

The Left Party politician sees yet another problem: at the beginning of this year, 1.At the beginning of this year, 1,160 originally legally owned firearms and weapon parts were wanted because they had gone missing.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the local weapons authorities carried out 1,180 inspections of gun owners last year - mostly without cause or notification. Just under 17 percent of the checks resulted in complaints. As a result, possession permits can be revoked and weapons confiscated. This happened a total of 148 times in 2025, including 26 small firearms licenses.