Weapons training on the farm: officer temporarily dismissed – police on duty!

Weapons training on the farm: officer temporarily dismissed – police on duty!

On October 17, 2025, a weapons exercise on a farm in Vorchdorf, Upper Austria, triggered a large-scale police operation. According to [5min.at](https://www.5min.at/oesterreich/5202510171359/ Waffenuebung-bei-bauernhof-officer-vorlaeufig-vom-dienst-enthoben/), a witness alerted the authorities via emergency call after noticing armed people in a building. They had a large number of semi-automatic weapons, some of which were dismantled and hidden.

A total of 19 people from Upper Austria, Salzburg and Carinthia took part in this exercise. After the police operation, in which the Cobra task force and the rapid intervention group were also called in, a federal army officer was reported for resisting state authority. The Ministry of Defense decided to temporarily remove the officer from duty, which was classified as a security measure. The official notice of dismissal is already on its way to the officer, who is on leave.

Investigations and possible consequences

The case will be forwarded to the federal disciplinary authority in the Federal Chancellery. Permanent dismissal could result in a one-third pay cut for the officer. The decision on the disciplinary procedure rests with another authority within the Ministry of Defense. There was already a case against the officer in 2018 for racist speech, but it was dropped.

At least 50 semi-automatic weapons were seized during the operation. Despite the intensive investigations, which also involved the State Office for State Security and Combating Extremism, there were no indications of extremism or state denial.

Gun law in focus

The incident occurred in a country that has only recently engaged in a comprehensive debate over its gun laws. The background is the rampage in Graz on June 10, 2025, in which a 21-year-old shot ten people and then committed suicide. In response to this tragedy, the Austrian government announced that it would introduce a new gun law, which was announced as the most comprehensive amendment to the gun law in the last 30 years, according to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) in a report by [br.de](https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/oesterreich-kuendigt-nach-amoklauf-schaerferes- Waffenrecht-an,UvpLSiN).

The reforms are intended to prevent future acts of violence. The most important changes include raising the minimum age for purchasing pistols and revolvers from 21 to 25 years and introducing a mandatory psychological examination when applying for a gun ownership card. In addition, a four-week “cooling off” period will be introduced when purchasing weapons for the first time in order to avoid spontaneous impulse purchases. The first changes could take effect as early as October 2023, and further adjustments are planned for spring 2026.

The incident in Vorchdorf highlights the challenges and urgently needed reforms in Austria's gun laws, which are already considered one of the most liberal in Europe, as orf.at reports. Critics particularly highlight the earlier, less stringent psychological tests that were part of the process for obtaining a gun ownership license.