Over time, each person has developed one or another idea about weapons, and if for some weapons carry a hidden threat, for others it is a way to ensure their own safety. In addition to hunting and self-defense, weapons are used in sporting events.
Usually, articles on such topics do not focus due attention; meanwhile, the law strictly defines the procedure for using sports weapons, and also establishes the need and opportunity to buy them or obtain permission to store them.
Sporting weapons are not intended to hit a living target, but they have sufficient destructive power that certain requirements are imposed on the owner. Let's consider the opportunity that is provided to citizens to obtain the appropriate permit for sporting weapons.
Types of sporting weapons
Classification:
| Type of sporting weapon. | A brief description of. |
| Throwing. | Used to hit a target from a distance. |
| Firearm with a rifled barrel. | The category unites both long-barreled and popular short-barreled guns. |
| Smoothbore firearm. | |
| Pneumatic. | This category includes weapons whose caliber exceeds 4.5 mm. |
| Cold. | This group includes cutting and piercing equipment that meets certain parameters. |
The procedure for obtaining a license is necessary when purchasing short-barreled rifles.
Weapons prohibited for circulation in Russia
In accordance with the federal law “On Weapons”, the circulation of the following types is prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation
:
- long-barreled firearms with a magazine capacity of more than 10 rounds (with the exception of some types of sporting weapons);
- firearms that are shaped to imitate other objects;
- smooth-bore firearms chambered for rifled barrel cartridges;
- civilian firearms of limited destruction with a muzzle energy of over 91 J and service firearms of limited destruction with a bullet kinetic energy of over 150 J.
- flails (weights attached to the handle with a chain or rope), brass knuckles, boomerangs, etc.;
- cartridges with armor-piercing, incendiary, explosive or tracer bullets, as well as cartridges with shot shells for gas pistols and revolvers;
- some types of gas weapons that are equipped with nerve agents, poisons, and other substances prohibited for use;
- electroshock devices and spark gaps having output parameters that exceed the values established by the state standard of the Russian Federation;
- cold bladed weapons, knives, blades, the blades of which are either automatically removed from the handle when a button or lever is pressed and fixed by them, or extended due to gravity and automatically fixed (the length of the blade and blade is more than 90 mm).
Who is eligible for a sports license?
The right to purchase sports equipment is granted to citizens who have documentary evidence of employment in the sports in which the equipment is used. A sports passport is provided as a document. Also, the right to purchase such weapons is given to citizens who have received the appropriate permit and have a hunter’s license.
Important! Only athletes who have previously owned smoothbore weapons for five years or more can buy a rifle. If the period of possession does not comply with accepted standards, a refusal to issue a license or permit is issued.
Air guns do not require licensing, but only if their caliber is less than 4.5 mm . If the indicators are exceeded, in order to purchase equipment the citizen must submit an application from the sports association to which he is a member.
Refusal to extend the permit
The grounds for refusal to renew a permit to store and use weapons may be as follows:
:
- Incomplete set of documents.
- Failure to pay state duty.
- There are errors in the information.
- Lack of permanent registration by the applicant.
- Presence of medical contraindications to gun ownership.
- Inability to ensure conditions for the safety of equipment.
- Committing two or more administrative offenses during the year that are associated with a violation of public order and safety.
- A court decision by which the applicant is deprived of his weapon.
- Unexpunged conviction.
If at least one of the above points is present, the citizen will receive a written refusal to extend the permit. In this case, you can correct the mistake and resubmit the application or appeal the refusal in court.
Persons who cannot obtain a permit?
Citizens undergoing the licensing procedure must meet a list of requirements. Non-compliance with any point regulated by the norms of Federal Law No. 13 is considered as a prerequisite for a refusal. The main requirements are the following:
- Medical indicators. It is mandatory to present a certificate confirming that the citizen is not registered with a psychiatrist or narcologist. A certificate of biochemical analysis of urine is also required, confirming the absence of traces of illegal drugs.
- Criminal record . When conducting a check, a request is sent to the ATC database to determine whether the applicant has a criminal record. If a person has previously been prosecuted, the right to purchase a weapon will be denied. The reason for the refusal is the presence of a previously expunged criminal record.
- Lack of registration. To obtain a permit, temporary or permanent registration is required. Citizens who do not have one are automatically deprived of the right to obtain a license.
- Administrative offences. Offenses in the area of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation associated with non-compliance with the rules of public order are also grounds for a refusal.
- Lack of documents confirming a high level of sports qualifications or a hunter’s ticket.
Important! Age restrictions also apply. The minimum threshold after which a citizen is entitled to purchase sporting weapons is 18 years of age.
Who is allowed to have a gun?
The state strictly monitors the issuance of permits to store and use weapons; not everyone can obtain such a document.
“Citizens of the Russian Federation who have reached the age of 21, as well as people undergoing military service, or having military ranks or high ranks of justice, can purchase firearms of limited destruction,” lawyer Denis Tikhonov shared with RIA Novosti
Hunting enthusiasts can get smooth-bore, pneumatic and throwing weapons. Athletes are issued a license for pneumatic and smoothbore equipment. Long-barreled and short-barreled (the second type must be kept exclusively in the shooting club) rifled weapons are allowed only to people with the titles “Master of Sports” and “Master of Sports of International Class”
.
A weapons license is issued to citizens with permanent registration, provided there is no outstanding criminal record
, any administrative penalties related to violation of public safety, and contraindications for health reasons.
“People over 18 years of age can purchase gas, smooth-bore long-barreled weapons for self-defense or sports, hunting, signal, bladed weapons designed to be worn with national costumes or Cossack uniforms,” said Denis Tikhonov.
Procedure for obtaining a license
At the initial stage, a citizen needs to prepare a package of documentation, and then contact the Licensing and Permitting Department of the territorial division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation to write an application according to the accepted template. The law defines deadlines for consideration of an individual’s application, but due to the high workload of the territorial departments of the OLRR, processing of documentation may take longer.
Important! The application for a permit is considered within two weeks from the date of receipt of the package of documents. The period for reviewing an application for a license is slightly longer and is one calendar month.
A refusal to issue a license may be issued if an incomplete package of documentation is provided. There is also a high probability of a negative decision if the citizen previously committed acts provided for by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation or administrative offenses. If the refusal is unlawful, the individual has the right to appeal it by filing a statement of claim in court.
Attention! The validity period of the license is limited by the norms of Legislative Acts and is six calendar months from the date of issue.
After purchasing a sporting weapon, a citizen must contact the OLLR of the territorial unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation at the place of registration to submit an application for registration of the purchased equipment. The registration procedure also includes obtaining a special permit to store and carry sporting weapons.
Brief algorithm for obtaining permission
This question does not cause any difficulties, since the pattern of citizens’ actions is quite simple. If the applicant meets all the listed requirements, then he can safely begin the procedure for processing documents.
At the first stage, you need to come to the OLRR to hand over the collected package of documents, as well as write an application. The time frames allocated for the review of documents have been determined, but they are rarely adhered to, since departments are overloaded with work. On average, it takes about a month to obtain a license. As a result of submitting an application, the citizen will receive a refusal or a notification with the date of his next appearance at the department.
With the permit in hand, you can choose a suitable weapon for yourself; this permit is valid only for the first 6 months. After purchasing a barrel, it must be brought to the department and registered. You cannot store weapons without a special license, so after registration you must obtain another permit to carry and store.
List of required documents
To obtain a permit or license, you need to prepare a package of documents:
- Certificate of completion of a medical examination, form 002-О/у . Confirmation is also required that the citizen is not registered with a psychiatrist or narcologist. Since 2018, biochemical analysis of urine is mandatory.
- Passport.
- Hunter's ticket, if available. To obtain it, you need to contact the Multifunctional Center at the applicant’s place of residence. The procedure for issuing documents takes five working days.
Hunting license in the Russian Federation - Athlete qualification confirmation. There is no single version of this document, since individual sports federations have adopted different versions of it.
- Sports passport. A photocopy of this document is required.
- Photos are 3 x 4 in size, printed on matte photo paper. You need to provide two copies.
- A certificate or other document confirming completion of training courses on the carrying and storage of civilian weapons.
Important! It is mandatory to have a receipt confirming payment of the state fee. When purchasing a permit for smooth-bore weapons in 2022, its amount is 100 rubles , for long-barreled weapons the amount is slightly higher - 210 rubles .
Procedure and conditions for the use of weapons
In addition to obtaining permission to use a weapon, the owner needs to know the general rules for its use, the violation of which carries criminal liability.
According to the law, for self-defense you can use any weapon and even objects that are at hand (be it a pistol, hunting knife, shotgun or brick)
. If violence is used against a person that is dangerous to his life or health, then causing any harm to the attacker is not a crime. The fact of self-defense does not entail criminal liability.
However, if the attacker is wounded or killed, then the one who had to defend himself must prove that the enemy’s actions actually posed a real threat to life. In the absence of evidence, the defender will have to bear criminal liability for his actions.
The procedure for the use of weapons by citizens is prescribed in.
The owner is obliged to immediately (no later than 24 hours) report each case of use of equipment to the internal affairs bodies and the local unit of the federal executive body authorized in the field of arms trafficking.
But there is an exception: you can shoot without warning in cases where there is an immediate danger to the life and health of people. The use of weapons is prohibited towards women, persons with obvious signs of disability and minors
, unless these categories of citizens commit an armed or group attack.
Source,
What is varminting?
Varminting is one of the variants of sports shooting, and the athlete’s shooting skills must be at a high level. This discipline initially involved hunting rodents. The specifics of the sports discipline and its distribution are associated with such a type of hunting as marmot hunting. The marmot can take a stationary position for a long time and stand over the mink on two legs, which is why it becomes an easy target for hunters.
If you decide to take up this sport, then you will definitely have to spend money on a special weapon, it’s called a Varmint Rifle. Simply put, this is a small-caliber rifle (about 5.6 mm) with a heavy barrel and a good optical sight. The shooter's task is to hit the target from a long distance. The target looks like the silhouette of a marmot. Shooting is carried out from a rest or from a special stand.
sniping
Sniping is a type of sport shooting that requires the shooter to have high skill and precision in firing. This type of sport shooting includes all disciplines that are associated with the vision of targeted, high-precision shooting from a sniper rifle.
Bullet shooting
This type of sport shooting is divided into several areas, each of which uses different weapons and shoots at different targets. For example, both rifled weapons and pistols and rifles can be used for shooting bullets. Fire is conducted at stationary or moving targets.
Fixed targets for this type of sport shooting can also be different. There are two types of targets for bullet shooting: printed and electronic. The first option is made in a printing house from a special white material. A design must be applied to the material. The target is made in such a way that if it is hit, its edges do not fall apart, but remain intact.
As for electronic targets, they are most often used for competitions. The big advantage of such targets is that they can independently determine how accurately the shot was fired.
Practical shooting
Practical shooting is a very dynamic and interesting type of shooting sport. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it is of military origin, and like everything military, it is as practical and useful as possible for training fire skills in combat conditions. An athlete who participates in practical shooting competitions must hit the target as quickly and accurately as possible with a heavy firearm. That is why speed and agility are highly valued in this type of shooting.
Competitions can be held in three disciplines:
- Shooting from a pistol.
- Shooting from a carbine.
- Shooting from a gun.
This type of sport shooting can rightfully be called one of the most spectacular of its kind. After all, competitions take place in conditions that simulate the situation during a hunt or military operation. The shooter needs to make every effort to complete the task as quickly and correctly as possible.
When holding competitions, the winner is determined by the results of completing the distance with targets. The athlete’s goal is to cover the entire distance as quickly as possible and hit the maximum number of targets that will be encountered along the way. Also, at competitions, additional points may be given depending on the power of the weapon. The more powerful the weapon, the more difficult it is to complete the task.
The venue for the competition can be an open area or a special room.
Double-barreled shotguns with vertical barrels
Double-barreled shotguns with vertical barrels are the main type of weapon in sports competitions. They are chosen by both the world's best shooters and many thousands of shooting enthusiasts. Nothing beats the convenience of a vertical shotgun, and this becomes very important when you are one target out of 500 away from victory.
Unfortunately, over/unders vary greatly in quality and features offered, and budget models are nowhere near the quality of top-end shotguns with five-figure price tags. But even entry-level double-barrels have interesting advantages, for example, the ability to use two different chokes for targets that fly in pairs at different distances from the shooter. Cleaning up after yourself is also very easy because spent cartridges can be removed directly from the chambers without having to bend down and pick them up from the ground after firing. While most seasoned shooters are skeptical about using guns priced under $2,000 in major competitions, these models are great for casual shooters or as a first gun for learning and training.
Pistols
Since ergonomics is one of the most important indicators for sporting weapons, choosing a pistol is no less difficult a task than choosing a shotgun. Sports shooting from pneumatic weapons is often accompanied by microtraumas to the hands (calluses and wounds caused by the protruding parts of the pistol), since at first the shooter may use models that are not entirely suitable, such as the “Viking” (the pneumatic model of the Yarygin pistol) and other budget options from pneumatic replicas of firearms.
Weapons for sport shooting (including pistols) have an ergonomic wooden handle (or butt), which reduces both the strain on the hands and the likelihood of injury. In addition, wood can be processed in case of any discrepancies with the anatomical features, but polymers cannot. But a sporting sight is not an indicator; it can be installed on any weapon. Also, a sports pistol has another significant advantage over conventional pneumatics: a trigger mechanism (trigger mechanism), which provides for adjustment of the trigger.
Sporting pistols have one thing in common that also distinguishes them from regular air pistols: their appearance, which can be described as something of a steampunk pirate. And, of course, it is worth remembering the price, which is much higher.
Signs of a firearm
Affiliation with a firearm is established on the basis of the results of a study of the design features of the material part of the object, which determine its intended purpose, as well as energy characteristics, ensuring the possibility of using the object for its intended purpose and is determined by the presence of three main groups of features:
- design features,
- energy characteristics of the projectile,
- reliability.
Design features
The design features of the material part of an object characterize its intended purpose and, in relation to firearms, require, at a minimum, the presence of the following basic design elements:
- a device for accelerating a projectile and giving it directional movement (barrel);
- barrel bore locking device;
- device for igniting a propellant charge.
In addition to the main ones, there are optional (additional) design features that indicate the purpose of the object and facilitate its use for its intended purpose:
- devices for holding and control;
- aiming devices.
The absence of optional features in the design of an object is not decisive when deciding whether to classify it as a firearm.
Energy characteristics of the projectile
The energy characteristics of a projectile are often referred to as the lethal force of a bullet. The energy characteristics of a projectile determine its ability to cause life-threatening or fatal injuries to a person or animal.
Industrially produced firearms, due to their intended purpose, ensure guaranteed destruction of the target and therefore, to decide whether they belong to such weapons, a study of ballistic properties and determination of lethality is not required.
When studying the destructive effect of a homemade firearm, the specific kinetic energy of a projectile is determined. As a criterion characterizing the minimum threshold of susceptibility, in forensic ballistics and forensic medicine a specific kinetic energy value of at least 0.5 J/mm2 (0.05 kgm/mm) at a distance of 1 m from the muzzle of the barrel is accepted.
Note: in practice, questions about the serviceability and suitability of the object for shooting (firing shots) are always resolved at the same time. In the framework of solving this problem, the fact of possible malfunction and unsuitability for shooting (firing shots) of industrial firearms does not matter; the intended purpose of the object will not change depending on its condition.
Reliability
This criterion characterizes the possibility of repeated (more than one) firing of shots from the object under study without its destruction and is safe for the shooter.
The subject of forensic research, as a rule, is samples of small arms.
Weapon care
Frequent shooting at the range can negatively affect the condition of the weapon. If a light gun is loaded with reinforced or even medium charges, it will quickly become loose in the place where the barrels are attached to the block. Weapons for sport shooting are made from high-quality metal. High-quality assembly and fitting of parts will give a good service life even under heavy load. If you keep the weapon in order, clean and lubricate it, and also correct the slightest problems in the mechanism in a timely manner, the gun will last a long time.
Pump-action shotguns
For many, pump-action shotguns are the quintessential shotgun, and for good reason. They have earned a legendary reputation for durability and reliability. They can use any charges that fit the chamber size, from the lightest sporting loads to especially powerful magnums. In addition, this reliability and versatility is very inexpensive, with many models costing less than $300.
Although they are excellent weapons, pump-action shotguns are generally not as popular in the sport of shooting due to their light weight and somewhat awkward balance, which tires the shooter in long matches. Manual reloading also introduces its own problems when two targets are fired simultaneously on a round or trench stand. But still, if you can quickly and accurately reload such a gun, it will break plates just like any other.
Remington 870
The Remington 870 is the king of pump action shotguns. The model is known for its reliability and quality, is considered one of the best and is widely used throughout the world. It can be purchased new from major retailers for up to $300, and used ones can be easily found at almost any gun store or pawn shop throughout the United States. But it is worth noting that recently released guns had poor-quality chamber processing, which made it difficult to eject cartridges.
Mossberg 500
If the Remington 870 is the king, then the Mossberg 500 is the queen of the pump action shotgun world. These shotguns can be found in the same places as the Remington 870. While comparable in reliability and simplicity, the Mossberg 500 pump action shotguns are generally less comfortable and have poorer quality finishes than its Remington competitor, but many shooters (myself included) find that their controls are a little better. Hunting models typically sell for up to $300, but basic models can be found for under $200 called the Maverick 88.
Winchester SXP
The Winchester SXP shotgun model doesn't have the same reputation as the previous two, but Winchester is still new to the world of quality pump-action shotguns. The presence of an inertial closer in the mechanism of the SXP model with a reserve will provide you with the speed necessary to hit doublets. SXP options start at $300. Because its design is much more modern, the SXP model does not have as diverse a selection of components as Remington or Mossberg.
