An easel retro machine gun, like Zhirinovsky’s, can be bought cold: it costs half a million rubles and bangs as hard as Vladimir Volfovich.
Photo: Vladimir VELENGURIN
In Russia they are going to count all the empty weapons so that they cannot be used for criminal purposes - the initiative, as usual, has matured in the bowels of the State Duma. Now such barrels are sold freely: in sports and hunting weapons stores, there are also specialized departments. To purchase, you only need to be of age. You don't even need a medical certificate or license.
Popularly, a blank weapon is called a scarecrow - a special blank cartridge without a bullet is driven into it. There is a loud bang, smoke from the barrel, the cartridge case flies to the side. In Moscow, the owners of dozens of outlets where they sell adult “toys” are tense. Those with cold trunks are shaking even more. According to the Russian National Guard, there are more than 100 thousand of such guns in the country.
FIRST, LET'S GET REGISTERED
Moscow City Duma deputies started talking about regulating unloaded weapons after the incident with the “Lubyanka shooter.” At the end of 2019, a resident of the Moscow region shot and killed two FSB officers near the department’s main building and wounded five more people. The shooter was killed on the spot.
Evgeny Manyurov - that was the name of the criminal - fired from a hunting carbine. He has nothing to do with the emasculated one. But the deputies decided to shake up the legislation in this area and started talking about guns that fire blanks. Moreover, they often appear in cases of hooliganism in Moscow. When, for example, heated guests of Caucasian weddings start shooting in honor of the newlyweds.
The capital's deputies spoke several times about working on the bill. Now amendments to the law “On Weapons” are being developed at the federal level. The bill has already passed the first reading in the State Duma without comments. It will continue to be considered at the spring session.
They want to oblige owners of scarecrows to report guns to the Russian National Guard.
“Among those who are interested in history, watered down examples of weapons of the past, the history of which is connected with the victories of our army, are popular,” State Duma Deputy Vasily Piskarev, one of the initiators of the bill, tells KP. “But decommissioned weapons are also in great demand among criminals. Over the past five years, law enforcement agencies have neutralized more than 400 underground workshops for converting it into combat.
You do not need to obtain a license to purchase. For now, they want to register weapons for SHP (firing with blank cartridges) “for prevention.” Owners will be given one year to complete the document. If the trunk is stolen or the owner loses it, this will need to be reported to the authorities.
“According to statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB, there is an increase in firearms manufactured by restoring combat properties,” says the explanatory note to the bill. “More than 80% of firearms seized as a result of operational search activities are decommissioned weapons converted into military analogues.”
Some questions about buying weapons
Lack of awareness of the legislation, which stipulates the rules for the acquisition and storage of decommissioned weapons, leads to the fact that many citizens do not dare to purchase them, even if there is a need for it. Others, on the contrary, manage to break the law, although, as such, a license for cold weapons is not provided.
Let’s take a closer look at all the nuances associated with visiting a gun store. Basically, the purchase of this type of weapon is carried out through specialized stores, using online orders, as well as through private advertisements. In Russia, sales are currently free, but there are a number of rules that, for your own safety, it is advisable to adhere to. If everything has become clear with the acquisition permit, then one more question remains: “Do I need to obtain a license to store agricultural products?”
The first thing you should focus on is having a special passport. It indicates the type of deactivation. In turn, such a passport can be considered proof that the weapon is empty. It will make it easier to transport a machine gun or pistol.
Law enforcement officials will certainly have questions regarding the origin of the weapon and the license for it. By presenting your passport, you will save your precious time. This is the first nuance of the purchase. Otherwise, the weapon will be sent for examination, and you will be fined. After receiving the results of the examination, it will take a long time before you prove that you are right.
You should beware of purchasing weapons without documents. Private advertisements or online stores are full of quite attractively priced offers. As a result of the transaction, you can receive a weapon that has been deactivated using a makeshift method. From a legal point of view, such a specimen will be considered a firearm, albeit faulty. You will have to pay a serious price for not having a license.
It’s unpleasant to talk about crime, but you should always keep in mind the fact that weapons with a “dark past” can be deliberately damaged and sold as empty. If you become the owner of such a copy, you risk getting into trouble.
From all of the above, it follows that the most reliable and safest way to purchase blank weapons without a license is to contact a specialized store. Here you will receive a guarantee of quality and cleanliness of paperwork.
BUYING AS A GIFT
What do those who sell empty guns think about the new law?
KP was unable to find businessmen who would be willing to talk openly about this topic. They are afraid of a slippery topic. However, one of the sellers agreed to an informal meeting.
A three-minute walk from Lubyanka Square I dive into the courtyards of historical mansions. Dmitry, 35 years old, meets me; he has been selling “bachelors” since they were legalized in 2012.
— Can you help me get it to the office? - he asks and opens the trunk of the car. Inside there are about 40 machine guns and pistols. The seller showed the product to the next customers before I arrived.
— Bloggers are filming a video on YouTube. They took two “Bratkovsky” AKSU (folding shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle. - Author). It was developed for paratroopers, but thanks to the TV series “Gangster Petersburg” the machine gun gained such fame,” explains Dmitry.
We go up to the store: a room without a sign with a couple of display cases and shelves. Buyers are clearly undemanding when it comes to service. According to the businessman, more often he travels himself upon request. And the office rented more to store its property. The main buyers are men who take it as a gift to friends. Some people buy it for self-defense.
The Beretta (17,500 rubles), the Colt (19,000) and the Makarov pistol (16,900) are returning to display cases. We display several types of Kalash rifles on stands (from 25 to 60 thousand). Here are the legendary rifles of the past - Simonov and Mosin (from 20 to 50 thousand). Nearby is a Winchester cowboy rifle for 75,000.
“I can negotiate an exclusive Kalashnikov or PPSh in a gold case - 350 thousand each,” says the seller. — I know where to buy a Maxim machine gun (a large one, on a machine with wheels. - Author), but the price there will be under half a million rubles.
- And they all shoot?
- Absolutely! But not with live rounds, but with flash-noise cartridges—blank ones. True, if we are talking about retro samples, cartridges are tight. Buying for modern machine guns and pistols is not a problem. One cartridge costs 18 - 25 rubles. But if you just want to hang a copy on the wall or show it to children at a life safety lesson, there is MMG, a mass-dimensional model. They don't shoot at all and are cheaper.
By the way.
Photo: Dmitry POLUKHIN
What is a blank weapon?
The legal definition of the concept of “drained weapon” is contained in subsection.
“e” of paragraph 33 of the Rules for the circulation of civilian and service weapons..., approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On Measures...” dated July 21, 1998 No. 814. According to its provisions, such weapons are recognized as weapons intended for firing special imitation cartridges, the design of which excludes the use of other ammunition without carrying out specialized repair work.
In practice, cold weapons can be obtained in two ways:
- By initially manufacturing it as a non-combat weapon with the introduction of design changes to the main parts (barrel, bolt, etc.) that do not allow firing live ammunition.
- By emptying the combat weapon by rendering its main parts unsuitable for firing with conventional cartridges.
As for the technical operations by which a weapon loses the ability to fire live ammunition, the most widely used are the following:
- fixing special pins in the bolt to prevent it from being completely locked or rotated;
- reaming the chamber;
- securing special bushings in the barrel to prevent the bullet from flying out, etc.
Cold weapons are usually used during sporting events, filming and theatrical performances, in various collections, etc.
The possibility of it being used by ordinary citizens for self-defense cannot be ruled out either. The very fact of demonstrating a weapon that appears to have all the signs of a combat weapon and the ability to simulate a shot can prevent an unlawful attack.
The right of citizens to purchase weapons and the requirements for them in case of purchase are established by Article 13 of the Law “On Weapons” dated December 13, 1996 No. 150-FZ. The rules for its storage are Article 22 of the same law. However, these articles do not determine whether a permit is required for an unblown weapon and whether it is civilian. They also do not establish the procedure for its acquisition and registration by citizens.
HOW THEY DO IT
— Where do the cold weapons end up on the shelves?
— The barrels have been written off by the Ministry of Defense and other security agencies. Some of them “fought” in Chechnya or even in Afghanistan. This history adds value to the piece. But if the body is very shabby, on the contrary, it reduces it. The decommissioned weapons are bought by the Tula and Armory shops and are purged. But they mostly have mass-produced copies. More interesting samples are brought from abroad and remade in small workshops. Each copy comes with a passport and certificate. Plus, there is a marking on the body - a decommissioned weapon. I don’t recommend waving them on the street, much less shooting them. It will be considered hooliganism with a weapon. But somewhere in the forest away from the city - please, says my interlocutor.
Rules for carrying and storing cold weapons
Although special permission to purchase and carry such weapons is not required, some rules must be followed:
- Firstly , the owner must be an adult and not be registered with doctors or law enforcement agencies.
- External resemblance to a combat weapon requires careful and responsible wearing of a cold weapon. Having it, a person should not behave provocatively in a crowd or in the presence of police in order to avoid problems.
SCP and cartridges for it must be stored at the place of residence of the owner in conditions that ensure safety, security, and exclude access to them by unauthorized persons. This applies to each copy, regardless of the purpose of acquisition.
Agricultural products are purchased for different purposes:
- A frightening appearance, together with safety, is an important criterion for purchasing a weapon for creative purposes. All combat performances in documentaries or feature films take place with its use. Firing blank cartridges on the screen is no different from real combat operations.
- Another area of application is staged actions at celebrations dedicated to military events. Realism and safety are ensured precisely by cooled mechanisms.
Collectors sometimes face difficulties in replenishing the number of exhibits, because it is almost impossible to buy military firearms - either it simply does not exist, or a lot of documents are needed. But with the help of a cold one, you can assemble an impressive collection.
SHOT AT POINT POINT
— Is a cold weapon dangerous?
Dmitry takes out his smartphone. Opens a video from your collection. In the shot, a man brings a gun close to a watermelon. Bang - the pot-bellied one shatters into pieces. Then the shooter moves the muzzle 20 centimeters and pulls the trigger again. The crust just caved in.
— Conclusion: if you poke and shoot at a person, it will sting normally. From a distance there is no effect other than a roar. But what danger did the deputies see in it, if from the point of view of injury, axes are much more harmful? - the businessman is perplexed. - Let's register all the axes then. And then there are toy guns - they also rob banks.
Written off and emasculated - the same thing or not
By virtue of paragraph 24 of Article 1 of Law No. 150-FZ, decommissioned weapons are divided into 3 (three) types.
- Hollowed - when technical changes have been made to the components of a firearm, eliminating the ability to fire live ammunition, but retaining the ability to simulate a shot with light-sound ammunition.
- Training - when technical changes are made to a firearm that completely eliminate the firing of shots.
- Split - to study the processes of interaction of parts and mechanisms of small arms.
Thus, the term “decommissioned weapon” is broader and includes the concept “emasculated.”
