Authorities against legalization of handguns

Makarov Handgun file photo

(Interfax – January 26, 2013)

The Russian government did not support the Liberal-Democratic Party’s (LDPR) idea to legalize the use of some types of short-barreled firearms for self-defense purposes.

“Free circulation of rifled handguns would have a negative effect on public security in the country, would significantly complicate the law and order, and would cause growth in the number of crimes committed with their use or aimed at taking possession of them,” the government said in an official resolution on a bill proposed by the LDPR to amend the federal law On Weapons posted on its website on Saturday.

Sergei Ivanov of the LDPR faction submitted a bill to the State Duma on August 7, 2012 proposing that the use of domestically-produced short-barreled rifled firearms with muzzle energy not exceeding 300 joules be allowed for self-defense purposes for Russian citizens aged from 23 and older based on a license.

The authors of the bill believe that the currently permitted self-defense means are not always adequate for protecting people’s housing.

“However, the use of the currently allowed types of civil self-defense weapons can be qualified as efficient and meeting self-defense purposes. At the same time, performance of short-barreled firearms cannot serve as a criterion of their higher efficiency compared to the self-defense means already sanctioned by the law,” the government said in its resolution.

“In addition, the situation surrounding offences committed with the use of limited-action firearms (self-defense weapons), including those legally possessed by citizens, remains extremely alarming. Over 2,000 crimes and offences have been committed with the use of the said weapons in the past five years, in which over 500 people sustained injuries of varying degrees and about 100 people died from wounds,” it said.

“Based on this, the Russian government does not support this federal bill,” it said.

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