Support The Moscow Times!

New Bill Would Tighten Restrictions on Traumatic Weapons

Lawmakers are readying a bill that would tighten restrictions on obtaining nonlethal guns following a spike in the number of crimes involving so-called traumatic weapons, State Duma Deputy Alexander Gurov said Tuesday.

"People are obtaining medical clearance without a serious psychological examination. We should force people to go through serious exams before they can get a weapon," Gurov, a retired police general and longtime crusader against the traumatic guns, told The Moscow Times.

In February, President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the Interior Ministry to look for ways to tighten control over gun ownership after a number of high-profile accidents and deaths involving traumatic guns, which shoot either rubber bullets or gas-fired pellets.

According to Interior Ministry figures, 1.3 million Russian citizens legally own 1.5 million guns. Police say the number of crimes involving traumatic guns is on the rise, with 246 crimes last year, or 5 percent higher than a year earlier.

Leonid Vedenov, who heads the Interior Ministry's licensing department, said earlier this year that more then 1,500 criminal offenses were committed using traumatic guns over the last five years. More then 60 people have died, Vedenov said.

"There have been eyes blown out and some deaths. A person might have bought the gun legally, but what if he is a hidden sadist?" said Gurov, who sits on the Duma's Security Committee, which is drafting the legislation.

The lawmaker was referring to an incident in St. Petersburg on Saturday night. Popular actor Andrei Zibrov lost an eye while defending his longtime girlfriend after two unidentified men began harassing her.

On Tuesday, a group of unidentified people in Moscow attacked several migrants from the Caucasus using a traumatic gun, RIA-Novosti reported. One migrant was seriously wounded.

Gurov said the new law would make the rules to own traumatic guns more complicated. A person who wishes to buy a weapon would have to undergo serious psychological tests and would be required to attend classes on how to use the gun.

"We are not going to ban weapons, but an owner would need go through the full checkup," he said.

Under the current law regulating the use of traumatic guns, a person is required to obtain the medical clearance from both a psychiatrist and drug and alcohol treatment specialists at a local hospital.

Those documents are then submitted to the local police precinct, which decides on whether an individual can be permitted to own a gun. But many gun buyers are able to purchase the medical clearances through the Internet sites. One such site offers to sell the required documents for just 500 rubles (about $16).

"My assistant has told me that you can even buy them in commuter trains," Gurov said.

Anatoly Damaratsky, director general of The New Weapon Technology Company, the producer of the most popular Russian traumatic pistol Osa, or the Wasp, said his company was "positive" about the proposed changes. But he pointed out that the old law, passed in the mid-1990s, had enough checks. "It's another matter that it has not been followed properly," he said.

The Osa pistol, which fires rubber bullets, retails for about 8,000 rubles (roughly $275). Under the Administrative Code, the fine for carrying an unlicensed gun is no more than 1,000 rubles.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more