Weapons in Russia

2024: Russia has developed a planning aerial bomb "Drill," which radar does not see

On January 10, 2024, Rostec announced the timing of the start of mass production of the latest planning aircraft bomb Drill. It was developed by the scientific production association (NPO) "Basalt." Read more here.

2023

Rosgvardia creates GIS to control the circulation of weapons

On October 13, 2023, a bill was introduced in the State Duma on the creation of a state information system (GIS) in the areas of arms trafficking, private security activities and private security. Read more here.

How the Russian military uses 3D printing in the creation of ammunition

On August 3, 2023, it became known that the Russian military in the current geopolitical situation is actively using advanced technologies to constantly increase the effectiveness of military operations. This, in particular, is about using the 3D printing method to create ammunition for unmanned aerial vehicles. Read more here.

2022: Production of civilian weapons increased in Russia - by 1.9% to 200 thousand units

In 2022, more than 200 thousand civilian weapons were produced in Russia, which is 1.9% more than a year earlier. This is evidenced by data from NeoAnalytics analysts published in July 2023.

According to the study, sports pneumatic weapons with muzzle energy over 3 J with a production share of 45.6% for 2022 are leading in the structure of civilian weapons production. Domestic production prevails on the market, the share of which is estimated at 75-85%. This existing structure has been observed for several years in retrospect, experts say.

Production of civilian weapons has increased in Russia

The volume of imports of civilian weapons to Russia in physical terms increased in 2022 by 10.6%. In value terms, the volume of imports of products exceeded $20 million and increased over the year by 1.6%.

In 2022, such countries Turkey as with a share of 47.4% became the main importing countries of civilian weapons to Russia. In second place comes China with a share of 26.7% and closes the top three Italy with a share of imports of 24.5%.

In 2022, about 17 thousand units were exported from the Russian Federation. more than $400 million worth of civilian weapons. The share of export supplies remained insignificant and amounted to about 8%. Accordingly, a significant part of the output goes to domestic consumption.

Analysts distinguish three main types of civilian weapons:

• smoothbore weapons. It is one of the most common types of civilian weapons used for hunting, poster shooting and in security structures;
• rifled weapons. It is used for hunting, as well as for sports bullet shooting. This type includes weapons having helical rifling in the bore;
• pneumatic weapons are a type of small arms in which a projectile flies out under the influence of pressurized gas.^[1]

2020: Russians become less likely to own weapons

In Russia, every year there are fewer owners of civilian weapons. Such data were shared by experts at a press conference dedicated to the 17th Moscow International Exhibition Arms & Hunting - 2020 (this year the exhibition changes location for the first time and will be held at VDNH^[2].

As Oleg Chikirev, vice president for foreign economic activity of the Union of Russian Gunsmiths, clarified, the country has a tendency to reduce the number of owners of small civilian weapons.

"There are about 4 million of them in total, over the past 8-9 years the number of gun owners has decreased by 25%, we estimate that a significant increase in owners should not be expected in the near future," Oleg Chikirev believes.

This trend leads to a decrease in the load on enterprises producing weapons and cartridges. There is also a tendency on the market to reduce the number of stores selling civilian guns.

In total, about 4 million people own civilian weapons in Russia, at the disposal of which there are more than 6 million weapons, says Alexander Samoilov, police colonel, deputy head of the Center for Licensing and Permitting Work of the Main Directorate of the Russian Guard in Moscow - head of the arms control department (Rosgvardia acts as a controlling body in the field of arms turnover).

"Every year, tens and hundreds of thousands of citizens receive licenses to own smoothbore rifles and rifled carbines to participate in hunting, as well as firearms smoothbore weapons, weapons of limited destruction for self-defense, firearms sports weapons. At the same time, someone acquires their first, and someone else another unit of weapons, "says Alexander Samoilov.

At the same time, the interest of Russians in civilian weapons is assessed as high: last year, 25 thousand people visited the Arms & Hunting exhibition, and this year the number of participants will increase by 30%, and the number of visitors will double (up to 50 thousand people).

2019: Russian companies' share of global arms market halved

The share of Russian companies in the global arms market has halved. This is evidenced by data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) for 2019. Read more here.

2017: State Duma deputies adopted amendments to the law "On Weapons" in the first reading

The amendments regulate relations arising from the circulation of combat hand-held small arms, ammunition for them and cold weapons, and also expand opportunities for the export of civilian and service weapons and ammunition for them.

The author of the amendments, Chairman of the Commission on Legal Support for the Development of Defense Industry Organizations Vladimir Gutenev recalled that the President of Russia, in the light of the upcoming passage of the peak of the state defense order, as well as in order to develop the scientific and technical potential of industry, was given instructions to diversify the production of enterprises of the military-industrial complex.

"The defense industry has set serious, ambitious tasks. At the same time, great potential in this direction, in my opinion, has not been realized by our manufacturers of civilian and service weapons. Currently, many enterprises are interested in increasing the volume of exports of these products and expanding sales markets: Izhevsk Concern,,, Kalashnikov Klimovsky Specialized Cartridge Plant (KSPZ)TSNIITOCHMASH Tula and Design Bureau of Instrument Engineering (KBP) named after A.G. Shipunova others, "Gutenev explained.

The need to improve the export system of civilian and service weapons and cartridges for them, according to the parliamentarian, is of particular relevance in the context of sectoral sanctions imposed by the EU, the United States and a number of other states.

"The foreign trade activities of Russian manufacturers of small arms, in particular, the Kalashnikov Concern, have been significantly complicated. The bill adopted today in the first reading expands the capabilities of manufacturers of civil and service weapons to promote their products for export with the help of trade relations developed and built by Rosoboronexport JSC, "the deputy said

Vladimir Gutenev stressed that Rosoboronexport regularly receives requests from foreign customers for the purchase of not only military products, but also a wide range of civilian and service weapons and ammunition for it. And, as a rule, customers insist on a comprehensive supply of all requested property, i.e. products for both military and non-military purposes.

"The adoption of this law will ensure the appropriate implementation by the state intermediary of appeals from foreign customers on the entire nomenclature of goods requested by them, as well as increase the share of civilian products at defense enterprises," the parliamentarian summed up.

How the gun works

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See also

• Weapons in Spain
• Russian Air Defense

Notes