How to choose a self-defense weapon for civilians: what weapons are legally allowed, which self-defense weapons can be purchased legally online in Russia without a license.

PART 1
ELESTROCHOCK SELF-DEFENSE WEAPONS FOR CIVILIANS

CONTENTS:

• CIVILIAN WEAPONS
• ELECTRIC WEAPONS: OVERVIEW
• COMPARISON OF STUN GUNS WITH OTHER SELF-DEFENSE WEAPONS
• CONCLUSIONS

CIVILIAN WEAPONS

PURPOSE

Weapons - devices designed to destroy a living or other target, as well as to send signals.

According to article 3 of the law №150-FZ «On weapons", civilian weapons include: ...weapons made for use by the citizens of Russian Federation in self-defense, for sports and hunting, as well as for cultural and educational purposes.

Self-defense weapons for civilians - technical devices made for use in self-defense in case of a threat to life or health, against persons who commit illegal actions.

TYPES

What weapons for self-defense can be used in Russia?

Self-defense weapons for civilians include:

- long-barrel smoothbore firearms.

- firearms of limited action (non-lethal guns);

- air guns (pistols, mechanical and aerosol guns);

- stun guns.

Any self-defense weapon must have output parameters that comply with Russian law. In order for self-defense weapons to be purchased and used legally, weapons should be produced in accordance with technical standards and should receive mandatory certification that confirms their compliance with state requirements.

RIGHT FOR SELF-DEFENSE

The right for self-defense does not allow the citizen to use absolutely any means to prevent illegal actions: you cannot exceed the so-called necessary self-defense - response to any attack that threatens your life and health must be adequate. If, for example, the threat is low, and the attacker does not have a weapon, there is no threat to your life, and you cannot use a weapon that cause a lethal outcome.

Maximum penalty for exceeding the necessary self-defense is imprisonment for up to 2 years, which is determined in accordance with article 114 of the Penal code "Causing serious or moderate harm to health when exceeding the limits of necessary defense or when exceeding the measures necessary to detain a person who has committed a crime".

It should also be noted that only authorized legal self-defense weapons can be used for self-defense.

Legal and illegal

Authorized civilian self-defense weapons can seriously hurt an attacker, but this will not cause problems if the weapon was used correctly.

Using illegal or counterfeit self-defense means can have unpredictable consequences and, as a result, lead to judicial proceedings with the victim, in which the court may well side with the attacker.

Legal self-defense weapons were already mentioned above, and the prohibited ones include: baseball bats, brass knuckles, expandable batons, knives, and other items not intended for use as weapons.

ELECTROSHOCK WEAPONS: OVERVIEW

STUN GUN: USE

It is only allowed to purchase electroshock self-defense weapons made in Russia.

Stun gun is contact or remote-contact non-lethal electroshock weapon designed for self-defense, that affects biological objects with high-voltage electric current pulses.

Technical parameters of stun guns are specified in GOST R 50940-96 "Electroshock devices. General specifications”.

Police and special forces can also use stun guns.

Stun gun

Stun guns are electroshock weapons.

Stun guns can have additional functions, such as a flashlight or laser aiming module for shooting models.

Counterfeit: stun guns made in China with millions of volts power

In Russia, there are many illegal “weapons” being sold: dozens of online stores sell stun guns of unknown origin. By claiming that their stun guns belong to class 1, which can be sold without special permits, such stores violate current legislation:

1. In Russia the companies should be licensed to sell weapons.
2. Chinese stun guns are imported into Russia illegally. A company importing stun guns from China violates the article 16.3 of the Administrative Code "Non-compliance with prohibitions and (or) restrictions on the import to the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union or to the Russian Federation and (or) export from the customs territory of the Eurasian economic Union or from the Russian Federation", according to which a company can be fined up to 300 thousand rubles with confiscation of goods that were the subject of an administrative offense.
3. Stun guns made in China are not legal on the territory of Russia, they are illegal for use as self-defense weapon with all the administrative consequences that follow from this.
4. Chinese stun guns are not electroshock weapons. Despite being called that, their technical parameters do not comply with the regulation document GOST R 50940-96.

Do I need to hand over a counterfeit Chinese stun guns to the police?

Counterfeit stun guns do not fall under article 222 of the Penal code "Illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons, their main parts, ammunition", so you don`t need to hand them over to the police.

But the owner must understand that the use of illegally imported self-defense devices will cause problems for their owner: it can be confiscated, it is illegal to use or transport it.

STUN GUN

Stun gun is an electroshock weapon for self-defense, usually made in a plastic (dielectric) housing with an electric power source (battery), electrically connected to a high-voltage pulse generator, control elements (fuse, discharge switch), as well as combat and cutting high-voltage in the front part of the device.

Stun gun is structurally divided into a handle and a high-voltage zone, which requires caution when using the device.

Stun gun can have additional functions: flashlight, laser target designator, identification system to restrict access to electroshock functions.

Remote stun guns have an additional socket, lock, or shaft for installation of the remote or flashbang cartridge.

Stun gun can be equipped with Picatinny mounting rail for installation of additional equipment, such as a flashlights or cameras. The first company, that has made Picatinny rail and identification system a part of a stun gun, is OBERON-ALPHA.

WHO NEEDS A STUN GUN

As a rule, we think about getting a self-defense weapon a crime has been committed against us.

Self-defense weapon should be high-power, legal, and safe for the owner. Citizens aged 18 or older can buy stun guns without any additional paper, only their passport will be needed: passport data (series, number, when and by whom the passport was issued) are noted in the weapons sales register.

Stun guns are used for self-defense and are most efficient in the following cases:

Domestic conflicts

If you look at the criminal news reports, every day there is a huge number of domestic conflicts. Often a conflict happens without a reason, causing people to fight. There is often no prior intent to harm another person. Domestic conflicts, as a rule, do not pose a threat to life and there is no need to use airguns or aerosols. In such situations, a stun gun is the best, which will cool the aggressor down, without causing him severe damage.

Use against offenders: contact and remote

During a sudden attack, especially in a confined space, when you are in close contact with the attacker, a stun gun is the only effective and safe self-defense weapon.

Remote (shooting) stun guns with flashbang cartridges can be an vital tool for exposing the crime scene and shocking one or a group of opponents, which can be followed by contact electroshock impact without resetting the cartridge. Exposing the crime scene, especially in house entrances and elevators, will instantly attract people`s attention, and the offender won`t continue his actions, knowing that in a minute there will be witnesses.

Remote stun gun function is impacting the target remotely with a stun gun. The cartridge is fired from a distance of several meters and the discharge is transferred to the target through thin insulated wires.

Against aggressive dogs

Stun gun is the only effective self-defense weapon against stray dog attacks, since the use of aerosols or air guns is not only cruel, but also unreasonable for preventing animal.

COMPARISON OF STUN GUNS WITH OTHER SELF-DEFENSE WEAPONS

Compare self-defense weapons: stun guns and other popular self-defense weapons: aerosol guns and other non lethal weapons.

PRICE

Stun gun cost from 5000 rubles or higher. Gas pistols can cost less, but other non-lethal self-defense weapons cost more.

DIMENSIONS

The size of a stun gun depends on its functions (contact and remote): it needs a comfortable handle and a high-voltage zone that the owner won`t be touching. Therefore, the length cannot be less than 130mm. Stun guns in the form of a gun are even bigger: if the cartridges are installed, the length will be at least 170mm.

Baton-shaped stun guns are longer, increasing the distance to the aggressor during contact application. Stun gun batons are not made for mechanical blows, because they do not dampen the blows like a rubber baton. The attacker can get severely injured from mechanical blows with a stun gun baton.

Aerosol guns are smaller than stun guns and certainly win in this criteria.

WEIGHT

The weight of self-defense guns is one of the important factors for everyday use. A stun gun weighs about 200g, which is much lighter than air guns and slightly more than aerosol guns.

MAINTANANCE COSTS

There are no extra costs for a contact stun gun: the battery has a charger. Remote and flashbang cartridges are not cheap, because they are technically complex devices and cannot be cheap.

The cost of owning a stun gun is average among other self-defense weapons.

EASY OPERATION

In terms of ease of operation, stun guns are the best: you can use blank discharge to check their operation. You would need a shooting range to check air guns and other non-lethal weapons, and it`s impossible to check pepper sprays: they are not intended for further use after the first operation.

EASE OF USE

Disadvantages of using aerosols for self-defense include the need for aiming, it`s forbidden to use them in confined spaces and in close contact with an attacker. It`s required to keep a minimum distance to the target when using an air gun, a mandatory warning before use. In a closed space a bullet can ricochet.

You can apply the stun gun contact to any spot that you can reach, and afterwards apply to a more effective zone. Disadvantage of using a stun gun can be that you need to hold the discharge button for a few seconds when affecting the target. It is difficult for the target to get out away from the stun gun discharge during use, especially if a stun gun uses neuromuscular blockade technology NMB (developed by OBERON-ALPHA), the time of application is an important variable for successful self-defense.

ACTIVATION RESOURCE

When choosing a self-defense weapon, you need to consider the operational resource of a battery. A charged battery allows you to use the stun gun a significant number of times (several dozen) for 3 seconds each time without recharging. Remote and flashbang cartridges extend the functionality of the weapon.

CONSEQUENCES AFTER USE

The use of pepper sprays or air guns requires following their safety requirements. Pepper spray can land a person in a hospital. Traumatic weapons were often lethal.

Stun guns have a strong restraining, paralyzing and psychophysical effect, do not lead to serious injuries. Fatal cases registered after the use of Tasers were caused by injuries, resulting from a fall. The high-voltage discharge of a stun gun doesn`t kill the target.

BIOMEDICAL EFFICIENCY

Stun guns are very effective in domestic conflicts, because according to the owners of stun guns, after applying high-voltage exposure to the offender, he calms down and in most cases the conflict ends. The use of a stun gun causes the object to go into a state of shock, up to the point of losing consciousness.

Efficiency of a high voltage exposure increases dramatically when applied unexpectedly to effective zones. Other means of self-defense do not have this advantage.

PURCHASE RULES

Purchasing an air gun is complicated: you need to provide a medical certificate, a certificate from a neuropsychiatric clinic, you must register the weapon and have a safe for storage.

Stun guns are permitted for self-defense, and unlike air guns, you only need to show your passport to buy it, you don`t need to register it in a police department and you don`t need special permits.

CONCLUSIONS

Stun gun is a self-defense weapon for civilians that can be legally purchased and used in Russia, and which, if properly used, will help to defend yourself against illegal actions: a stun gun effectively stops the offender without causing severe and long-term consequences for their life and health.

Author: S. V. Gusev

Head of the production department, chief designer of the stun guns in OBERON-ALPHA company.