Federal law “On arms” signed

On December 13, 1996 the president of the Russian Federation signed a Federal law “On arms” adopted on November 13 the same year that regulated the circulation of different arms kinds in the territory of the state.

The preamble notes that “the law regulates legal relationships that come up at the circulation of civil, service and fighting small and cold arms in the territory of the Russian Federation, is meant to protect citizens’ life and health, their property, to provide the social security, to protect nature and natural resources, to strengthen international collaboration in prevention of crime and illegal arms proliferation. The provisions of the Federal law also apply to the turnover of ammunition and cartridges for arms”.

The law authors proclaimed obligatory the arms production licensing, its trade and acquisition, collecting and exposition in the Russian Federation territory except for the cases when it is produced and acquired by the militarized organizations. The law proclaimed subjects allowed to acquire arms as well as the order of licensing the acquisition of arms and cartridges.

The law “On arms” of 1996 for the first time in the history of our country defined the arms kinds according to its significance, opened access to the self-defense arms for the Russian population and allowed to employ legally acquired civil arms in order to protect one’s life, health and property in the state of a needed defense or emergency.

Lit.: Иванов В. Закон об оружии. Ружьё для домашнего пользования // Коммерсант. 1996. 18 дек. (№ 217 (1175)); Федеральный закон «Об оружии» [Электронный ресурс] // Гарант. Б. д. URL: http://base.garant.ru/10128024.htm.