Ukrainians will be allowed to buy pistols starting from the new year. This news shook the community and generated a bunch of
nonsense
There is no law on weapons in Ukraine yet. Exactly.This means that what is not prohibited by law is permitted. However, there is a nuance. There is such an Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 622 dated August 21, 1998 (over the years, 13 more changes have been added to it – editor's notegg), according to which all aspects ofgun ownership in our country. Many copies have been broken in disputes as to how much the “Order” can replace the “Law” and whether its existence complies with the norms of the current legislation. However, we will not go into details and leave this hollivar topic for another time.
What can an ordinary Ukrainian buy
If you are finally ripe for buying a personalbarrel, then the most difficult thing is ahead - the choice of a weapon system. There are a number of restrictions in Ukraine, but at the same time, even a meager assortment in weapons stores (by world standards) makes a beginner think hard.
What the law allows us to do:
- traumatic pistols(the correct name is “devicedomestic production for shooting cartridges equipped with rubber or non-lethal metal projectiles with similar properties"). But only for certain categories of people – journalists, judges (and their family members), police officers, etc. We do not consider this subtype of under-weapon further;
- shotgunsfor hunting and sport shooting without the possibilityautomatic fire. The barrel length must be at least 50 cm, and the total length of the weapon in the active state must be at least 80 cm. The magazine holds no more than 4 rounds, but there are nuances with the pump, into which 7 rounds can be inserted (although there is no clear explanation of the law yet) ;
- rifled carbines and rifleswithout the possibility of automatic fire and a length in the active state of at least 80 cm. Limit on magazine capacity - 10 rounds;
The main difference between smooth-bore weapons and rifled weapons is hidden in their names - a smooth-bore weapon has a smooth barrel from the inside. A rifled one has rifling that spins the bullet around its axis. That's all.
According to the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, since the new yearPistols will be added to this list. How exactly their sale will be regulated, whether open carrying will be allowed or only hidden, what will be the age restrictions and much more, we will be able to find out only after the adoption of the final version of the law. In the meantime, we hope that in a few months we will be able to protect ourselves and others with legal handguns. After all, you can’t walk the streets with a gun or a carbine.
What do the shops offer
The fact is that it is difficult for a beginner to understand even the classification of weapons. Here, for example, offers the country's largest online arms store IBIS:
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Lacking basic knowledge of weapons,It is difficult for an unprepared person to understand all these names, and even more so to choose something specific. Therefore, let's look at the main types of weapon systems that are offered to us and understand what their differences are.
smoothbore weapon
Single- and double-barreled shotguns
They can be both "grandfather's shotguns" and new models with various bells and whistles, for example, in the form of Picatinny rails.
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Shotgun ATA ARMS SP SUPERSPORT
Advantages:low cost (except for branded and exclusive models) and simplicity of design.
Disadvantages:just one or two shots before reloading.
pump shotguns
Traditional shotguns with manual reloading.Well known to us from American films. More interesting than "shotguns" because they can hold up to seven rounds at once (may differ depending on the model).
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Hatsan Escort AimGuard pump action shotgun
Advantages:relative simplicity of mechanics, spacious magazine.
Disadvantages:training is needed to work with weapon mechanics without delays
The principle of operation of a pump-action shotgun:
Semi-automatic shotguns
Semi-automatic shotguns are weapons thatreloading is carried out under the action of inertia or gases when fired. The most common "semi-automatic" are guns with a vapor system, somewhat less often - inertial.
Why semi-automatic?“Because one pull of the trigger is one shot. In automatic weapons, firing bursts is possible - when one pull of the trigger starts a constant process of reloading until the hook is released or until the cartridges run out.
Semi-automatic vent guns
Very similar to the "pump", only reloading in themoccurs automatically, under the action of powder gases. Therefore, guns are more demanding on the quality and type of ammunition, but easier to use for a beginner.
Semi-automatic shotgun Winchester SX4 Silver Performance
Advantages:automatic reloading, easier to learn, you can shoot with one hand
Disadvantages:not all cartridges are suitable, the cleaning procedure for weapons is more complex than that of other smoothbore guns, no more than 4 cartridges in the magazine (limited by law).
The principle of operation of the gas exhaust system:
Semi-automatic shotguns
It looks almost the same “pump”, but with automatic reloading due to recoil when fired. Such guns are often easier to maintain than counterparts with a vapor system, but are more expensive.
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Shotgun Benelli M2 Comfortech
Advantages:simple system, easy to maintain.
Disadvantages:Not all cartridges are suitable, no more than 4 cartridges per magazine (limited by law)
The principle of operation of the inertial system in guns:
In addition, pump-action, inertial and gasguns can be either with a permanent magazine, often underbarrel, or with a removable, box-shaped one. Removable and permanent stores have their pros and cons, so everyone decides for himself what suits him.
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Shotgun with detachable magazine Derya Bullpup N-100
The most popular among the "smoothbore" is the 12 gauge. Somewhat less often the 16th and 20th. There are also 10th, 28th, 32nd and 410th calibers. The higher the caliber index, the smaller the cartridge itself.
Table of channel diameters for smooth barrels of hunting rifles
For smoothbore guns, the caliber is measured as follows:the caliber number means the whole number of spherical balls that can be cast from one English pound of lead (453.59 g). In this case, the bullets must be spherical, identical in mass and diameter, equal to the inner diameter of the barrel in its middle part. The smaller the diameter of the barrel, the more balls come out of a pound of lead. Thus, the twentieth gauge is less than the tenth, and the sixteenth is less than the twelfth.
Caliber
12
16
20
28
32
Bore diameter, mm
18.20 – 18.7
17.00 – 17.25
15.70 – 15.95
14.00 – 14.25
12.50 – 12.75
The cost of shotgun cartridges starts at about 15 hryvnia ($0.4) and can reach prices of 300-400 hryvnia per unit ($10). The most popular and cheapest cartridges are 12 gauge.
Rifle
Among rifled weapons, the range is even larger. Here, the “small thing”, which is fired at a distance of up to 100 meters, and sniper rifles, are capable of hitting targets at a distance of 2-3 km.
Consider all rifled weapons by type:
- combined– guns with a combination of smooth and rifled barrels;
- semi-automatic- most often these are civilian versions of military assault rifles, the possibility of automatic fire has been eliminated, and the magazines have 10-round limiters;
- sliding gate- weapons in which reloading is carried out manually by moving the bolt;
- automatic- traditional assault rifles and machine guns, prohibited on the civilian market of Ukraine and used only in law enforcement agencies.
There is also a fitting, with a Henry bracket, of a revolving type, but this is already quite exotic.
The most popular "civilian" machines in UkraineKalashnikov and their modern interpretations. The clones of the American M16 / M4 rifle, as well as civilian versions of popular army rifles, are not inferior to them. That's just the prices for them can sometimes reach the cost of an apartment.
As for the calibers of rifled weapons, a separate article is needed here. For simplicity, they can be divided into several main types:
- pistol caliber– usually 9x19 or 9x21 mm. In Ukraine you can buy copies of submachine guns chambered for this cartridge, or clones of machine guns chambered for these cartridges.
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The legendary Steyr Mannlicher AUG in 9x21 mm
- small caliber- The most popular cartridge in this category is .22 LR. And although the bullet diameter is the same as the cartridge used in the AK-74, these are still completely different classes of cartridges;
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The .22 LR (right) and 5.45x39mm cartridge used in the AK-74 and other Kalashoids. They are the same bullet diameter.
- machine gun cartridges- everyone will curse the author for such a classificationpeople who understand weapons, but this is the easiest description to understand. This includes the aforementioned 5.45x39, 7.62x39 (AK-47), 7.62x51, .223, .308 and others;
This is a very short list of rifled calibers.weapons, but 99% of all barrels are sold specifically for these cartridges. And for those who want to understand the topic in more depth, the following picture is offered. Have fun.
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A short list of calibers for rifled weapons
As for the types of reloading, 99% of rifled weapons have a vapor system or are manually reloaded using a longitudinally sliding bolt.
How the reloading system for automatic and semi-automatic weapons works can be seen in this video:
Not only the trunk
Keep in mind that in addition to the barrel itself, you will have to go all out for a bunch of additional things. Therefore, we immediately notice that owning a weapon is expensive and responsible.
For example, the author owns a Hatsan Escort AimGuard shotgun. Here's how much money it is:
- costs for permission and certificates - $ 50;
- gun – $300;
- safe– $50;
- case– $15;
- cleaning kit + cleaning oil + preserving oil – $30;
- active headphones Howard Leight Impact Sport–$80;
- safety glasses – $10;
- cartridges: 3 packs (shot, buckshot, bullet) of 25 pcs – $40
Add to this trips to the shooting range and purchase of cartridgesand targets, as well as the desire to customize weapons – buy a belt, scope and other accessories. And this is one of the cheapest options to become a gun owner.
In the dry residue
Ordinary Ukrainians will not have weaponsmeans anyone can buy it. It’s like with a car - in order to drive on the road you need to undergo a medical examination, learn to drive, pass exams, take out an insurance policy, etc. However, with weapons, control is even tighter – If you can buy a car without a license, then with a weapon this will not work. In addition, there is no need to be afraid of pistols in the hands of civilians. Firstly, short-barreled weapons are more difficult to shoot accurately. Secondly, as statistics from other countries show, the presence of short-barreled weapons among the population significantly reduces the number of crimes. So we are waiting for the adoption of a law on weapons that will allow us pistols, but for now we can already purchase a rifle or carbine.
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