Ensuring their own safety is a key task for many people. In their opinion, today there are many tools to solve it. Without a license, you can buy and carry an air pistol. Specialized stores sell traumatic weapons. However, it is necessary to correctly evaluate the capabilities of such tools. The difference is not only in the characteristics of the weapon, but also in understanding when it is rational to use an air pistol for self-defense.

At what age can you buy and use pneumatics

The law unequivocally states: pneumatic weapons can be bought, stored, carried in compliance with established rules. The requirements for its use are also outlined. In fact, anyone who has the strength to lift, point the gun, pull the trigger can use an air gun. But a person can only be responsible for this, as well as fall within the limits of legislative regulation, from the age of 18.

In some circles, especially in the Internet communities, there are rumors about the ability to carry and use air-grade weapons from the age of 16. This is a completely contrived version. The source of its appearance is a very controversial bill of Ukraine, where neither the types of weapons nor the limits of their characteristics are clearly indicated. On the territory of Russia, there is only one rule: to buy an air pistol, you must be at least 18 years old.. As well as being able to wear, store and use it.

When you need and do not need a permit to buy pneumatics

All air pistols are divided into several groups according to the muzzle energy of the bullet.

1. Models up to 3 Joules do not require permits. An air pistol of this type can also be carried without restrictions. The only thing the owner should remember is that replicas of real combat models of firearms can attract the close attention of law enforcement officers.
2. For devices with energies from 3 to 7.5 J (not included) there is no need to obtain an air pistol permit. However, the owner of the weapon must comply with a number of requirements. In particular, observe the rules for carrying an air pistol.
3. An air pistol license is required if it is energy is in the range from 7.5 to 25 J. In this case, it is required to obtain permission to purchase from law enforcement agencies. After purchasing a pistol in specialized stores, it is necessary to hand over the license spine to record and control the period of ownership of the weapon. In addition, for models of this class, permission is issued to carry an air pistol.

Important! On models with an energy of 25 J or more, belonging to the class of special and sports, a full range of permits is required. These are licenses for the purchase, responsible storage in an equipped safe, carrying weapons.

How to properly wear an airgun

The rules for carrying an air pistol are also tied to the power classes of the models. For pistols up to 3 J, there are no restrictions. Models up to 7.5 J and full 4.5 mm caliber not allowed in public placesfor holding public events. The pistol must be in a disassembled state, that is, with a separated magazine and a source of compressed air. The use of weapons is allowed only in places where there are no people.

Pistols up to 25 J and above stored in specially equipped safes. Free carry is prohibited. Only transportation in unassembled form, in a complete case or cover to the shooting site is allowed. An air rifle of any type is also subject to these rules.

How not to use pneumatics

Having found out the question of how old you can have an air pistol, many young people believe that it is allowed to use it anywhere. This is not true. It is forbidden to fire weapons of any class in public places. A law enforcement officer who detects a violation can:

• seize weapons for examination;
• draw up a protocol of administrative violation;
• detain the owner of an airgun on suspicion of violating the law.

Most likely, the situation will not develop until the trial. But there may be consequences in the form a large fine and deprivation of the right to purchase, carrying, storage of weapons for a period of 12 months. After the examination, the air pistol will be returned. In case of deprivation of the right to store and carry it, it will be transferred to a close relative or trusted person.

How is an air pistol different from a traumatic one?

To say in one phrase how an air pistol differs from a traumatic one is quite simple — these are two different types of weapons. And the main difference between them is the muzzle energy of the bullet and the stopping effect of the ammunition. There are several other characteristics in which pneumatics are not similar to traumatics.

Energy source

The air pistol is a device with its own, ammunition-independent energy source. Roughly speaking, the total amount of pressurized gas in most cases does not correlate with the number of bullets in the magazine. Pistols are divided into classes:

• compression, for the shot of which it is necessary to cock the piston spring;
• multi-compression, allowing you to vary the pressure in the working chamber or make several shots after pumping the gas volume;
• gas-cylinder, having a limited supply of the working fluid in a replaceable container;
• pre-pumping, operating with a significant volume of gas under high pressure in the tank;
• cartridge pumping, supplying the working fluid directly into the sleeve with the valve.

When using pneumatic weapons, a situation may arise when there is a supply of bullets, but a shot with normal characteristics cannot be fired. Trauma can’t do that. This is a weapon with an external power source. The driving force of the expanding gas is formed in the cartridge case. Thus, a traumatic pistol is a firearm with reduced power characteristics and specially designed bullet types.

muzzle energy of a bullet

Modern air pistols can deliver up to 25 joules of muzzle energy. In trauma, this parameter is much higher. Legislatively, later it will be described why, the upper limit for the muzzle energy of a bullet is 40 Joules.

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Features and nature of the action of the bullet

Pneumatics shoots metal bullets of 0.22 caliber, i.e. 4.5 mm. It can be molded out enough soft lead or balls of magnetic non-corrosive alloy. Such a bullet is not capable of penetrating deep into human tissues, especially given the upper limit of its energy of 25 J. The stopping effect of the ammunition is small.

In traumatism, a bullet is rubber moldcontaining a metal core. This is done to search for ammunition in the human body on a radiograph. The diameter of traumatic bullets is large. Depending on the cartridge class, from 9-10 to 15.3 mm. With a large mass of the bullet and its high muzzle energy, it has a significant impact in the area of ​​impact. Trauma has a huge stopping power.

Important! Today, the possibility of traumatic weapons is limited by law. It is allowed to sell ammunition with an upper limit of muzzle energy of a bullet of 40 Joules. Accordingly, technical solutions for pistols are developed, materials are selected. When fired with a high power cartridge, the weapon will simply deteriorate.

The reason for this limitation was excessive trauma of standard ammunition 18×45 with a bullet diameter of 15.3 mm and an energy of 85 J. When fired at point-blank range, for example, from a short-barreled OCA injury, bones broke at the target even under tight clothing. Ammunition with an energy of 85 J became the cause of death when a bullet hit the skull. Therefore, today all large-caliber injuries sold are calculated for the muzzle energy limit of a bullet of 40 Joules, and only the corresponding ammunition is allowed for them.

The exception is the products of Chinese manufacturers. They make replicas of the most wearable OCA pistol without reducing the strength of the components, supply standard cartridges for it with a muzzle energy of 85 J. However, the use of such weapons prohibited by law.

Self-Defense Mechanics

Anyone can understand how to apply trauma. You need to point the muzzle at the attacker, remove the gun from the safety and pull the trigger. In this case, it is desirable to aim at sensitive areas. For example, massive muscles, collarbones, ribs, hips. The attacker is guaranteed severe pain and difficulty in moving. Just for such simple application mechanics models of traumatic pistols with the release of a pair of bullets at once are calculated. They fire with a vertical spread of up to 50 cm to inflict two or a guaranteed one hit on the enemy.

With an air pistol, everything is more complicated. His bullet will go, with luck, under the skin. However, blocking pain will not occur, as well as restrictions on the movement of the opponent. Shooting somewhere on the body of the attacker, a significant result cannot be achieved. You need to hit key points, centers of pain or movement mechanics. These are the eyes, Adam’s apple, kneecaps, bridge of the nose. However, after a cold-blooded execution, the court is likely to take the side of the attacker. The owner of the pneumatics will be charged with exceeding the allowable limits in self-defense. Even if he has a permit to carry and all the necessary documents for weapons.

Therefore, gas-cylinder and other pistols suitable only for really critical situations. For example, when the attacker has already succeeded, the victim is beaten or injured. Then you can resort to a cold-blooded defeat of strategically important points on the body of opponents. But the chances of the possibility of both opening fire and acting adequately are extremely small.

Once a person understands this, pneumatics are effectively used for only one type of self-defense: dispersal of aggressive stray animals. To some extent, realistic-looking airguns, a replica of a combat firearm, can scare off attackers. But it’s foolish to hope so.

Recommendations for the use of air guns

The average character is able to say: there is no use in an air pistol if it must be carried, bought and stored according to the rules, and the use can result in trouble and fines. But such a statement of the question is not true. You can use a pneumatic pistol in deserted places or specially equipped rooms.

Important! Bullets carry the risk of injury. Therefore, it is advisable to shoot in goggles and at a specially equipped place for the target. It should include an effective bullet catcher: made of straw, in the form of a mound of soft soil, a device made of an inclined solid plate that beats bullets into a container of water.

The rules for buying, carrying and storing air pistols are quite simple. If they are observed, no one will be able to prevent the owner of such weapons from having fun, learning or improving shooting skills.

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