There is no legal private gun ownership in the Russian Federation at all, except for hunters or BB guns.
Incorrect:
From a Russian citizen:
Members of public are allowed to own these categories of firearms: 1. Shotguns (and air-rifles from 3 to 25 joules of muzzle power) 2. Rifles (after 5 years long term of owning a shotgun and 5 years long membership in a hunting cooperative) These two categories mean shoulder guns. 3. "Self-defense weapons" Those are gas pistols and so-called traumatic guns which fire a rubber bullet using a light charge of gunpowder. No handguns, automatic fire and such. Licences. Buying a gun requires obtaining a licence from the police. Anyone starting from 18 years of age can obtain a shotgun or a self-defense weapons licence if he/she meets those criterias: - not in file as a drug addict/alcoholic - not in file as mentally ill - no criminal record - health certificate - no certain misdemeanours comitted (such like misuse of firearms) - that person passed an exam (on legal issues and firearm handling). - good character report from the neighbourhood police inspector - a steel gun safe. (very often they require it to be fixed to a wall) The rifle license requires the same plus 5 years long owning of a hunting smoothbore licence There are these types of licences: 1. Hunting smoothbore /air powered weapons - this requires joining a hunting cooperative before applying to the police. Hunting cooperatives require an applicant to pass an exam. One with such licence can keep a weapon at home, wear it in hunting/sports grounds and transport it elsewhere. A gun being transported must be unloaded, upholstered, ammo stored separately. 2. Self-defense smoothbore /air powered weapons. One with this licence can keep a weapon at home. 3. Rifle licence. Same as hunting smoothbore weapons' licence carry/storing/transporting regulations plus annual forensic shoot-off. 4. Self-defense weapons. One can carry such a weapon everywhere except certain places. All the licences must be renewed in 5 years. One can buy up to 5 pieces of weapons of each category. Cold weapons can be bought by hunting licence holders. Ammo. Ammo can be bought according to the caliber in your licence. That is a 0.308Win rifle owner cannot buy 30-06 cartridges. Gun dealers log ammo purchases. Shotgun shells can be legally reloaded (powder is sold by the gun dealers). Rifle cartridges - a legal uncertainity with them, rifle powder cannot be found on sale. However, rifle owners disassemble factory cartridges to get the powder and load imported shells with it and imported bullets Those ones are bought mainly in the US web-shops. There are private security firms. They can rent (previously could own) handguns from the police. The handguns are limited in muzzle power - 300 J.
That is an outright lie.