Found weapons will be allowed to keep for yourself

Member of the State Duma Committee for security and combating corruption, Ilya Kostunov (“United Russia”) is preparing a draft law on introducing amendments to the Federal law №-150 "On weapons". The amendment is aimed at introduction of a new mechanism of encouragement for those citizens, who, found any weapons, according to the current legislation, hand over it to law enforcement bodies. The legislator proposes to introduce the rule that the finder of weapons, after its handing over, should be able to make the ownership of it and after some time to regain his finding legally.

The existing rules actually deprive the finder and handed over to the MIA arms citizen to acquire ownership of it, and the weapon itself is waiting for disposal.

Another important issue is compensation for the handed over found weapon. Today each region separately may set the remuneration for the surrendered weapons by the resolution of the local government. At that paying for the same type of a weapon can at times vary in different regions.

Basically, as the legislator noted, the payment amounts are minor and do not correspond to the cost of the same weapons on the black market, forcing many citizens to make the decision to retain the found pistols and rifles for themselves until better times. In addition, the shares on the admission of weapons in exchange for money are not systematic and depend on the ability of the regional budget to find funds for payments.

— Today, citizens have low motivation to give the weapon to the MIA. We need to systematize the legislation disseminating the provisions on the finding, prescribed in the Civil Code of the RF, and for the weapon. The amendment that I propose is to add to the article 13 of the FL "On weapons" a provision, in which a citizen, surrendered the weapon, would have the opportunity to obtain ownership to it in accordance with the Civil Code of the RF," said Kostunov. — After the criminological examination, if within six months the owner don't appear, the weapon can be transferred to the property of the finder.

In this case the new owner should have a proper license and permission or get it during the year. If it is impossible to obtain the permission, the legislator proposes to give the opportunity to "unload the gun" through the finder and to issue it in a safe form.

But all weapons of illicit trafficking in the RF would definitely be destroyed, said Kostunov.

If within six months the true owner of the weapon is declared, the finder will be able to claim 20% of its value.

Chairman of the all-Russian society of owners of civilian weapons, Alexander Ratnikov believes that the proposed changes to the Federal law "On weapons" are progressive and will help the state to have a better understanding of the number of weapons in the country.

— Diggers in different regions continue to find weapons and by the law they should give it to the local bodies of the MIA, otherwise they will be the subject to criminal liability. In the offices they can be paid very little compensation, but the finding can cost more expensive thousands of times. So many people decide to make the illegal sale on the black market, through the channels of which rare weapons can go abroad — told Warriors. — To remedy this situation, it is fair to legalize such findings on favorable terms for the state and finder. If today it is possible to purchase an armored carrier for a collection straight from the factory, to hang the car number and operate, why not to legalize findings in the form of antique guns in the attic?

Doctor of historical Sciences archaeologist Vladimir Kuznetsov also confirmed to “Izvestiya” that the found during excavations weapons today are not possible to legalize as the ownership. The very same Russian land still gives scientists new military artifacts of the past wars.