Hunting rifles, Russian style

[max popenker]

Well, everybody knows(tm) that in Russia, you walk the streets in the snow, and have to shoulder off bears once in a while to get into the bar to drink vodka


But jokes aside (almost), below are some examples of the rifles that are actually sold to Russian hunters and registered as "hunting' rifles.

Number 1.
VEPR-KM, aka VPO-136

an original AKM (mostly of early 1970s vintage), internally converted to semiauto only.
Retail price about US $500-600

Number 2.
VPO-136S

an original AKMS (mostly of early 1970s vintage), internally converted to semiauto only. Additional internal lock blocks trigger when stock is folded (as per Russian law regulations for minimum 80cm / 32" legal length of the gun).
Retail price about US $1000

Number 3.
PPSh-O aka VPO-135

an original PPSh-41 subgun (in 7.62x25), mostly of late WW2 vintage, arsenal refurbished and internally converted to semi-auto. Drum magazine is pinned to limit capacity of 10 rounds.
Retail price about US $700

Number 4.
DP-O

An original DP-27 LMG, arsenal refurbished and internally converted to semi-auto. Magazine restricted to 10 rounds.
Retail price about $2,000

Number 5.
Maxim M1910/30 "hunting rifle"

original Maxim m1910/30 machine gun on its original wheeled mount, with shield.
Converted to semi-auto. Sold with non-disintegrating belts cut to 10 rounds.
Retail price varies between US $5,000 and $8,000 (complete with mount)

Other, less spectacular guns include surplus Mosin M1891/30 rifles, Tokarev SVT-40 rifles, SKS carbines and hosts of more conventional rifles.

And to brief you up on local gun rules, all guns can be bought only with prior "purchase permit" from local police, and must be subsequently registered with the same. Universal magazine capacity limit is 10 rounds, all 'civilian" firearms must be not shorter than 80 cm / 32" when ready to fire.

 

[Jack Package]

Let me guess it would be super illegal to go to Russia buy a few PPsH's DP's and AK's and bring them back to the states right? YAAAAY gun laws in the US:banghead:

 

[illinoisburt]

And here I thought it had been decreed that 762x39 could barely kill a groundhog from 10 yards and had no place in the hunting world. LOL

Golly gee maybe them russians just scare the animals with noise and muzzle flash then bayonet charge the game!

 

[dvdcrr]

Looks like our freedom has been degraded to a level comensurate with a quasi communist dictatorship. I just read the DC laws because of this latest guy from Iowa. Onerous.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Max there was a story in Gun Digest about hunting red deer in Soviet Russia with a Medved carbine in a strange 9mm rifle cartridge. The magazine was limited and hinged to the receiver.

Have you come across one of those before? (http://www.securityarms.com/20010315/galleryfiles/3000/3094.htm) Looks very much like the rifle I recall.

In fact, the article is now online! http://www.gundigest.com/gun-digest-classics-articles/classics-russia-red-forest

 

[Z-Michigan]

Always enjoy these informative posts, Max.

It's interesting how the legal restrictions between the US and Russia are sort of converging. Unfortunately not in a way that we in the US like one bit.

 

[max popenker]

Dr.Rob, "Medved" is a rare beast based on the SVD and produced in Izhevsk in very limited numbers between 1969 and 1975.
Cartridge is an old 7.62x54R case necked out for 9 mm bullet - a short-range big game round of Soviet era, now almost forgotten, but still manufactured by LVE plant

http://www.lveplant.ru/pages_en.php?id=13

 

[mgkdrgn]

The Mosin Nagant M44 makes for an excellent hunting rifle ... I've sold many for that purpose.

The hog hunters particularly appreciate the fold out bayonet!

 

[highpower]

I want to hunt with the Maxim, or maybe the DP27. Both would make dandy deep woods rifles.

 

[BobTheTomato]

I use my AK for deer. Seems legit to me =)

 

[MCgunner]

My SKS has taken two deer...but it's Chinese.

 

[chris in va]

A 54R necked up to 356?? Now that's a hunting round!

 

[Onmilo]

There are a host of hunting grade rifles sold in Russia.
Probably as many choices there as here for hunting and target shooting practices.
Shotguns too, even short barrelled ones (Under 3.0 Cm/12") for defensive purposes.
Hunting shotguns must have a barrel of at least 22" I believe and strangely, you are not supposed to use a hunting shotgun for defensive purposes, you MUST have a second SBS for that purpose.(Hello Amerika!-Waves)

9X54R is actually pretty common in Russia with bolt and semi auto rifles still being built and offered in the caliber.

7.62X51/.308 Winchester has become extremely popular with Russian hunters as they found it will humanely kill any game animal within reasonable ranges. (400 Meters is considered reasonable)

Handguns are all but unobtanium for private citizens but they can possess Gas pistols, low power (4mm cartridge) and rubber bullet pistols.( Waves at sad Russians)

Citizens can shoot a wide range of handguns available at State Sanctioned and controlled shooting facilities.
Citizens cannot take the weapons off the property, for ANY reason and being in possession of an illegal handgun in Russia mandates a very stiff prison term.

Russian Citizens must wade through a pile of paperwork, take a pile of written and a couple of shooting ability tests to obtain a firearm use and possession license.
It is good for five years and must be renewed with yet another pile of paper and shooting tests.
Your guns ARE registered with the state, they have the ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY to seize or Inspect at any time for any reason.
I don't think ammunition possession is limited though it may be and reloading is very popular there.

 

[max popenker]

Shotguns too, even short barrelled ones (Under 3.0 Cm/12") for defensive purposes.

those "SBS" are actually less-lethal weapons, built from sawed-off SxS shotguns and chambered for shortened 12Ga ammo loaded with rubber ball bullets. Bores are heavily choked to prohibit use of "hard" projectiles. heavy, unhandy and quite unpopular, as opposed to much more compact "less-lethal" semi-auto pistols and revolvers

Hunting shotguns must have a barrel of at least 22" I believe and strangely, you are not supposed to use a hunting shotgun for defensive purposes

All civilian long guns (both rifles and shotguns) mush either have barrels not shorter that 50cm (20") or OAL when ready to fire of 80cm (32"). Some relatively short rifles and shotguns (such as saiga-12K) have built-in trigger locks that block firing when shoulder stock is closed.

9X54R is actually pretty common in Russia

I'd say from my own observations it's much less common than 7.62x54R or .308Win, or even .30-06

I don't think ammunition possession is limited though it may be and reloading is very popular there.

ammunition possession IS limited. You can own live ammunition only in calibers you have registered gun for. Ownership of ammunition for which you do not have registered guns (especially military ammunition) can bring you into some very hot legal waters.

Reloading for shotguns is legal, reloading for rifles is formally illegal but there's no formal provisions for legal punishment for this in the criminal code

 

[Onmilo]

Max.
Tell us more about the sbs Saiga .410s that are used for defense.
My understanding is this is as close as a Russian civilian can get to a handgun.

 

[max popenker]

.410 cal Saigas are most often bough for plinking; they are too unreliable for a SD/HD use

Most common short shotguns here are Saiga-12K and Vepr-12



the only less-lethal shotgun-derived "obrez" (saw-off gun) was known as MP-341 "Howdah". These were made from rejected IZh-43 SxS shotguns, cut at both sides and with barrel obstructions to block shooting of anything but rubber slugs
Ammo was loaded into 12 Ga shells cut to 35mm (1.37")


These weighted more than 4.5 lbs, and due to very limited sales soon disappeared from gun shops