Age-related apologies: Children may be banned from buying weapons-like items

A bill is being discussed in Russia to ban the sale of low-powered airguns and signal pistols to children. The document is being finalized, but conceptually it is supported by the government. Currently, such products are available to minors, which leads to incidents with unpleasant and even tragic consequences, including in educational institutions. Experts draw attention to a legal gap in the draft: the proposed restrictions may also affect harmless activities of schoolchildren, such as archery. Izvestia examines how necessary the new restrictions are and whether they will be able to reduce the number of accidents.

Which products will be affected by the restrictions

Minors may be prohibited from buying products that are structurally similar to weapons. The government conceptually supported the bill, sending it for substantial revision, follows from the official response of the Cabinet of Ministers (available to Izvestia).

The draft was submitted by a group of deputies and senators in April 2025. Currently, residents can purchase products structurally similar to weapons, air rifles, pistols, revolvers with a muzzle energy of no more than 3 joules, signal pistols and revolvers with a caliber of no more than 6 mm and cartridges for them without a license and registration. However, the norm does not contain age restrictions, the authors pointed out.

"The implementation of the bill will reduce the risk of tragic consequences of the irresponsible use of products structurally similar to weapons, ensure the protection of minors and increase public safety," the deputies believe.

At the same time, starting in December 2024, marketplaces are required to mark products similar to weapons with an age limit and show their cards only after the buyer confirms his age of majority, and transfer such products exclusively by passport at the pick-up points.

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This will affect subjects that have not passed the socio-psychological examination.

There are no such restrictions in regular stores, the parliamentarians note. Therefore, they propose to ban the sale of pneumatic and signal pistols to persons under the age of 18, with the exception of pneumatics with a muzzle energy of less than 0.5 J.

The government drew attention to the existence of a legal gap in the document, Vladimir Gruzdev, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Bar Association, explained to Izvestia.

"The Cabinet of Ministers agrees with the need for such regulation," he said. — But in the current law "On Weapons" there is no definition and criteria for classifying products as "structurally similar to weapons." Thus, the bill attempts to introduce a ban based on a legally vague concept, which will inevitably lead to arbitrariness in law enforcement, legal disputes and the inability for law enforcement agencies and sellers to unambiguously qualify a particular item.

According to the government, a separate section of the unified list of products subject to mandatory certification lists those similar to weapons. In particular, paintball markers, bows, crossbows, tourist and sports knives, souvenirs.

"Many of these items are used by minors for legitimate purposes,— said Vladimir Gruzdev. — For example, for sports, as well as for tourism or collecting. By introducing a total ban on persons under the age of 18, the bill effectively negates these legal activities, creating unjustified and excessive restrictions on citizens' rights.

In addition, minor foreigners are going to be banned from buying cans of irritating substances and electric shocks. Russians have such a right only after they reach adulthood, and there are no age restrictions for migrants, the deputies noted in an explanatory note.

What are the dangers of such "toys"?

The main danger of "weak force" pneumatics — from 0.5 to 3 Joules — lies in the deceptive perception of such products as relatively safe objects, said Vladimir Kuznetsov, chairman of the All-Russian Trade Union of Mediators.

"Despite the low muzzle energy, a steel or plastic ball, when hit at close range, can cause serious injuries, including damage to the mucous membranes, organs of vision and soft tissues," the expert said.

Moreover, the use of such products in educational institutions provokes panic and creates risks of inadequate response from security services, which in a critical situation cannot always instantly distinguish a structurally similar product from a real firearm.

Signal weapons of up to 6 mm caliber also pose a significant threat when used by children without control, Vladimir Kuznetsov added. In addition to the risk of burns and hearing injuries when fired near a person, there is a risk of illegal modification of such products.

"The absence of age restrictions on their purchase facilitates teenagers' access to blanks, which, with certain technical skills, can be converted into devices suitable for firing traumatic or even live ammunition, which translates the offense into criminal liability," the lawyer emphasized.

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The current regulatory mechanism is characterized by fragmentation, the expert explained. While airguns with an energy of more than 3 Joules are subject to registration or licensing with an age limit of 18 years, the segment of up to 3 Joules remains in the "gray zone" of civil circulation.

— Sellers often have no legal grounds to require a passport when selling such products, and there is practically no responsibility for their transfer to minors, — the expert reminded. — This leads to the fact that pneumatics becomes an accessible tool for teenage bullying and participation in incidents that have a wide public response.

The introduction of an age limit will not only limit children's physical access to potentially dangerous objects, but will also create a legal framework for bringing trade organizations to justice, the lawyer noted.

"The establishment of a ban on the sale of pneumatics and signal pistols to persons under 18 is a logical step in the development of state policy on arms control aimed at preventing offenses among young people and increasing the level of protection of citizens in public places," he said.

Natalia Naumova, a child psychologist, believes that a ban on the purchase of weapons-like products by children is necessary.

— In many cases, children foolishly shoot at their peers, thus solving their problems related to resentment, anger, aggression. As a rule, they do not understand what responsibility they bear and what will follow," she stressed.

According to the psychologist, such cases are caused by the fact that the shooter often goes unpunished.

— Children do not know how to manage their aggression, how to resolve conflict situations, so they resort to such dangerous methods, — said Natalia Naumova.

It is important for schoolchildren to explain in an accessible way what the consequences of using such products may be, the psychologist added. The more information and awareness there is, the lower the risk that they will injure each other.