Homemade weapons

[MeMyselfAndI]

Russia has, indeed, a very strict and hard weapons policy. It is hard for a regular person to get a gun without paying bribes and going to many trouble.

Some, like me, do pay the bribes and go to teh trouble.

Those who cannot afford it, particularly in rural areas, make their own weapons. Rural Russia is famous for homemade guns.

Some are quite crude and look, to me, dangerous to operate
http://nevsedoma.com.ua/images/2009/47/3/Weapon_9.jpghttp://pics.cenzure.net/temp/2007/12/11/17726.jpghttp://kolyan.net/uploads/posts/2009-02/thumbs/1234301126_1234285239_15.jpghttp://anyguns.ru/images/page/unedited/samodelniy-pistolet-9mm-luger-sten-1.jpghttp://2krota2.ru/uploads/posts/2011-04/1302172848_1302084383_guns_08.jpghttp://ramina.ru/esmi3/img/guvd/lopatin/img_3558.jpg

Others are more sophisticated
http://talks.guns.ru/forums/icons/forum_pictures/001244/1244175.jpg
http://pics.cenzure.net/temp/2007/12/11/17730.jpghttp://nevsedoma.com.ua/images/2009/47/3/Weapon_5.jpg
http://gunmagazine.com.ua/arhiv/20/5/index_clip_image004.jpg

Recently, an 80-year old woman, Luiza Zhdanova
http://ljplus.ru/img4/o/l/olenalex/bab.jpg
was stopped by police on the street in her village Pyatikhatki, halfway between cities Rostov and Taganrog.
http://ljplus.ru/img4/o/l/olenalex/bab3.jpg
Zhdanova, a widow of a Cossack tribal leader (ataman), an a organiser of a volunteer street patrol in her community, was carrying in the holster on her belt a homemade pistol
http://ljplus.ru/img4/o/l/olenalex/bab2.jpg
a gift from her deceased husband, which was loaded with combat ammunition.

The police first took away the weapon, but, after an outrage in the community, gave it back. :lol:
http://olenalex.livejournal.com/29625.html

Nazim, my friend who collects guns, has a Nagan revolver that he altered in his home shop
http://talks.guns.ru/forums/icons/forum_pictures/004600/4600449.jpg
He added a longer, rifle barrel, and a wooden shoulder piece.

See... Russians have a great talent for wepon-making. That is why we made the Kalashnikov guns; etc. I just wish this potential could be used toward other, non-warfare means... The country could have thrived then...

[Americano]

I was under the impression AK47s are available to Russian civilians with the right connections. Why would people use homemade weapons? Cost?

On that subject, it's my understanding a wide variety of Russian military (and militia) units still prefer and use the venerable AK47 even though the AK74 is the 'official' military shoulder arm. In my opinion the AK47 is still the finest general purpose automatic field weapon ever designed. Kalashnikov did make his mark on the world.

[MeMyselfAndI]

I was under the impression AK47s are available to Russian civilians with the right connections. Why would people use homemade weapons? Cost?

Those who do not have the right connections, have to carry homemade :lol:

On that subject, it's my understanding a wide variety of Russian military (and militia) units still prefer and use the venerable AK47 even though the AK74 is the 'official' military shoulder arm. In my opinion the AK47 is still the finest general purpose automatic field weapon ever designed. Kalashnikov did make his mark on the world.

AKS-74 is also popular, because it has a grenade launcher
http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/4999/gp30.jpg
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/7945/6101z.jpg
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/8782/xefc7807d.jpghttp://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/9/432975638486959475ba65165e492ac0/l.jpg

Actually, Russia does make some nice weapons, like SR-3 "Vikhr" (Specnaz-issue only)
http://www.soldierweapons.ru/Foto_2/SR3/A2.jpg

and APS underwater combat weapon
http://www.e-reading.org.ua/illustrations/149/149125-pic_282.jpg
http://img1.liveinternet.ru/images/attach/c/1//54/195/54195371_1012446.jpg
http://3v-soft.clan.su/novosti001/001/avtomat/aps/aps004.jpghttp://www.ljplus.ru/img4/i/_/i_korotchenko/IMG_7695.JPGhttp://www.ljplus.ru/img4/i/_/i_korotchenko/IMG_7686.JPG
which, as a Naval Infantryman, I did get to shoot as part of my training.

That is one great gun... Though it's name Avtomat Podvodny Specialny stands for Automatic Weapon Underwater Special, it is actually just as lethal on land. Fires MPS rounds
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/6659/566x39mmmps04.jpg
500 rounds/minute under water; 600/minute on surface. Easily pierces a 5 mm thick diving suit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APS_amphibious_rifle

Great weapon.

[Americano]

Those who do not have the right connections, have to carry homemade :lol:



AKS-74 is also popular, because it has a grenade launcher
http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/4999/gp30.jpg
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/7945/6101z.jpg
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/8782/xefc7807d.jpghttp://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/9/432975638486959475ba65165e492ac0/l.jpg

Actually, Russia does make some nice weapons, like SR-3 "Vikhr" (Specnaz-issue only)
http://www.soldierweapons.ru/Foto_2/SR3/A2.jpg

and APS underwater combat weapon
http://www.e-reading.org.ua/illustrations/149/149125-pic_282.jpg
http://img1.liveinternet.ru/images/attach/c/1//54/195/54195371_1012446.jpg
http://3v-soft.clan.su/novosti001/001/avtomat/aps/aps004.jpghttp://www.ljplus.ru/img4/i/_/i_korotchenko/IMG_7695.JPGhttp://www.ljplus.ru/img4/i/_/i_korotchenko/IMG_7686.JPG
which, as a Naval Infantryman, I did get to shoot as part of my training.

That is one great gun... Though it's name Avtomat Podvodny Specialny stands for Automatic Weapon Underwater Special, it is actually just as lethal on land. Fires MPS rounds
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/6659/566x39mmmps04.jpg
500 rounds/minute under water; 600/minute on surface. Easily pierces a 5 mm thick diving suit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APS_amphibious_rifle

Great weapon.

The SR-3 is very similar to a Heckler Koch MP5 (http://www.hk-usa.com/military_products/mp5_general.asp) used by Western special military forces, the US Secret Service and the US FBI.

[Donkey]

See... Russians have a great talent for wepon-making. That is why we made the Kalashnikov guns; etc. I just wish this potential could be used toward other, non-warfare means... The country could have thrived then...

Kalashnikov on his creation:

"I'm proud of my invention, but I'm sad that it is used by terrorists. I would prefer to have invented a machine that people could use and that would help farmers with their work - for example a lawnmower."